A Day in the Life of a Software Engineer

Over in Checkout.com’s Mauritius office, we were fortunate to grab a coffee with Yusraa Hosenally, a Senior Software Engineer in our Card Acquiring Team.

What is your role at Checkout.com?

As a Senior Software Engineer in the Card Acquiring team I help to handle card processing on a global scale. 

What does your average work day look like?

Like many others, I need a little caffeine to kick-start my morning! I then log into our Jira ticketing platform, to see how my team is tracking against their deliverables. I check in with each team member and see if there are any issues or challenges I can help them to address. This is followed by our daily 11am scrum meeting where we all take turns discussing our activities and provide insights and support to each other. As we seek to provide the best quality products for our merchants, we always ensure we are available to answer questions from across the business. 

How did you get into Engineering?

I always wanted to be an engineer. However, I never received support growing up as engineering was always considered a man’s domain in my culture. I didn’t let that stop me and travelled abroad to learn my skill; computer science. I enrolled in an engineering programme in Bangalore, India. I was not only met with the challenges of completing a 4-year programme successfully but also learning a whole new language and culture! 

During my time in Bangalore, I was exposed to the Silicon Valley of India and had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with experienced engineers on my university projects. Ultimately, I became highly proficient in .NET Framework and .NET Core, which set me up for my role at Checkout.com as these are the languages that most of our products are built on. I’ve never looked back!

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Engineering? 

When you are making a decision around the sort of company you wish to join, challenge yourself to pursue roles in a fast-growth company with a platform that is constantly under development and a team that is open to new ideas. I joined Checkout.com as a Junior Developer and have been given the most amazing opportunities to learn and grow. In a fast-growing company, no new idea or concept is brushed aside, they are all explored with the rest of the team and you have every chance for them to be implemented. This, of course, brings a great sense of achievement. 

Can you tell us about your experience as a woman in tech?

First and foremost, I am proud to be a woman in tech. It’s such an exciting time to be part of a growing movement to inspire and encourage young women across the globe to pursue roles in the tech industry. 

 I am fortunate to be an active member of our internal women’s community as part of their committee. Working for a global company with many different cultural nuances certainly has its challenges. In Mauritius, we have found a true sense of community in coming together in a safe space to share experiences and build awareness around gender diversity and inclusion. I have also had personal involvement in Women in Tech events, encouraging our female developers and engineers to discuss their experiences and insights. I very much believe in the power of sharing stories to inspire others. 

 We have also had the opportunity to support the local community in our global ‘Dress for Success’ initiative, a project where team members were encouraged to donate items of clothing to local women seeking professional work. With many items of clothes donated globally, we were proud to be part of this amazing initiative. 

 To all aspiring female engineers out there, and particularly to those in cultures where being a woman in tech has its added challenges, I encourage you to be fearless and go for it. It’ll be worth it!

Yusraa Hosenally

Senior Software Engineer - Checkout.com