A Career as a Software Developer Essay Example
The job of a software developer is a very important one as it is responsible for many of the technologies that we take for granted every day. This job plays an important role in our lives and is an important element in the advancement in technology, so naturally, there will be a lot to learn about it. With that being said, it's a career that is practical and productive. There are pathways one can take to become a successful career. It comes with lots of benefits as well as skills that will help one become successful in this job.
With the advancement of technology comes the development of modern programming languages. According to Chiedo, "Beginning in the 2000's, the programming landscape started changing. More and more computing machines started shipping with multiple processors and even individual processors had more than one core. This shift in the nature of computing hardware necessitated the need for programming languages that would take full advantage of the new processor architecture" (Chiedo). As technology had begun to change, the need for programming languages became stronger creating a need for the job. "The earliest electronic digital computers were designed and constructed for military or scientific purposes and were generally large, expensive, and designed for speed and reliability rather than ease of use. Programmers used numeric machine codes to communicate directly with the computer's hardware in order to achieve the high level of performance required by repetitive scientific computations. Since programming costs represented only a small percentage of the total cost of owning and operating these computers, and the amount of software development that occurred in this period was small, there was little incentive to develop expensive programming tools" ("Science and Its Times"). While computers were originally designed for speed and reliability, there wasn't as much of a need for the job as there is now.
The demand for this career is expected to grow in the next decade, it's always good to know who is hiring them and where they are needed. According to Swanner, “A look at which firms hire the most software developers and engineers reads like a who’s-who of financial institutions and defense contractors. Amazon is still the most prolific hirer of technologists, with over 9,000 software developer and engineer job postings filed over the past 12 months, but tons of banks and financial firms hire for tech roles” (Swanner). Amazon is a really popular company with a lot of people wanting to work there. Of course, there are a lot of other places looking for people to fill these roles so it's always good to look into another place such as these banks or financial firms as there are a lot of them hiring. "The need for new applications on smart phones and tablets will help increase the demand for applications software developers. The health and medical insurance and reinsurance carriers industry will need innovative software to manage new healthcare policy enrollments and administer existing policies digitally. As the number of people who use this digital platform increases over time, demand for software developers will grow. Systems developers are likely to see new opportunities because of an increase in the number of products that use software. For example, more computer systems are being built into consumer electronics and other products, such as cell phones and appliances. Concerns over threats to computer security could result in more investment in security software to protect computer networks and electronic infrastructure. In addition, an increase in software offered over the Internet should lower costs and allow more customization for businesses, also increasing demand for software developers'' ("CollegeGrad"). Nowadays, people are very reliant on technology to meet their needs and as it keeps advancing, people will always need it thus keeping a strong demand for the job.
Being a software developer comes with a lot of benefits, such as working from home or using your skills. This post by IndustryConnect states, "Working from home is a lot of people’s dream, but as a developer you can do much more than that. All you need is a computer and an internet connection, so you’re not even restricted to your home! You can literally go anywhere in the world and still work. If you’re an immigrant to New Zealand this allows you to go back and visit family without taking holidays. Maybe you’re the nomadic type and want to see the world? Software developer jobs allow you to still have regular income while you travel" ("The Top Advantages"). This career allows for a lot of flexibility as it's a lot easier to work from home as long as you have an internet connection. There would also be other benefits from this, such as reduced stress or more time for relationships. Overall, this is a great added benefit that keeps a healthy work-life balance. "It’s not painting or design, but programming is a highly creative profession. Any time you set out to write a program you’re creating something new, much like when you were playing Lego as a child. Many times you experiment with technologies, only to find that’s not a good way, so you choose a different path. Every time you write a new program, you learn something new" (Copes).
If you have creativity, this is a great career that will teach you something new while getting to use your skills every day. If you enjoy doing something creative, this will be something that adds more fun to the job.
Like a lot of careers today, it requires some form of education after high school. According to a blog post by ECPI University, "Do you need a degree in software development? Certainly, there are some developers employed in the field who learn on the job or learn on their own. But enrolling in a college program is one of the best ways to ensure you're well prepared. In fact, many jobs will require a bachelor's degree in software engineering or computer science" ("What Education Requirements''). Getting your degree can show your employers that you are well prepared. A lot of jobs these days require some form of education after high school so it's always good to have this as it presents you with a lot more job opportunities. "There are many certifications for software developers. Some of the most common certifications include Microsoft, Amazon Software Services, Cloudera, and Oracle. Many software development careers require professionals to obtain certifications before allowing them to work with certain software projects. These certifications provide verification that professionals know enough about the software in question to work comfortably with it" (“Software Developer Careers”). Even if certifications aren't always needed, it doesn't mean it won't help with your career. There are certain certifications that you need for certain projects, and being able to show that you know enough about the software to work with it can come with added benefits. This is something that can set you apart from the other candidates which is always a good thing when it comes to applying for a job.
While pursuing this career, some of the most important skills you'll need will be collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity. As stated by a blog by Exaud, "Although people tend to ignore soft skills, they’re extremely valuable and just like programming languages, they’re something you can learn and practice. As a software developer you’ll work on a team and interpersonal skills are an essential part of the job. Effective communication must become one of your priorities when pursuing this career" ("7 Essential Skills"). Overall, teamwork is one of the most important skills since it's going to be something that pretty much everyone will have to do at some point in their lives. It mentioned how communication should be a priority when pursuing this career since you'll be in a team. Communication is like the backbone of a team meaning that if it can't function, then the team can't function which is why it's usually important to always keep this in mind. "People often associate creativity with design, music, arts… But creativity is not anyone’s monopoly. As a developer, you will use some creative techniques (it doesn’t matter if you are aware of them in a formal way) to solve complex issues. Sometimes you need to push those performances to the edge while running on weaker hardware. There are situations when you are aware that the problem you are facing has more possible solutions. Your ability to be a critical thinker will allow you to assess those solutions and select the one that will work the best. Your creativity will enable you to expand and build further on it. And all this will grow you as a problem-solver" (Cipan). Creativity is something that can help with problem-solving, especially if you're good at coming up with ideas. This is something that can help when trying to come up with a solution to a problem. These skills seem to complement each other well so using these skills can help the other one grow.
To conclude, this is a career that sparked my interest. I thought that researching this career was very useful. I found it helpful to read about the different qualities of the job to see what I would excel in or find difficulty in. I feel more confident this is an ideal career path and will do more research on it or other careers in the field. Overall, it becomes easier the more informed you are.
