Tips From A Software Architect

Becoming a Software Architect is no small feat. It’s a career that requires both a love for tech and strong expertise. Moshe Karmel has been with Rocket Mortgage® for the last 5 years working as a Software Architect and has compiled a list of his tips and tricks for those who strive to succeed in this role.

Karmel wrote 32 lessons he learned the “hard way” for those who are either entering the enterprise software world or looking to grow in their current role. His tips focus on the importance of working collaboratively, how to continuously improve yourself and key things you should know to have a successful career as a software architect.

Get some of the top tips and lessons he’s learned below. 

“Although a team member may have screwed up, there’s never a good reason to call them out in a public setting,” Karmel says. No one likes being put on the spot for their mistakes. On the other hand, when a team member does something great, shout it from the rooftops.

Learning how to interact with each other in the most efficient way possible is crucial to succeeding as a software architect because organizations are just collections of people, and it takes those collections to accomplish everything that is needed day to day. 

“When I moved to an organization with thousands of people, I realized that I needed to be much more specific in my communication. While working with so many other team members, it became abundantly clear that not everyone thought like me,” Karmel says. As obvious as this may seem, it’s a great reminder that it’s a diverse group of individuals that make our organization successful. This tip touches again on the importance of clear and constant communication and how crucial it is to look from differing perspectives.

The most constructive, but difficult to put into practice tip yet; Karmel explains how this feedback challenges the ego, but can result in an amazing outcome. “When people give you feedback, listen to it. Swish it around in your head. Tell your ego to pipe down for a second and think about whether they may be onto something. They probably are,” Karmel says.

Whether you are getting or receiving feedback, keep in mind that alternate perspectives and ideas help to challenge your thought process and cultivate solutions.

Karmel touches on how important open communication is, especially in a remote working world. Remembering that you may be able to learn something new or help someone else with just a simple conversation should stay top of mind, even in a digital environment.

After 5 years of experience as a Software Architect at Rocket Mortgage, Moshe Karmel has provided some of the best insights to those looking to start their new tech careers.