Lander College for Men Alum Shares His Tech Career Advice
Yehuda Gruen, LCM ’19, on Computer Programming and Finding Success as a Software Developer
Yehuda Gruen, LCM 2019, technology associate at Guardian Life Insurance, shares his passion for computer programming and how Lander positioned him for success.
What made you choose your career path?
I chose Computer Science because a friend of mine was majoring in it and after speaking to him, it sounded like it might be a fit for me as well. Growing up I had an affinity for computers and taking that interest to a deeper level sounded very interesting. Thankfully, I ended up liking it a lot! It was really fascinating to learn how computers and applications really work and I had a lot of fun creating applications myself!
Can you describe a day in your life as a software developer at Guardian Life Insurance?
Most days, I have meetings in the morning with the business stakeholders who set the requirements for the applications we work on, and with my teammates to collaborate on our development work. The afternoon is when I get in my heads-down programming done and implement what we discussed in the morning.
What do you like most about being a computer programmer?
Two things stand out for me—one, that I actually get to build and create solutions to problems and two, that it requires creativity. Currently, I am working on an API—which is basically an application that allows two systems to send data back and forth without manual intervention. The creativity comes into play when designing and implementing the system in a way that is most efficient, and most fault-tolerant as possible. There are complexities that always come up and having to brainstorm and develop the best solution is always exciting.
What do you find most challenging about your career path?
Networking—this job doesn’t require me to meet and speak with new people very often. I need to put in extra effort to meet colleagues in order to connect with and learn from other employees and find growth opportunities.
How did your Lander education propel your career?
Touro gave me a fantastic foundation with skills and knowledge that I still use in my day-to-day role, such as Java development and SQL.
What advice do you have for others interested in (your field)?
If you have time, work on your own fun projects. It’s a great way to learn new things and build your skills and expertise.
