After graduating college, I was very eager to start my career and finally join the workforce. I could not wait to apply the knowledge I had learned into real world projects. When I was offered a job to join BGI as a software engineer, I knew just how great of an opportunity I was given, having been an intern for two summers.
On my first project as an engineer, I was tasked to work on the ARC (Analysis and Reporting Client) software. ARC provides a mechanism to analyze, visualize and report on flight data. The codebase traces back almost 10 years, so it is a software that has been sustained for a while. I gained immense knowledge just by working through the codebase and understanding how the software functions.
Since many of BGI’s software projects are composed of smaller teams, most of the engineers get to work on all sides of development. This means that one week I may be creating tests or debugging an issue, while the next week I might be writing scripts for data analysis. This helped me understand how different software components interface, making me a well-rounded engineer.
In addition to engineering work, I was given the opportunity train end users on the ARC in Pax River. Getting the chance to meet the customer and educate them on how to use our software illustrated to me how much of an impact our daily work has in the field. I really enjoyed the experience of being a teacher for a week.
After spending about a year working on ARC, I joined the APA (Aircrew Performance Assessment) project. This software is early in development. I am doing much more architecture and design on this project. I am always looking to challenge myself and am glad that BGI gives me the possibility to explore new areas of software engineering. This makes work stimulating and interesting.
The technology is fun and engaging, but it’s my fellow employees that makes BGI an amazing workplace. Whether it is asking questions about programming or hanging out at a social gathering and talking about how bad the Cleveland Browns are, my co-workers make the working environment exciting and enjoying. I can go to any one of my co-workers for assistance and questions on anything, not just programming, and they will dedicate their time on helping me find the right answer. Having this bond with my co-workers is something I cherish and am grateful to hold. I could not have asked for a better start to my career and I look forward to the future of expanding my engineering knowledge and relationships at BGI.