Software Engineer's Wish List

Here's a list of every software design engineer wishes to have:

• Company issued Laptop computer.This is a weapon for every engineer and topped our list. The laptop allows an engineer some extra mobility to perform his or her job. In todays environment where computing is not confined to ones desks, the laptop is an indispensable tool for every engineer when doing presentations, meetings, discussions and working from remote location. However, laptop is expensive and only a few can afford to have one specially the high-end models, so the company should be the one providing laptops instead of the engineers buying their own.


• 15days sick leave and 15days vacation leave with pay.Every engineer should be given some time to relax and do something not related to work, specially when tending family or personal matters. While you prevent from getting sick as much as you can, sometimes its inevitable and nature has her way of bugging you down. Sick leave with pay prevents you from penalized financially when you cant make it to work.


• Flextime schedule. You can't afford to be late because it has a negative effect on you. Sometimes you woke up at the wrong side of the bed and you cant make it on time to the office. In most cases, you have to deal with the traffic and travel time between home and office. Flextime schedule allows you to manage well of your time and yourself, so you don't come to work unprepared.


• Overtime pay. While its rare this days, still some software development companies in Cebu do not pay overtime work rendered by employees. Its very normal in software development where projects have very short schedule, lack of manpower and resources and worst of all changing requirements which in effect force engineers to work past the normal schedule. Overtime pay also motivates engineers to commit working past their regular schedules just for the sake and completion of the project. So its always a win-win situation.


• Bunoses and 14th to 15th month pay. This should be considered as a reward to deserving engineers who worked hard and having a successful project.


• Tax shield. While this country is known for rampant corruption in the government, it is the ordinary working class who are paying taxes that get the most of the beatings, that includes workers in the IT industry. Our tax stood around 25% of our income. Thats a huge deduction from ones earnings if compared against what is returned from government services and infrastructure. Though it is our duty to help this country but we can't just leave the system as it is. It must be fixed, not later but now. With tax shield, the company pays a certain percentage of employees tax, say 30%. That would end up with more take home pay for the employees.


• Stock option. This is common to software companies in the US. The result is unwavering level of dedication and loyalty of employees to their company which would result to success. This is the only proven system in the IT industry where an average employee can be a millionaire. A win-win situation for all.


• Car plan. Who wouldn't want to have a car? A car is a symbol of independence. No longer a luxury but a necessity. We can't always rely and depend on our transport system. When security, availability and comfortability is an issue, having a car is a necessity. Its unimaginable getting a cab at midnight, tired and sleepy and you live 20miles away from your office.


• Housing plan. Who wouldn't want to have his/her own house.


• Competitive medical/insurance package.


• Access to clinic and doctor at the office.


• Post-graduate studies.


• Paternal leave.


• Christmas vacation. Have time for the family and loved ones. This is a very serious issue for us Filipinos where we can really feel the boundary between work and family.


• Technical trainings.


• Managerial and technical career paths.