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1 Year As A Software Engineer

1 Year as a Software Engineer—what a huge milestone! On August 1, 2023, I embarked on my journey as a software engineer at a startup called AptlyLabs. In this blog post, I’ll share my experiences over the past year, including my work routine, the tech stacks I’ve used, and the challenges and triumphs along the way.

The Beginning: A Blend of Excitement and Challenges

Starting a new job is always thrilling, and I was no exception. I was incredibly excited to begin my career as a software engineer. To my surprise and delight, I was assigned to a project during my very first week. My initial tasks involved writing automation scripts in Python, which was both challenging and rewarding.

One of the early hurdles I faced was working with databases. While I was familiar with SQL databases, my experience had primarily been with Object-Relational Mappers (ORMs like Django ORM, SQLAlchemy ), which abstract away much of the raw SQL. The shift to directly handling SQL databases was a bit daunting at first, but with time and practice, I became more comfortable and proficient in handling database operations.


Expanding My Skill Set: From Automation to Full-Stack Development

A few months into my role, I had the opportunity to work on a new product. This project was a significant step up from my initial tasks and required me to step out of my comfort zone. My responsibilities included:
- Setting up the build pipeline
- Creating APIs with FastAPI - Writing frontend code in React
- Continuing with Python scripting

Of all these tasks, I found myself particularly drawn to API development. There’s something deeply satisfying about designing and implementing an API that efficiently connects different parts of a system.

On the other hand, frontend development was less enjoyable for me. I’ve never been a big fan of writing frontend code, and working with React only reinforced my aversion. Despite this, I pushed through and gained valuable experience in full-stack development.


Reflecting on the Journey

Looking back on my first year as a software engineer, I can see how much I’ve grown both technically and personally. The challenges I faced taught me resilience and adaptability, and the successes I achieved boosted my confidence and solidified my passion for software engineering.

While I’ve discovered areas of software engineering that I truly enjoy, such as backend and API development, I’ve also learned that it’s okay not to love every aspect of the job. The important thing is to keep learning, stay curious, and continue building on the skills that excite you.


Here’s to another year of coding, learning, and making an impact as a software engineer!

Co-authored by Me and ChatGPT.