If you plan to become a professional software developer, know you’re entering a prosperous market. According to numbers from 2022, this industry reached USD 583.47 billion, and it’s expected to grow steadily until 2030. Due to its size, this market is getting more competitive by the day. It means you’ll need to study quite a bit, join a developer bootcamp, and stay updated about the latest news in this niche.
Come with us and crack the codes of this promising profession.
What Does a Dev Do?
Dev is short for “software developer,” one of the most demanded professions in the job market. What do devs do, though? Basic attributions include understanding users’ needs and creating solutions based on those needs. It means writing and testing programs, narrowing the kind of code you’ll need to write such programs, and testing their performance.
Also, you’ll need to register the whole process so that it’s easier to implement upgrades later.
Devs and software engineers share a few attributions but are different in essence. Software engineers typically work on large-scale projects and data analysis, while devs work to create solutions on smaller scales. A few examples include IoT solutions and mobile applications.
Developing Your CV
Nowadays, professionals wanting to enter the software development world can pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Although it’s not mandatory, it’s a desirable feature for most companies.
You can also look for shorter courses, like online courses and bootcamps. Dev bootcamps are designed to build practical experience with case studies and real-life exercises. Some companies even prefer professionals with bootcamp experience rather than only academic titles.
Would you like to get a job in this field? Check a few tips below to improve your chances.
Languages
As a programmer, you must have at least one programming language in your belt. The most required ones are C++, Java, Python, and Scala. Each language has its particularities and features. So, you’ll need to know the language necessary to work in the niche you want, which leads us to the next topic.
Choose Your Field
There isn’t a single industry these days that doesn’t need the expertise of software developers. It means you have a variety of fields to choose from: manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, and many more.
It’s a crucial step since you’ll need more than programming skills to develop helpful software. You’ll also need to know the specifics about the industry you wish to work in so that you can come up with solutions that might attract them.
Wise Up
Despite stories of self-taught devs in the market, about 65% of professionals in this field hold at least a bachelor’s degree. This niche is getting more competitive by the day, and it’ll be difficult to stand out without a diploma and certification.
Create a Portfolio
Do you already have the software for your creation? Organize them in a portfolio. Your portfolio should showcase the best of you, with your most relevant projects, achievements, and skills. Don’t forget to mention all the courses you’ve done, providing a comprehensive picture of your academic experience.
SOLID Principles
We have already heard many stories about teenagers creating brilliant software solutions straight from their basements. Don’t let those stories misguide you: a professional developer has to study a lot to build the necessary skill set for the job market.
Unfortunately, lack of professionalism isn’t uncommon in this field. Professional software development tackles performance, scalability, maintenance, and security issues. That’s why more employers are looking for devs with SOLID principles. This is an acronym for five principles: single-responsibility, open-closed, Liskov substitution, interface segregation, and the dependency inversion. What do those principles mean, though?
Single-responsibility means ascribing to each class or module only one task. Although classes can work together, they work better with well-defined tasks and goals. The second principle states that programs must be closed to alterations but open for extensions.
The Liskov substitution states that classes should be replaceable by any of its subclasses without errors. It means all subclasses should share the same principles as the base class. Interface segregation means designing classes to perform only the tasks required to achieve its main goal. In other words, classes shouldn’t include behaviors that don’t pertain to their goals.
The final principle, dependency inversion, says that high and low-level modules should work independently. Those modules are better connected to interfaces but shouldn’t depend on them. However, the details displayed in the interface depend on what’s in the modules.