Will Bates, ’14 double major in electrical and computer engineering and computer science
Software Engineer
Johnson Outdoors, Alpharetta, Georgia
A day in the work life
I’ve been fishing since I was 5 years old, and I’ve always had such a passion for it. I never thought I would be working in an industry where I’d feel the accountability and the drive to make the experience out on the water more pleasurable for people.
Most days I’m in the office writing code, typically doing agile development and working to accomplish the software goals we’ve set for ourselves. That usually includes some Linux work, C++ development, and some Python work as well. Some days I’m lucky enough to get out on the lake and work on things I can’t do in the office.
On the boat, we have fish finders that give us sonar, mapping and navigation features that we rely on for safe operation, depth purposes and finding fish. We also have a GPS-guided trolling motor, which is used to automatically navigate with internal GPS. This kind of development work gets me out in my boat where I’m checking navigation, sonar and things like that. Those are the fun days.
Computer engineering calling
I knew I wanted to do something with electronics. I chose computer engineering because it felt like a good mix of electrical engineering with some computer science. Midway through college, I felt like I wanted more, so I added on the computer science major.
Basically, the things that motivated me were my desire to work in electronics and the feeling of empowerment that came with working with software.
Auburn Engineering impact
I went to Auburn because of the fishing team – partially. Auburn Engineering is well known throughout the South, and that was the primary reason I chose Auburn. The campus culture and the chance to compete on the fishing team really put it over the top for me.
During my senior year, my roommates – who also were on the fishing team – and I were looking for jobs and jokingly said, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool to work in the fishing industry?’ I started looking online at jobs with marine electronics manufacturers, and Johnson Outdoors was looking for a software engineer. I applied and got the job.
Auburn Engineering is fantastic, but Auburn itself is such a great school. Auburn Engineering specifically is, to me, one of the most practical, hands-on schools. We did a lot of Linux development, which I feel gave me an advantage over others coming into the industry. Participating in practical team applications, like our senior design groups, was so important. Working as a team is critical in the engineering world, and I feel like Auburn did a good job preparing us for that as well.
Auburn also offered me opportunities to do undergraduate research. I worked with Dr. Saad Biaz in computer science and software engineering on autonomous aircraft, and later with Dr. Chase Murray in industrial and systems engineering. These experiences were invaluable to me, not just in the technical aspect of learning new technologies, but also in the mental aspect of self-driven accomplishment. I learned how to figure things out and overcome obstacles without relying on someone who has done it before to help.
Career success
Technology is going crazy in the fish finder industry. We’ve gone from a single, low-frequency beam pointed straight under the boat to 360-degree imaging beams, and we have megahertz frequency beams.
The user interface on the fish finders is going crazy, too. Eight years ago, a touchscreen was unheard of. Now touchscreen on the high-end electronics is pretty much standard. Bluetooth connectivity is something we’ve been working on lately. You can hook your fish finder up to your phone, to your trolling motor, and to your shallow water anchors. The technology has just exploded.
I also use the equipment outside of work. If I find something is not right, I can come in and fix it, and I can get excited about it.
At one point, for example, I came up with an idea to improve the heading calculation on our units. I asked my boss if I could come out on the water to work on that for a few days, and now we use the algorithm that I developed.
I feel I’m very lucky to come out here and do what I do. I’m lucky to be able to work on something that I enjoy and have passion for.
I’m looking to progress in my career with Johnson Outdoors, to maybe become a lead software/senior software engineer sometime in the near future. I think I’d like to get a Ph.D. at some point – at Auburn, of course – and maybe even work as a professor one day. But for right now, every day feels like a blessing because I’m able to come in and do what I enjoy.
