Dips in hiring and some tough competition means that many software engineers have to work a little bit harder to stand out from the pack nowadays.
U.S. News & World Report ranked software developer as the second best job in the country for 2025, but job market fluctuations and the rapid pace of technological advancement mean the competition among candidates is fierce. To land their dream jobs, software engineers must find new ways to stand out from the pack.
Built In spoke with two Boston software engineers to hear how they landed their dream jobs and how they kept advancing once they were hired.
STR develops technology solutions for national security.
What makes yours a dream company to work for? What do you get to do that you didn’t at other companies? What perks do you see as the most beneficial?
In my opinion the factors which make STR a dream company are leaders who empower you to do your best, a company and culture that actually want to hear your thoughts and will listen if you have a concern, and a dedication to solving hard problems. While STR may have perks like free coffee and snacks, that is not what makes a company great. It’s the willingness of people at all different levels to come together and work as a team to deliver a lasting impact on the programs we execute.
Unlike other organizations, STR really puts a focus on respecting people’s work-life balance and doesn’t expect people to regularly work crazy hours. They truly understand that sometimes things happen and family should come first. Outside of the perks that STR offers their employees — from the free snacks and coffee at each site, the family summer gathering, winter soiree and summer food truck events — they also really invest in building an awesome IT team. Not only have I felt like a valued member of the team, but I know that even if I hit a technical issue, the IT team will be there to help in a very timely manner.
What do you think helped you land the job? Were you able to bring any special expertise or project experience that your employer found valuable?
I think that there were three main qualities that helped me land the job: a fundamental understanding of the concepts required for the role I applied for; adaptability — an ability to communicate how I could adapt my understanding of the concepts to apply to broader applications; and excitement to speak with anyone and everyone about my area of expertise. While not a completely unique area of expertise, systems engineering and more specifically model-based systems engineering, along with an understanding of how to work and adapt the concepts to align with customer needs, expectations and experience, has hopefully been a skill set that has been a value-add to STR.
What do you think helps engineers move up quickly or be the top pick for a competitive employer? What should engineers seek out if they hope to move up or be hired by their “dream” company?
I think that the qualities that enable engineers to move up at a competitive employer are aligned with what engineers should seek out if they want to move up or be hired at their dream company. A willingness to learn, ask questions and listen to others are three key attributes that can enable engineers to move up or be a top pick for competitive employers. When you are able to demonstrate these key attributes, it shows that you want to continue to grow and work together to elevate the team rather than just trying to elevate yourself at the expense of the rest of the team.
At the same time, if someone wants to grow in their career, they should look for teams and companies that are willing to teach, listen and adapt. Teams and companies that can demonstrate these attributes to their employees set the culture that allows it to be OK to ask questions, to provide constructive feedback and to learn. These are the types of organizations that allow people to try new things, to step outside of their comfort zone and to move up and grow their career.
Agero is a digital driving assistance company that provides accident management, consumer affairs support and connected vehicle services to customers.
What makes your role now a dream job? What do you get to do that you didn’t at other companies? What perks do you see as the most beneficial?
What makes my role as a senior software architect a dream job, and separates itself from the competition, is my autonomy and accountability. I am continuously able to find optimizations and share valuable adds for our system. I am encouraged to ask: what are those big swings we can take, or how can we optimize the system performance by ten percent and reduce cost?
At Agero, we have great collaboration between product, engineering and leadership. When we complete a project and share for leadership to review, we are always collaborating to answer: what makes this right for our organization?
A perk I find valuable at Agero is our flexible work environment that allows me to work from home and others to work how best supports them. Employees are trusted they will get the job done, no matter their location, and are spared from time spent commuting. Personally, I greatly appreciate that from top down, if you need to take a moment during your day to step away from work, no matter the reason, you can add it to your calendar and your time is respected.
What do you think helped you land the job? Were you able to bring any special expertise or project experience that your employer found valuable?
I believe what helped separate me as the best candidate for Agero’s senior software architect position was my experience in scaling large transactional systems. Agero is leading the industry in providing roadside assistance solutions powered by innovative technology, and with that comes the responsibility for the coordination of scaling our products across clients to provide solutions for all drivers.
What do you think helps engineers move up quickly or be the top pick for a competitive employer? What should engineers seek out if they hope to move up or be hired by their “dream” company?
My advice for engineers looking to move up quickly or be competitive in this field is to understand the synergy between their skills and their role. Making sure these two are in sync will ensure the role adapts well to the type of engineer you are, as there are many types of developers with specific preferences and approaches. Additionally, be curious to learn more about the needs of the customers and end users of the product, and who you are developing for.
For employees looking to progress at their current company, it’s about finding interests within parts of the system you are working on. From there, don’t take ownership, but rather accountability.
