How to Become a Software Developer | 9 Tips
Interested in a career as a software developer? Read on for tips on how to land your first job, including degree and certification recommendations.
Python is widely considered one of the easier languages to learn, which makes it a great place to start if you’re new to programming. This object-oriented language is also known for its versatility, with applications in scripting, development, and data analysis.
C/C++ are popular languages for system programming. C++, which is based on C, is also a common option among game developers. The two languages are quite similar, so it’s possible to learn both.
Scala is a high-level programming language that combines functional and object-oriented programming concepts. It was developed to address some of the shortcomings of Java.
2. Figure out your end goals.
Where do you want to work? What is your vision for your career? Software developers work in a variety of industries, including software publishers, finance companies, insurance carriers, and computer systems design organizations.
You might work in health care, engineering, manufacturing, or another work environment. Many software developers work in a traditional office, while others leverage opportunities to work for an agency or work remotely. Having a good sense of what you want from your job can help you successfully navigate your path forward.
For example, if you want to work in health care, you may need to build industry knowledge and skills around issues like data privacy laws and how patient records are stored and accessed.
3. Pursue a degree or take courses.
More than 65 percent of developers surveyed in the Stack Overflow 2021 Developers Survey hold a bachelor’s degree or higher [1]. While you don’t always need a degree to find a job in software development, earning one can help you build technical skills and open more job opportunities. As you research majors, consider those with an emphasis on development skills, like software engineering, computer science, or information technology.
If you have an idea of the industry you’d like to work in, consider earning a minor in that field to start building industry expertise.
4. Start practicing in your developer niche.
Whether you opt for formal education or take a self-taught track, you need to devote time to working with programming languages and trying your hand at development. It's the key to gaining a thorough understanding of the development process, which will help you become a more productive, efficient, and accurate professional.
If you have a passion for app design, you could choose to develop your skills by building mobile apps. If you'd rather work on the infrastructure of computers and servers, you might specialize as a DevOps engineer instead. There are many areas in which you can use your skills as a software developer.
5. Make a portfolio of your software development work.
As you practice programming and build applications, compile them into a portfolio. Having a portfolio of your best work demonstrates to potential employers that you can use the skills on your resume in the real world. At a minimum, your portfolio should contain:
Short biography
Contact information
Relevant skills
Link to your resume
Accolades or awards
Professional and personal projects
As you gain more experience, curate your portfolio to show off only your best work. Be sure to include projects where you’ve used technologies that align with the jobs you’re applying for.
6. Develop your technical skills.
Beyond programming languages, it helps to have experience working with other tools that software developers commonly use. Examples include:
SQL, a language used to power database engines
Tools like Git and Mercurial SCM, two source control systems often used in software development
Integrated development environments, which enable the writing, modification, running, and debugging of development code
7. Build your non-technical skills.
As a software developer, you're going to be tasked with giving others instructions while working on projects. You'll also have to explain how things work and answer questions clients and supervisors may have.
"Communication is the most important skill in this role. We work with a lot of different people to build features," says Laila Rizvi, a Meta software engineer. "And even when we build features alone, we need to build for a diverse audience."
In addition to excellent communication skills, developers should be creative, detail-oriented, and have stellar problem-solving skills.
8. Certify your skills.
Certifications can help validate your skills for potential employers and demonstrate your proficiency, which can be helpful if you don’t have a lot of work experience. For example, the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ certification is a good starting point to help get a sense of whether a career in information technology (IT) is right for you. From there, consider certifications in data security, cloud computing, or data management.
Check out some job listings for positions you’d like to apply for to see what certifications are commonly required or requested.
9. Apply with confidence.
If you don't already have one, now's the time to create an amazing resume. It should clearly demonstrate your career progression and the experience that fits the role you're trying to land. Customize it to highlight the projects and experiences that best fit what each employer is looking for, and be sure to review it to make sure it’s typo-free.
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