Vinnie Smith and his family have lived in my neighborhood my entire life. Recently, they moved next door and I got the opportunity to get to know them better. I learned he works for a company called Rocket Software that is based out of Waltham, Massachusetts. They partner with businesses like IBM to make various software applications for a wide variety of companies.
I have wanted to be an engineer for a long time and have become more and more interested in software engineering as the semester has progressed. Upon receiving this assignment, I thought it would be a great way to get to know Vinnie, and he could provide some valuable insights into the world of software programming.
Vinnie was born in the UK, and when he was eighteen, he began working for the British government. He did not go to college but emphasizes that everyone should put in “their four years” to gain knowledge and experience around the professional world. After his four years, when he was 22, the British government gave him an aptitude test, and when he scored highly, they entered him into computer programming training.
His first project was designing a computer system that unified all components of a criminal investigation. At the time, police, investigative, and forensic data was all stored on different systems. His job was to unify them. He worked all the way from designing the program to travelling to each of the jurisdiction’s seven forensic labs to teach them how to implement and use it.
In his field, he values a desire to learn. From his own experience, Vinnie has found that in order to grow as an individual, he must put himself in new and uncomfortable positions. Whenever he finds he does not understand something in his field, he actively seeks to learn it. When he discovered the difficult of public speaking, he took a job as a company representative, forcing himself to speak in front of thousands of people at a time. It was through experiences like this that he learned the various aspects of the computer industry.
Now, he is the head of program development within Rocket Software’s research and development division. Each day, he can handle everything from managing employees in designing applications to coordinating directly with customers to find out their exact needs and specifications. His job offers him the unique opportunity to work in all aspects of the computing industry, from inception to implementation, on a daily basis.
No matter what capacity he is serving at a given moment, from business to research, he is always working with people. In software development, collaboration is key. Every engineer must be able to effectively communicate with one anther in order to achieve their common goal. When meeting with customers and partners, being able to relate a program’s function is paramount. After all, it is worthless if people do not know how to use it.
This conversation was far more insightful than I had hoped. Vinnie’s perspective, someone at the top of their field, working in all aspects of said field, all without a college education, was absolutely fascinating. I am so grateful for him taking the time to meet with me, as his wisdom and insight were invaluable.