Tahanima Chowdhury
One of the best ways to understand a profession is to learn directly from people who work in it every day. Recently, I had the opportunity to ask Sahariar Alam Khandoker, a Senior Software Engineer at Grab, about his career, daily responsibilities, and advice for aspiring software engineers.
He has eight years of experience in backend engineering and has worked across multiple companies before joining Grab. In this interview, he shares his perspective on what it takes to build a successful career in software engineering.
Quick Navigation
- How His Career Started
- What Does a Senior Software Engineer Actually Do?
- A Typical Day at Work
- Common Misconceptions About Software Engineering
- Where Beginners Should Start
- The Most Important Technical Skills
- The Most Important Soft Skill
- What Employers Look for in Junior Engineers
- Recommended Learning Resources
- Are Certifications Worth It?
- What Projects Should Beginners Build?
- How to Gain Experience Without a Job
- Interview Topics Every Beginner Should Know
- How Important Are GitHub and Open Source?
- The Future of Software Engineering
- Final Advice for Aspiring Software Engineers
- Final Thoughts
How His Career Started
Sahariar’s backend engineering journey began in 2018 in a research and development (R&D) environment. Unlike many entry-level positions, the expectations were exceptionally high from the very beginning.
He had to learn technologies such as Kubernetes and OpenShift almost immediately, an experience he describes as a “trial by fire.” Although challenging, it taught him one of the most valuable skills in software engineering: the ability to learn quickly.
Throughout his career, Java has been his primary programming language. However, he emphasizes that programming languages are simply tools.
“The tech stack is just a tool to solve the problem at hand.”
His progression into a senior engineering role happened naturally over time by taking ownership of products, participating in architectural decisions, and consistently delivering reliable systems.
What Does a Senior Software Engineer Actually Do?
According to Sahariar, responsibilities differ from company to company.
For him, the primary responsibility is acting as the owner of the product he works on. That means:
- Building new features
- Ensuring the product remains reliable
- Maintaining existing systems
- Asking difficult questions that improve the product and engineering decisions
Ownership, rather than simply writing code, is what defines much of his work.
A Typical Day at Work
A normal workday starts by reviewing his Jira board and selecting the next task to work on.
During the day, his responsibilities include:
- Implementing new features
- Reviewing code submitted by teammates
- Reviewing RFCs (Request for Comments) and design proposals
- Attending the daily stand-up meeting
- Sharing progress and discussing blockers
- Understanding what teammates are working on
- Meeting with product managers when necessary
Once meetings are finished, most of the day is spent returning to development work.
Common Misconceptions About Software Engineering
Sahariar believes there are two misconceptions that many people have.
“AI will replace software engineers.”
He doesn’t believe this will happen.
Instead, he sees AI as an extremely powerful productivity tool rather than a replacement for engineers.
“Programming languages determine your career.”
Many beginners spend too much time debating which programming language pays more or is “better.”
As engineers become more experienced, they realize that programming languages are simply tools.
Understanding problems and designing good solutions matter far more.
Where Beginners Should Start
If someone were starting software engineering today, Sahariar recommends focusing on the fundamentals:
- Operating Systems
- Computer Networking
- Data Structures
- Algorithms
In fact, if he had to start over himself, he says he would study Operating Systems from beginning to end before anything else.
The Most Important Technical Skills
For fresh graduates and beginners, Sahariar believes one skill stands above the rest:
Problem-solving.
Strong problem-solving abilities make learning new technologies significantly easier throughout a software engineering career.
The Most Important Soft Skill
Technical skills alone are not enough.
His advice is simple:
Try to learn from others.
Being open to feedback and continuously learning from experienced engineers can accelerate career growth.
What Employers Look for in Junior Engineers
Hiring expectations vary depending on the company.
High-paying companies
These companies generally evaluate:
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Operating Systems
- Networking fundamentals
Their focus is on strong computer science fundamentals.
Medium and lower-paying companies
These organizations often prioritize candidates who can contribute immediately.
While this may sound appealing, Sahariar considers it a potential red flag because such environments often leave little room for mentorship and learning.
Recommended Learning Resources
Fortunately, he doesn’t believe expensive courses are necessary.
He recommends:
- Head First programming books
- Manning publications
- YouTube
According to him, these resources provide everything needed to build a solid foundation.
Are Certifications Worth It?
His opinion is straightforward.
Projects provide far more value than certifications.
He also believes expensive certifications are often overrated and rarely provide the same career impact as building real software.
What Projects Should Beginners Build?
Instead of randomly creating projects, Sahariar suggests a more strategic approach.
- Identify companies you would like to work for.
- Research the types of products they build.
- Build similar projects.
- Think about scalability while designing them.
This demonstrates practical engineering skills that employers appreciate.
How to Gain Experience Without a Job
One of his strongest recommendations is contributing to open-source software.
Beyond writing code, beginners should:
- Explore open-source codebases
- Read pull requests
- Observe how experienced developers review code
- Learn from real engineering discussions
This provides exposure to professional software development practices that personal projects often cannot.
Interview Topics Every Beginner Should Know
For entry-level software engineering interviews, he frequently sees questions covering:
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- TCP and UDP
- Database normalization
These subjects remain important across many companies.
How Important Are GitHub and Open Source?
Sahariar considers them extremely valuable.
Strong GitHub projects and meaningful open-source contributions can significantly strengthen a candidate’s profile.
In many cases, they can outweigh undergraduate academic results during hiring.
The Future of Software Engineering
AI is currently the biggest trend shaping the industry.
Interestingly, Sahariar doesn’t believe this means engineers will disappear.
Instead, he believes engineers will spend:
- Less time writing boilerplate code
- More time solving complex problems
As AI handles repetitive coding tasks, problem-solving ability becomes even more valuable.
Final Advice for Aspiring Software Engineers
When asked to leave one final message for aspiring engineers, Sahariar shared four simple pieces of advice:
- Build a strong foundation.
- Follow your university curriculum seriously.
- Solve problems consistently.
- Be kind to others.
And for standing out in today’s competitive job market?
His answer was equally simple:
Build projects and contribute to open-source software.
Final Thoughts
One of the recurring themes throughout this interview is that fundamentals matter more than fashionable technologies.
Programming languages change. Frameworks evolve. AI tools become more capable.
However, a strong understanding of computer science fundamentals, the ability to solve problems, and a willingness to learn continuously remain timeless qualities that distinguish successful software engineers.
If you’re just beginning your software engineering journey, this interview offers an important reminder: focus less on chasing trends and more on building a solid foundation that will support your career for years to come.
This article is part of the Career Insights series on Tahanima’s Blog, where professionals share their career journeys, responsibilities, learning paths, and advice for aspiring engineers.
Special thanks to Sahariar Alam Khandoker for sharing his experience and insights with the community. If you have any queries, feel free to contact him at rifatsahariar@gmail.com
How We Manage Test Automation in Our QA Team: Process, Reviews, and Best Practices
>