A day in the life of a programmer

20 September 2021

A typical workday for a programmer starts with brewing a large mug of tea or coffee that they put in front of their computer.

 

Are you curious about what hardware the coding people work on?

There is no clear answer to this question. The choice of equipment depends on the company and technology. In some companies, employees choose any version of a laptop or desktop computer, while others impose specific hardware and configuration. Also, not all development environments are open to every operating system. iPhone’s applications can only be created on computers with macOS. On the other hand, Android is such a friendly environment that you can write on it using any operating system.

Coming back to the main thread. Most of the programmers prefer early working hours. That’s when their e-mail boxes are flooded with new messages that need to be read and answered. It’s also time for a press release or the latest programming and technical news. In the IT industry, this is a priority because everything changes a lot and to program well, you need to be up to date with all the news.

After the morning coffee, when the head is refreshed and the mail has been put in order, you can start coding. Usually, programming is done in teams of several people, as it’s almost impossible to sit down and start writing without a colleague’s help, as it would quickly become a huge mess. You need someone or something to help you control everything, and the range of tools is large. With their help, project managers or other project managers create tasks that show things that need to be implemented to create a working project.

It may sound quite enigmatic, but later in the text you will learn how important it is that the small block we create matches the next ones, and finally the whole program is created. Such a block can be adding a menu or some other element. Most companies use the Jira program with a task board. It is thanks to such tools and good project managers that programmers focus on creating the code. With that they no longer have to waste time on too frequent contact with the client, because everything is handed over in tasks, but sometimes direct contact is still needed.

It also happens that the client himself is not able to fully define his expectations and how it is supposed to work. Then something should be gently suggested. Then it is very helpful to know new technologies, trends or simply knowledge of competing applications. Each coding employee who starts his working day chooses some free tasks for himself, enters them into the system, and only then starts the implementation. Usually, such tasks are very detailed, and this in turn makes the work much easier, because you no longer need to think about how to do something.

Entertainment at programmer work

This is exactly what a typical programmer’s day looks like. It might seem rather monotonous and grey. Fortunately, it is not, because there is also time for entertainment in the life of every programmer. The human brain is built in such a way that it cannot work at high speed all the time. At some point it demands rest, because without it even the simplest problem becomes insurmountable.

Fortunately, business owners are aware of this and even demand breaks from employees. IT companies buy foosball tables, ping-pong tables and darts for their subordinates. Many companies create relaxation zones, where, if necessary, you can even sleep in order to work at top speed again. Best of all, no one is looking at anyone’s hands. Relaxation time is just as paid as work time.

All the above-mentioned entertainment also has a certain advantage that is not visible at first glance. When employees start playing, they usually do it with people they work with. Doing similar things, during the game, they can freely exchange experiences and give someone some nice, relevant solution to their problem. It often happens that while playing, for example, ping-pong, you can come up with an idea that can be used at work. In addition, such team integration gives great end results in the work on the project.

 

Programmer’s working time

The programmer has rather task-oriented working time. In practice, this means that he is accountable for the tasks entrusted to him, and not the number of hours spent in front of the computer. Any sensible team leader understands that some tasks require more work than others. There may also be unforeseen situations that can drastically extend the time it takes to complete the work.

Just turning off the computer and leaving the office does not always mean the end of work. Unfinished business is still in your head and can even take a large part of the night and sleep. Each problem solved, in turn, is a great satisfaction for both the individual and the entire team. Especially when you can see how others benefit from the effects of hard work. A programmer’s workday may be a bit different each time. Not all teams use the same rules and solutions. However, the common denominator is that each solution to a problem must be considered. Its solutions developed and finally implemented, i.e. programmed.

This means that programmers often discuss what they are currently doing. Although these conversations do not always result in consensus, they are informative and allow you to look at ideas from different points of view. I hope that this article has brought you a little closer to the programmer’s day of work and has dispelled doubts about how much and how to work in this profession.

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