My Background

"For over 20 years, Stephen Johnston’s professional world was defined by the fast-moving landscape of front-end engineering, digital design, and multimedia. He was a veteran of React, web components, and the creative tools of modern digital design.

But in 2025, Stephen executed a dramatic career pivot, proving to himself, his family, and hundreds of students that the mainframe is the next frontier for creative developers. No computer science degree required."

My Role

I currently work as a System Engineer for Trident Services, and this is my first mainframe role, having started in December of 2025.

What My Day Looks Like

• I start my day by reviewing the notes and code I wrote the previous day.

• I check in with a coworker, then review my inbox and remember there is coffee waiting for me, which I use to prevent my brain from ABENDing.

• I spend the rest of my time working on developing and maintaining REXX code and reading manuals.

A Real Moment from My Day

Recently, I was given the opportunity to add a new feature to our product. This came with a lot of responsibility, and it is not something I take lightly. It gave me the chance to explore existing code I had never seen before, learn about panel definitions, and better understand what it takes to build a panel application. I appreciated the opportunity to take a deeper dive into something new, and coming from a web development background, I continue to be impressed by how much heavy lifting ISPF handles for the developer. This opportunity came about because I spoke up and asked if I could take a crack at it.

What Makes This Role Interesting

One thing I have found interesting in this role is how open people are to teaching and sharing their knowledge, while also giving you the freedom to get messy, make mistakes, and have fun along the way.

One Thing I Didn’t Expect

One thing I did not expect was ISPF tables. They are not that complicated, but there are times when I can almost feel the gray hair growing. If you have never used ISPF tables, they remind me a bit of SQLite. They have some similar quirks, but they are not really intended to be used as a database.

Advice for Others

• Do not get discouraged. There are times, even for experienced mainframers, when the job will stretch you. That is true of any role, and there are many resources available, including within your organization. People want you to succeed and understand that you are still learning.
• Document. Document. Document. Did I mention document? This is a critical skill to develop. Do not limit yourself to deep technical documentation. Learn to write for different stakeholders, and do not forget to comment your code, even when it seems simple.
• Put your pride aside and ask questions.
• Learn to make mistakes. Everyone makes them, even seasoned professionals. Instead of being hard on yourself, walk back through the situation, consider documenting what happened, and try again.
• The ISPF editor is primarily keyboard-driven, and you may be surprised by how many features it includes to make editing faster than relying on a mouse. Compared with a modern integrated development environment such as VS Code, the ISPF Edit interface may seem dated or intimidating at first glance, but it is not.