The Software Life

Looking for the Perfect Double Major or Minor to Go with CS? Try the Humanities

When I first got to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, let alone pursue as a career. I decided to start off as an English literature major because I liked reading and I thought it would teach me to more effectively express myself and analyze the things I saw and read.

Eventually, I tried a few classes in the computer science department because they worked with my schedule and I thought they would be interesting. All it took was one semester of programming in Java, and I was hooked—I knew I wanted to become a software developer. I felt torn, though. Would I give up my English major? Were all the classes I had taken a waste? Read more on Looking for the Perfect Double Major or Minor to Go with CS? Try the Humanities…

What I Learned from Working 32 Hours a Week

In early November, I helped run the Weekend For Good event as part of the Code For Good West Michigan admin team. The event brought together 120+ volunteers and 14 local nonprofits to help build, rebrand, or update websites. It was scheduled for three straight days, and I was there for all of it.

It’s safe to say I needed a break after working my normal weekly schedule along with the extra hours I put in over the weekend. This made November 5 an important day—and not because it was Guy Fawkes Day, but because it was the first time I had used any of my allotted vacation time. Read more on What I Learned from Working 32 Hours a Week…

A Love Letter to Slack (or, My Favorite Slack Features)

Dear Slack,

We’ve known each other for years now. When we first met, I was excited by how pretty you were. I could customize my theme, add whatever emojis I wanted—even GIFs!— and throw a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ after every message where I just wasn’t quite sure. What more could a girl ask for in a messaging service?
Read more on A Love Letter to Slack (or, My Favorite Slack Features)…

Are You in a Relationship with Your Job?

No matter your profession, if you’re a part of the workforce in the United States, you have at some point been confronted with a seemingly simple question: “Do you love your job?”

It is an inescapable phrase, wrapped up in our national psyche along with ideas of the American Dream, the purpose of our lives, and what we do with our time here on earth. It’s also a privilege to be able to consider the question in any employment decision. So, do you love your job? Read more on Are You in a Relationship with Your Job?…

Five Tools for Facilitating a Fair, Effective Internal Meeting

At Atomic, we often meet with colleagues in-person for recurring working sessions as well as targeted ad hoc meetings. I work with many experienced, smart people with diverse perspectives, great ideas, and strong opinions, and bringing everyone’s ideas together can be complicated.

Here are a few things I’ve found helpful when facilitating internal work meetings with more than four people. Read more on Five Tools for Facilitating a Fair, Effective Internal Meeting…

How to Be a Good Teammate When Your Personal Life Affects Your Work

Life is complicated at times, for all of us, both in and out of work. For me, being married while raising two kids and maintaining a full-time job can get crazy at times. Though you may try hard to keep your home life separate from your work life, it is not always possible to have a clean division… nor should you feel obligated to do so. Read more on How to Be a Good Teammate When Your Personal Life Affects Your Work…

Five Types of Music that Can Improve Your Productivity

Music can be incredibly beneficial to various types of work, including coding. There have been studies on which types of music can help us focus better, feel less anxious, and relax after a stressful day. I’ve found five kinds of audio experiences that help me stay more productive at work, and there’s research to back that up. Read more on Five Types of Music that Can Improve Your Productivity…

Turn Travel with Colleagues into Your Professional Superpower

Over the past year, I’ve spent dozens of hours in a car, train, or plane next to a coworker. We Atoms travel together between offices and to client sites, outreach events, and conferences.

I’ve always loved traveling. The passing landscape provides the perfect backdrop for a nap, catching up on email, or staring out the window with my headphones turned up. Travel for work is another story. When traveling with colleagues, these behaviors can waste an opportunity to meaningfully connect with my travel partner. Read more on Turn Travel with Colleagues into Your Professional Superpower…