I sat down with Ereena Bagga, a software engineer at SEEK whose journey into tech began long before fancy IDEs or slick demos, back when code was handwritten and curiosity led the way. From early STEM exposure to working in fast-evolving tech environments, Ereena’s story highlights how intention, communication, and responsibility shape great engineers.
📍 Q: You’ve been passionate about coding since your first “Hello World.” When did you realise software engineering could be more than a job, something that shapes real lives?
Ereena: “I was always aware of IT and software roles, but there was a moment in school that really stuck with me. We attended an information session about STEM careers, and something clicked, and I knew this is what I wanted to get into. I was strong in maths and problem-solving subjects like physics, and everything started aligning naturally.
I went on to do certifications and learned C, that’s where my first ‘Hello World’ came from. Back then, we didn’t even have VS Code. We wrote code by hand in notebooks. That phase shaped my thinking and helped me realise software engineering wasn’t just about code, it was about logic, problem-solving, and building things that matter.”
📍 Q: With AI and automation accelerating fast, where do you see the biggest responsibility for engineers today, speed, safety, or ethics?
Ereena: “Safety comes first, then ethics, and then speed. Clients and users always come first, and ethics sits in the same space. Speed matters, but not at the cost of trust, responsibility, or harm.”
📍 Q: Looking back, which skill mattered more than technical ability in landing and thriving in your roles?
Ereena: “Communication, without a doubt. Technical skills can be learned, but knowing how to communicate is what really makes the difference. It’s about understanding context, who you’re speaking to, how much detail they need, and when to share it.
Intuition develops over time, but strong communication is the biggest asset you can bring to a team.”
📍 Q: One message for the world
Ereena: “Try to be better every single day. Even small improvements over yesterday really add up.”
✨ Key Takeaway:
Ereena’s journey reminds us that great engineers aren’t defined by code alone. Curiosity, communication, and responsibility are just as critical as technical skill, especially in a world shaped by rapid technological change.
