How to become a software developer

Software development is one of the top career paths in the information technology field. Whether you come from a computer science or mathematics background, this major can be very appealing. If you're wondering how to become a software developer, you first need to know the key aspects that make up a good developer. And that's exactly what we're going to talk about in this tutorial.

First of all, we will talk about the career path of The software developer himself. You'll have the opportunity to learn what a software developer is and how to distinguish software developers from software engineers. Once that's done, we'll move on to the actual tutorials and cover three important aspects that make up a developer program that every business owner wants to hire. Finally, at the end, we'll go over some of the top reasons why people want to become a software developer in the first place.

Introduction: Software Developers

What is a software developer and what do these people do? Certainly, if you're trying to learn how to become a software developer, you're probably aware of the key characteristics associated with the profession in question. However, just to make sure we're on the same page here, let's briefly go over the main points of this major.

Software developers are primarily concerned with software development. However, what you may not know is that there are different types of software developers. These software developers can work with desktop software, web platform development, etc. Also, if we're talking about web development, you can either specialize in front-end or back-end development, or the whole suite... that's a lot of different types of developers!

However, all of these software development tools work with their own platforms and tend to focus on two main tasks: maintaining and updating current versions of these systems. As a software developer, you'll need to work with designers, engineers, marketing professionals, and many others to create a clear path forward and come up with an agreed-upon plan of action.
So, in summary, if you want to learn to become a software developer, the first thing you need to do is decide exactly what you want to develop (web platforms, desktop applications, etc.). All the details of the job will be decided based on the decision you make.

Now you know what a software developer is. However, many people still tend to mix software developers and software engineers. Not to go into too much detail, just keep in mind that software developers work with the software itself, while software engineers worry about the core of the software. In other words, software engineers build the foundation on which the actual software is developed.

How to become a software developer

By now, it's obvious that there are many little things that make a good and reliable software developer. In this How to Become a Software Developer  tutorial, we will focus on three of the most referenced aspects: formal education, online learning and gaining experience. If you've covered all of these points, you can be sure you're on the right track to becoming a software developer.

Formal education

Education is the cornerstone of a successful software development career. The right education is usually the deciding factor in getting you a job, especially if you are trying to get hired for a large company

After graduating from high school, your best bet is to try to get a higher education in math or computer science. Some colleges and universities offer a specific specialization for software development, but this is still rare.

When studying how to become a software developer, you should focus on two things: learning as much information as possible and attending as many software development-related events as possible.
Also, if you attend many software development related events (seminars, workshops, clubs, etc.), you will increase your chances of being noticed early by potential employers.

Once you have completed your university or college studies and obtained your bachelor's degree, it is strongly recommended that you continue your studies and undertake a master's degree. The higher your degree, the more likely you are to be taken seriously by a potential employer who comes across your resume. And you don't need to focus explicitly on your studies either - many people who study for a master's degree are already working or starting a business. It's very important that you start working in your field as soon as possible to receive invaluable business knowledge.

Alternative education

When it comes to proper education, formal education is not your only option. More and more people are becoming interested in how to become a software developer and are moving towards individual one-on-one learning.

People try to acquire and develop software development skills by enrolling in online courses and special programs (boot camps) that offer software development training at the same level (or even better) than formal educational institutions.

E-learning

The alternative learning process for formal education must start with identifying the ultimate goal of the learning process. This may vary, some people want to become software developers and work for a company for many years, while others want to be freelancers and work independently.

Another important thing is to choose the programming language you will start with. It's no secret that most of them can be overwhelming at first, and you won't be able to learn most of them at once. On the other hand, once you've mastered one programming language, it's not difficult to move on to another. Ultimately, the goal of becoming a software developer is to fully master the programming languages you work with.

For many people, Python is the development language to use. It is considered one of the most popular programming languages and is very easy to navigate. In addition, it is used in many software development processes so that you can be successful.

However, it should be noted that the lack of formal education will make it difficult to get a job in this industry. While many employers are more flexible today than they were, say, 10 years ago, most still prefer their employees to follow a traditional educational path. This is mainly because many people who want to learn to be a software developer underestimate how difficult this profession can be. Also, if you learn individually, it will be harder to find and participate in certain events and internships.

Skills and experience

You don't need previous work experience to be able to land a job as a junior software developer.

 You may not be able to work at your dream company and make an obscene amount of money right off the bat, but it won't be hard to get a junior position. However, there are probably a lot of people trying to get a job for that same position, so why would the company choose you? Well, that's where experience comes in.

In this aspect, experience is closely related to motivation. All of the above conferences, seminars and individual projects add up. You can enhance your resume with all of these things. Even if you don't have any work experience, potential employers will see you as an active member of the developer community, which will increase your chances of getting hired by an entire group.

Also, if you are trying to figure out how to become a software developer, keep in mind that you will need to show maximum motivation once hired. It's not enough to motivate before and during a job interview - the more passionate you are about the subject of software development, the better your job will be and the faster you can expect to climb the career ladder.

Why become a software developer?

Now that we've covered all the key aspects that will help you understand the path of software development, let's take it a step further and talk about why someone would want to become a software developer in the first place.

One of the first things that comes to mind for most people who wonder how to become a software developer is the salary. It's no secret that experts in the field of information technology (in particular - in the field of computer science) earn some of the best salaries in the world. Software development is no different - it's a career path that is not only highly sought after, but also dominates the IT job market. On top of that, it's a very difficult job to truly master - it would only make sense if the rewards matched the work that had to be put into it.

According to Glassdoor.com, the typical annual salary for a software developer should be just over $80,000. That would equate to about $6,670 per month. That's a great salary, it's just average! If you work hard and put in the effort, you can rise above average in no time!

Another thing that attracts people to the software developer career path is the career opportunities it offers. You can be sure that in ten years, the need for software developers will be greater than it is today. This ensures job security and shows you that there are no limits to the accessibility of your developer skills.

Overall, these little details add up to a huge interest in the discipline of software development.