A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. In systems and software engineering, there is a need to constantly improve the process as well as the product. We look for people with highly technical degrees, such as a B.S. in Computer Science, electrical engineering, math, or physics. They should have strong programming skills and be able to handle data and algorithms. As well, it's important to have good interpersonal and communication skills in order to express design ideas.
Software development is definitely a team job.
With the exception of some research and development areas, everyone is part of a larger programming team. Most of our assignments are developing software as part of large programming teams. Some specialties include applications programming, web development, and data base management, where large chunks of data are handled. A Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited institution such as California State University, Long Beach , combined with some relevant experience is a start. The relevant experience does not necessarily have to be with a big company - you can have experience being a teaching assistant, or even having developed a website for a family business or small organization.