Software Developer. I am one of two principals of Taylored Software, a custom software development firm.

Are you self-employed?

Yes. My partner and I started our business in January of 2001.

What is your background? What types of degrees, skills, experiences are necessary for this field?

My background is in communication. Many of the people in my field have degrees in computer science or MIS (management information systems), but what you can do is far more important than the degrees you have decorating your office.

Knowledge of programming technique is, obviously, critical. Just as critical, though, are the ability to think through a problem logically and methodically, and the ability to write and communicate effectively. Software Developers also need the ability to think creatively, and a willingness to learn new tools and technologies.

How did you get started in this field?

I've been playing with computers for a long time, but didn't get my start professionally until college. Though I was a communications major, I took some programming classes. The specific languages I learned weren't important, but I discovered that programming was something I was good at and enjoyed. I worked in a variety of jobs in college, learning as much as I could about computers and programming.

Since then, I've worked in many different jobs in the computer industry, but in all of them I took advantage of any opportunity I had to write programs, big and small.

What college (if any) courses have been most helpful for your career?

The programming classes I took helped me to learn the fundamental concepts and techniques of programming. Once you've learned to program in one language, learning other languages is comparatively easy, but the foundations of how to approach a programming problem are absolutely critical.

Equally important, though, were the communications and liberal arts classes I took, which provided a balanced education. I think the single most important skills I learned were how to write effectively, and how to use a library. If you know where and how to look, you can find almost anything you need.

What are your specific responsibilities?

A software developer’s job is to solve problems. Our clients’ problems tend to be things like, "we need a web site", or "we need someone to fix this program we had written for us last year." My job is to talk to my clients, understand their problems, and design and build a solution to those problems.

As a businesswoman, I also have to find clients, solicit their business, and sell them on my ability to solve their problems for them. I also have to take care of accounting, contracts, and the other overhead that goes with running any business.

I also have to keep abreast of new technologies that might help solve my clients' problems in better, more effective, or cheaper ways. I spend a lot of time reading about new technologies and teaching myself new skills.

Describe a typical workday and workweek. What do you do during a typical day?

My workweek consists of a wide variety of tasks, including:

• Researching, designing, developing, and implementing computer programs
• Contacting and soliciting new clients
• Accounting for my time, invoicing clients, and managing my business
• Networking with clients and other businesses in the area
• Learning about new technologies and tools

Name 5-7 job skills that are needed for your job.

• The ability to think a problem through methodically and carefully
• The ability to think on your feet, and to try different solutions to problems
• Intimate familiarity with whatever development tools you choose to use
• The ability to write clearly and concisely, and to communicate often-technical concepts in a clear, understandable fashion
• The ability to stay calm and organized under pressure, and to be methodical in tracking your time and setting goals for yourself.
• Enough diplomatic ability to talk to clients, and to explain how to solve their problems, and why the solution you propose is the right one.
• Absolute confidence in your abilities. If you don't believe in yourself and your skills, you can't expect anyone else to, either.

Are you in a team oriented position?

At the moment, my business consists of just my partner and myself. I constantly have to deal with clients, potential clients, vendors, technical support personnel, and many other people, so teamwork skills are pretty essential.

Do you have flextime? Vacation time? Work at home? Telecommute?

My partner and I work from a home-based office. I work lots of hours, but as an independent businesswoman, I have pretty full control over my schedule. Of course, if I take too much time off, I don't get paid, so I work harder for myself than I think I ever have as an employee. The rewards are definitely worth it, though.

How many hours per week are expected or warranted for peak performance?

There aren't really any expectations there, beyond getting the job done when you say it's going to get done. On the other hand, the work has to get done, so my schedule tends to alternate between periods of extreme craziness and periods of equally extreme boredom.

Are many evenings or weekends required for your job?

Again, it all depends on what I'm working on at any particular time. I usually use the evenings for my planning and organization activities, and for reading trade journals and learning about the new things that are out there. I allocate 20 or 30 minutes most evenings to review my schedule and plan the next day's activities.

How much travel is involved with a job in your field?

It depends on where your clients are located. I travel very little, but there's no particular norm for my field. Some software developers travel all over the world, others never leave home.

Could you give me examples of projects that you are working on?

Right now, I'm working on:

• Additional modules to add to a web site for an on-line gift retailer;
• Modifications and warranty repair for an online retailer of gift certificates;
• Enhancements to a database used by an author for his books;
• Tools to enable an insurance appraiser to work paperlessly.

Could you describe your work settings? Offices, machinery, resources etc.

We work from my home, so my essential tools are my laptop, printer, FAX machine, cell phone and caller ID. Since being organized and keeping track of lots of small details is an essential skill, I also rely on a Palm Pilot organizer.

What personal qualities do you think are necessary for someone to be successful in this occupation?

Patience, determination, organization, and flexibility under pressure. A love of your work and a sense of humor really help, too.

What is the major challenge you face at work?

Dealing with clients who don't understand the technology. When someone doesn't understand what they want, it's really hard to explain to them how you intend to give it to them. More importantly, if someone doesn't understand the technology, it's extremely difficult to explain why a proposed solution is or is not the best one.

What aspects of your job do you find most rewarding (Pros) ?

The most rewarding parts of my job are being my own boss, and the satisfaction I get from seeing my clients using the tools I've built for them and knowing that I gave them the best product I could deliver.

(Cons)Least rewarding?

The most difficult part of my job is trying to give my clients advice that runs counter to what they want to hear. Clients often have preconceived notions about how something "should" work, or how much it "should" cost, and they're rarely happy about having those notions challenged.

Are you confronted with difficult decisions or situations in your position?

I'm not sure I'd describe the situations I encounter as difficult, but the decisions I make on behalf of clients -- which tool to use, how to design a database, and so forth -- have far-reaching consequences for the way their software works. In order to make those decisions, and then sell my clients on them, I have to be confident in my technical expertise, and diplomatic in how I advise clients. Those kinds of decisions are always difficult, because they're involved and often complex decisions.

Do you have a lot of interaction with a certain occupation? I.E. media, engineers, etc.

Our clientele varies, but the common denominator is that most are not software developers or computer people. It's comparatively rare for us to have a client who's very technically savvy. That fact makes it doubly important that I give clients the best advice I can, because they rely absolutely on that advice.

What is the Female to Male Ratio in your position/field?

In the computer industry in general, women make up about 30% of the workforce. The number of women I know who are both software developers and businesswomen is comparatively small; I'd estimate that fewer than 5% of the software development companies I've dealt with have been women-owned and women-staffed.

Has the field changed since you first started your career?

Absolutely. While the fundamental techniques of software development are pretty much the same, tools and technologies are always changing. For that reason, adaptability is essential in any software developer - the landscape is always changing, and it can be a real challenge to keep pace with those changes.

Describe the changes taking place in your field. Project future trends? Turnover rate?

The biggest changes I see have to do with the use of technology to empower businesses or people. Just having a program or web site that's flashy isn't enough any longer. Increasingly, there are compelling business reasons for every choice of tool, every application, every web site. I expect that pattern to continue.

Do you think women avoid technical careers? What do you think can be done to encourage girls to get more involved in the technology field?

It's definitely the case that women tend to avoid technical careers. Part of that, I think, is that societal expectations for what women "should" be and do discourage women from becoming interested in technology. The other part is that the people currently dominating the industry are men who, by and large, have no interested in sharing "their space" with women. Women have precious few empowering role models in the technology industry, and that can't help but discourage them from exploring it.

I think the key to changing this dynamic is to start showing young women ways in which technology can empower them. The computer doesn't care if men or women wrote its software. Computers and other technologies are tools, and it's long overdue for women to start capitalizing on those tools.

In order to do that, I think those women who are in the industry need to reach out to other women, show them a positive role model, mentor them, teach them, and empower them. Women in technology today have often fought hard to get a toehold in that world, and we owe it to our mothers, sisters, and daughters to leverage our struggles for their benefit.

Do you believe that women will be in more technical jobs in the future?

I think women will be in more technical jobs, but I'm not sure the men-to-women ratio will reach any reasonable value within my lifetime. I wish I could be more confident, but the role models, the incentives, and the drive just aren't there today.

Do you have any advice for women and girls that are interested in going into the field?

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it. Seek out people who are doing what you want to be doing, talk to them, learn from them, and don't take no for an answer. Technology can be a tremendously empowering tool, but in order to take advantage of it, you have to empower yourself first. Just do it, and don't let anyone stand in your way.

I have a piece of advice for women in the technology industry, too - reach out to the young women who will follow in your footsteps. You've made your way in a difficult career, and you can help the women who will be tomorrow's leaders. That's not a responsibility you can turn your back on.