Why a nurse became a software engineer at Leidos

Within a year of earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing, Erin Barrow realized that the medical field wasn't the right fit for her. So, she left nursing to pursue a second undergraduate degree—this time in computer science.

“I’ve always wanted to help people and I enjoyed that aspect of nursing, but having people’s lives in my hands was stressful, especially as a 21-year-old,” she says. As Erin considered which field would challenge her intellectually while also offering opportunities to wield her creativity, she realized that software engineering fit the bill.

“People might not realize this, but software engineering is a creative discipline,” Erin says. “For any problem, there are one thousand different ways to solve it. Two people can come up with solutions that are totally different, but each is completely valid.”

What Erin enjoys about software engineering at Leidos

Currently a software engineering branch manager at Leidos, Erin enjoys many aspects of her job. She leads an engineering team that supports Enduring Shield, a ground-based missile defense system. 

“Leidos always provides complex projects to work on, and it’s rewarding to know that our work supports a crucial need for the defense of our country,” Erin says. She notes that while her work may seem mostly technical to outsiders, software engineering is best done collaboratively with many different types of people.

“I love working with everyone here. They are unmatched in their dedication, attitude and generosity,” Erin says. Each day she balances her technical workload with the functional role of managing a group of 25 software engineers — an opportunity to develop her leadership skills.

“I enjoy helping people perform to the best of their ability while also finding ways to grow. Empowering my team to deliver a quality product while achieving their goals is the most important part of my job,” she says.

Erin also values getting to work in a stable job within a field that’s always changing, enabling her to constantly learn new things. Beyond enjoying the complex projects she gets to work on at Leidos and the opportunity they present to stretch her skills, Erin says she appreciates how much leaders at Leidos have invested in her career growth.

“Leidos sponsored my efforts in completing two industry certification programs, reimbursed my tuition costs while earning my master’s degree, and has encouraged me to participate in a variety of leadership and managerial training programs,” she says.

Erin was also selected to attend last summer’s Leidos Executive Women’s Forum in Reston, Virginia, for leadership training and career development, and she’s currently participating in several internal leadership cohorts.

“Leidos also offers a mentorship matching tool, and I’m grateful to have had several mentors, all women, over the years,” she adds. “Every day I use lessons I learned from them, everything from communicating more effectively to thinking strategically about my career. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support and guidance.”

Erin's career guidance for others

When asked what career advice she’d give to aspiring and new software professionals, Erin offers the following:

• Be open to a wide variety of projects. “Try many different things to figure out what appeals to you and what you don’t want to do. That second part can be just as important. You also will get more opportunities to build and stretch your skills.”
• Approach people for mentorship. “Find both official and unofficial mentors to help guide your career growth. Look for people who may share a similar background with you, who have achieved something you aspire to, and who seem to understand where you are in your career. If you don’t have a big network or a formal way to request mentorship where you work, ask your manager to suggest people and make introductions.”
• Ask questions. “I used to struggle with this. Thankfully my managers and mentors encouraged me to do so, and I’m now much better about asking questions. I also have a manager’s perspective now and truly value people who aren’t afraid to ask questions. It shows curiosity and initiative.”
• Get relevant certifications. “Certifications that demonstrate skills across a variety of domains are highly valued, especially in the defense industry. Consider Agile certifications for software engineering and OMG Certified Systems Modeling Professional (OCSMP) certifications for systems engineering.”

As for Erin, she’s not done pursuing her own career growth and looks forward to the future of the Enduring Shield program.

“The entire team has worked tirelessly to produce a needed asset for the warfighter,” she says, “and I am excited to gain more experience developing processes, procedures and best practices across the software integrated product team.”

If you’re interested in software jobs or other career opportunities with Leidos, browse our open positions. We look forward to your application.