June 15: Answer to what makes a great software engineer
What did you predict would be the top attribute? See if you were right.
Source: Empirical Software Engineering
Published: December 2019
Answer to what makes a great software engineer
Yesterday we discussed a University of Washington survey looking for the most important attributes for exceptional software engineers.
What did you predict would be the top attribute?
Answer Options & Responses (n = 4,887)
1. Hardworking: 3.1%
2. Pays attention to coding details: 5.3%
3. Mentally capable of handling coding complexity: 9.4%
4. Continuously improving: 82.2%
If you chose B, ‘pays attention to coding details,’ you’re right! Here are the highest and lowest ranking attributes according to the expert engineers who took the survey. The low-ranked attributes aren’t necessarily bad, just not essential traits for excellent engineers.
Highest Rank & Attribute
#1 Pays attention to coding details
#2 Mentally capable of handling complexity
#3 Continuously improving
Lowest Rank & Attribute
#54 Trades favors
#53 Hardworking
#52 Personable
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Did you appreciate the fact today?
This was a fun one! :)