The Life of a Pega Software Developer

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Life of a Pega Developer

Before we start talking about The Life of a Pega Software Developer we need to define what is Pegasystems or Pega. Pega is a BPM tool that allows you to build scalable Customer Relationship Management (CRM), process automation, Case Management, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) apps, all on one unified platform.

Pega Developers are skilled Software Developers who design and deploy enterprise-level applications on Pega PRPC. This may involve developing BPM applications, integrating web services, designing data models and frameworks, and collating business analysis requirements.

As part of our continuous growth and always seeking to offer better services to our customers, one of the services we provided is Pega Implementation. For this reason, we have a team of highly trained Pega Software Developers working at Segue.

So, What Does a Pega Software Developer Actually Do?

  • Work as part of a team to analyze issues and requirements and translate these into processes and/or software development tasks
  • Analyze, design, and support implementation of business-specific Pega solutions and/or frameworks
  • Support the implementation of Pega projects to ensure the implementation is consistent with design decisions, standards, and best practices
  • Work with Segue team members and our clients to help elicit business capability requirements to facilitate proper application deployment
  • Translate complex business requirements into functional technical requirements and well-designed, well-performing solutions using Pegasystems technology
  • Identify new opportunities to optimize the performance and efficiency of processes and reporting through digital solutions
  • Mentor and support junior-level Developers to cultivate and sustain Pega expertise for the organization

Skills and Competencies of a Pega Software Developer

At Segue, and as a Pega Authorized Partner, some of the skills and competencies we look for when hiring a Pega Developer are:

Previous Software Development and/or Software Engineering experience

Experience in customer-focused software development projects (using Pega or other common development tools/languages, such as .NET or Enterprise Java)

Understanding and knowledge of Pega RULES Process Commander (PRPC)

Knowledge of Pega best practices for workflow and form design

Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues

Knowledge of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

Agile development experience, including the ability to describe Agile practices and principles to prospective and existing customers

Knowledge of both cloud-based and on-premises Pega installations

Ability to learn Pega technology and translate the knowledge into on-the-job production

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Experience explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical users in both formal and informal settings

What’s It Like to Be a Pega Software Developer?

An Interview with Carrie Vennefron, Software Developer, Pega PCSSA I at Segue Technologies Inc.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Typically, I start my day with a meeting called “stand-up”. This is a short meeting where the members of the team for a certain project get together and tell each other what they did yesterday, what they plan to do today, and if there’s anything that may be stifling their process. After that, I usually develop for a couple hours (until lunch). If I get stuck on anything, I know that I can reach out to any member of the team. I can see if they’ve developed anything similar, or if they have any general tips, or maybe they’re working on something that is causing my developments to behave in an unexpected way. After lunch, there might be a meeting or two about planning sprints or two-week goals, where we map out which developments we would like to release by a certain date. I might have to give my two cents to other developers as well, but since I’m still newer to the language, it’s more likely that I’m the one asking for help.

For whom do you think this career is a good fit? Why?

Anyone can be a Pega Developer; but the best developers, in my opinion, are those who genuinely enjoy puzzles and learning new things all the time. When something that you make has errors, it can sometimes be frustrating when you can’t seem to find a solution. Sometimes getting to the right answer can feel like navigating a maze. The person best suited for this career is someone who recognizes this but remains patient and doesn’t let it stop them from striving for clear and complete application design.

What previous computer science-related (or STEM) experience(s) did you have, if any, and what prompted your journey to become a Pega Software Developer?

In college, I studied Chemical Engineering and worked for BASF as an Intern for about a year and a half. During my final years of undergrad, I became a Teaching Assistant for some introductory programming courses for some extra groceries’ money. I quickly realized that I had chosen the wrong field of study and that what I really liked to do was build software and see what it could do. I loved seeing my classmates learn and take pride in their accomplishments. I also loved working as a team, because together we could achieve more than the sum of our parts.

If you specialize in a particular subject or work in a particular industry, what prompted this choice and/or how did it evolve?

My case was more of happenstance than a planned approach. I graduated in April of 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering; but given my experience with teaching Python, MATLAB, and VBA – I decided to cast a wide net when applying for jobs. I applied to chemical manufacturers and any tech company seeking entry-level developers. I was lucky to be noticed by Segue, who hired me as an intern to learn Pega.

What educational path did you take to become a Pega Software Developer? Did you pursue additional education at any point? What was your educational experience like?

Although I wasn’t familiar with Pega when initially hired, it intrigued me because it was unlike any other program I had seen. I don’t like to meander or do things slowly, so I jumped in feet-first to a Pega hackathon. Even if I didn’t place, it would still be worth it to try to make something with Pega to apply some of what I had been studying on the Pega Academy. I had a lot of help from my team and Senior Developers, but I was still very proud of my hackathon entry. After that, I studied for and eventually passed the Pega System Architect, Pega Business Architect, and Pega Senior System Architect Certification exams.

What are the main 5 duties/responsibilities of a Pega Software Developer?

  1. Building architecture that is sustainable
  2. Building architecture that is reusable
  3. Building architecture that is easily understood by other developers
  4. Being transparent and communicative with the product owner or other users
  5. Being a team player! 

What’s your favorite part of being a Pega Software Developer?

My favorite part of being a developer is probably that I never feel complacent in my work. A lot of other professions allow workers to sort of skate by sort of going through the motions everyday – but that is not what development has been like for me! Developers have to constantly stay learning. Newer and newer technology comes out every day, and it greatly behooves us to keep up with it – lest we be outpaced.

What is the most challenging part of working as Pega Software Developer?

The most challenging part of being a developer is, in my opinion, understanding the code that was written beforehand. In a project that I’m currently working on, my team had to basically tear out entire processes and restart from scratch because the previous code was not compatible with our future plans for the application. It’s also tricky to write sustainable scripts because you’re not sure what the fate of the final end product might be. But it’s very important to make sure that what you personally build is easy to interpret by other people, because you might not be the same person working on it after a few years.

What advice do you have for individuals considering becoming a Software Developer?

Just keep trying! No matter how much you study or plan, everyone still has to do something for the first time; and it’s almost guaranteed that the first time you try something, it will be bad. But somebody who does something badly three times still has three times the experience of someone who never tried in the first place. Compete in hackathons, build projects that interest you, make a portfolio of your developments! Never stop learning.

What do you like about working at Segue as a Software Developer?

I really like being on a team and the sense of camaraderie that my coworkers and I have with each other. I know that even when deadlines are near and the pressure is on, my teammates will always be eager to help me if I need it. We’re also able to crack jokes with each other and cheer each other on, which is definitely not always the case for teams at other companies. I love to feel like I’m working for a greater cause with people who are equally unique and brilliant.

If you are interested in joining our team or exploring our career opportunities visit Segue’s career page or share your resume with our Recruitment team at jobs@seguetech.com To find more information about our team members go to Segue’s Blog: Employee Spotlight.