Senior Analyst Aparna Bhat at EY discusses with Martin Cooper MBCS her career path, her experience as a woman in tech, and what problems she sees arising in software development as AI technology progresses.
Martin Cooper MBCS recently spoke to Senior Analyst for EY, Aparna Bhat, about how her interest in software development bloomed, her career path so far, and her insights on the future of the sector.
Why don’t you introduce yourself and tell us about your career? What’s your day-job like?
I am currently working as a Senior Analyst at EY, USA (Based in San Antonio, Texas) in their financial services sector. I am a seasoned software professional with around nine years of experience in the software industry. I have solved business problems by building highly available, scalable, beautifully crafted user interface and high-throughput solutions for companies in transport, finance, banking, after car market, e-commerce, travel, shipping and telecommunication domains. I continuously juggle with various technologies and tech stacks like Python, Java, JavaScript, React, Angular, SQL DB, Mongo DB, YugabyteDB etc.
What first attracted you to computing and technology? Was there a lightbulb moment of inspiration?
From a very early age I’ve always been deeply interested in computing. I was in third grade when I first got introduced to the rudiments of computers. I always felt amazed and inspired whenever I used to play a video game, see satellites being launched, or just being able to get the sense of the world being so connected via the internet — and I always used to wonder how much programming, logic and infrastructure would have gone into making it work. That was the start and some of the light bulb moments which attracted me to explore more about computing and technology.
How did you get started in your career? Was it through school, university, self-teaching, or a mixture?
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications engineering. As part of my engineering curriculum, I had to study programming languages like C, C++ and Java, and that was in a real sense the beginning of my journey in the field of software development. After my graduation I enrolled myself in a coding bootcamp and got hands on experience in Java and dot Net. After completing my bootcamp I started my first job as a software engineer as a backend developer and eventually started working on different projects and technology stacks. I then moved on to a start-up firm as a senior software engineer where I honed my frontend development skills. I completed my master’s in computer science specializing in AI and databases and started my current role as a senior analyst. As of today, I consider myself a full-stack developer supporting my clients right from backend, frontend and data engineering to front. In nutshell it is a mixture of self-teaching, through school and bootcamp learning.
What’s your best advice for somebody thinking about launching a career in software development?
It is essential to start your software engineering career with a growth mindset. Recognize that you are embarking on a journey of lifelong learning. The field is vast and constantly evolving, so be open to new technologies, methodologies, and challenges. Always look for opportunities to learn, improve your skills by building strong fundamentals, seeking mentorship, adapt to change and last but not the least be a team player.
What do you see as the most important skills and languages for developers at the moment? Which languages do we need today and which for tomorrow?
Some of the most important languages for developers at the moment and for the coming few years would be Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, SQL, Rust, Go, and learning different cloud platforms like AWS, Azure and GCP, to name a few. Coming to the skills, in my opinion the most important ones would be analytical thinking, active learning, critical thinking, complex problem solving and leadership.
How do you keep your skills up to date? What kinds of CPD do you do?
I personally register for and complete online courses from Udemy and Coursera. I attend structured workshops, seminars, or conferences. I engage in formal learning or training within my organisation. Apart from that I am also involved in peer coaching.
Talk to us about AI. As a software developer, do you fear AI taking over your job? Or do you see it as a valuable tool? How do you use AI right now?
I don't fear AI taking over my job. While AI can automate certain tasks and make the development process more efficient, it still requires human intervention to understand and solve complex problems, design and implement solutions, and make ethical decisions. I see it as valuable tool which, when used correctly, can increase the productivity. Many programmers already use Github's Copilot, which is explicitly AI-assisted programming. Automated debugging programs are some of software development's most common AI tools. While developers can spot issues manually, AI can streamline the process by instantly detecting and fixing errors. ChatGPT can be used to simplify the code by automatically generating code comments, code optimisation and documentation.
Again, as a developer, what risks do you see posed by AI? What should developers be wary of?
The development of AI that can write code is a significant advance in the field of computer science and artificial intelligence. While this technology has the potential to improve productivity and help programmers/software developers with certain tasks, it is also important to consider the potential risks and challenges it may present.
First potential concern is that AI generated code may be difficult for humans to understand and maintain. AI algorithms can generate complex and efficient code, but it may not always be written in a way that is easy for humans to read and understand. This could make it difficult for programmers to modify or update the code in the future, which could lead to problems and limitations.
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A second potential concern is the potential for AI generated code to contain errors or bugs. While AI algorithms can generate code that is efficient and effective, they are not perfect and may produce code that contains mistakes or does not function as intended. This could cause problems and delays in software development and could potentially impact the reliability and security of the resulting code.
A third potential concern would be compliance with IP rights and licenses. Generative AI models are trained on publicly available and proprietary code, exposing them to code with an unknown pedigree and ownership. There is a risk of inadvertently infringing copyright or violating licenses when generating new code from these models. Many generative AI tools also reserve the right to train on the prompts provided by users. In organisations with little oversight into how developers are using AI, there is a risk that proprietary code, customer data, or other secrets may be publicly exposed. This can result in major compliance violations, especially in highly regulated industries.
Looking at AI — what ethical concerns do you see specifically for developers?
Artificial intelligence is progressing at an astonishing pace, raising profound ethical concerns regarding its use, ownership, accountability and long-term implications.
Talk to us about diversity — what is your lived experience of being a woman in tech? And how can tech companies improve diversity, equity and inclusion?
I am grateful for the opportunity to work in an industry that is constantly changing and evolving. As a woman in the tech industry, I have faced many challenges. I have been underestimated, overlooked and discriminated against. But I have also experienced great support and encouragement from other women and men who believed in me. I believe that the future is bright for women in tech. To improve DEI, in my opinion organisations should start celebrating the successes of their female employees — no matter how big or small — and create an environment that is built on a foundation of trust and respect. Women need equal opportunities, and allies — male and female advocates who recognize and believe in the importance of diversity to help challenge misconceptions and call out stereotyping and unconscious bias when it is encountered. Providing mentorship and coaching for women and underrepresented minorities in tech to share life experiences and advice will help build confidence and capabilities and drive innovation. Additionally it’s important to provide learning opportunities and professional development to address topics such as imposter syndrome, leadership, building your brand, advocating for yourself and handling bias and stereotypes. Promoting pay equity, acknowledging holidays of all cultures and making it easy for the employees to participate in the employee resource group are also important.
Why is it important that development teams strive for diversity and support people from different communities?
Many companies have been putting diversity, equity, and inclusion into greater focus over the last few years, but there is still room for significant improvement. Diverse teams foster better employee engagement and productivity, and they allow for better problem solving abilities as varying perspectives often approach business challenges in a new way. The more diverse companies become, the more they tend to achieve a greater level of innovation.
Finally, what’s next for you? What’s your long-term ambition?
In the coming years, I see myself building and shaping team(s) of learners, innovators and creative thinkers.
