Now, in his role as software developer for Reliable Health Systems, LLC, Shalom and his colleagues are programmers for a nursing-home software model that has been sold to hundreds of clients across the country. “It has systems for billing, medical, payroll, the whole A-Z,” says Shalom. “So they don’t have to have QuickBooks for this, EMR (electronic medical record) for that, and another software to prescribe drugs. It’s everything, in one package.”

Shalom’s personal responsibilities include creating new software, modifying and updating existing software, and enhancing aspects of the software that aren’t working efficiently or properly. As a developer, he was in high demand after graduating college, he says—thanks to the tech field being constantly on the rise. “Coding and programming are becoming more and more popular—computers are everywhere now,” he says.

What he likes most about his job, and computer science in general, is the logical problem-solving he’s required to perform on a daily basis.

“It’s challenging, but when you figure things out, you get a sense of accomplishment—whether you’re dealing with a client, or it’s more of a technical challenge. Sometimes you have to think out of the box, sometimes you’ll have to consult with other companies, sometimes you’ll have to figure out the answer on your own… But often, when you overcome one challenge, you can see how that solution can be used to solve other issues.”

Shalom adds that it’s gratifying to know that his programming job is associated with the improvement of healthcare.

“Knowing that the software you’re working on is helping make the job of nurses and doctors more efficient and easier, so that they can spend their time doing what they know best—healing people—is very satisfying.”