Are you looking to break into programming / software engineering? The purpose of this article is to review the key knowledge, skills, and abilities that employers look for in a candidate and the demand for software engineers,
Most employers look for candidates with a four year degree in software development, coding, computer science, or other related degrees. Sometimes you can get hired if you already have a degree and you decide to go through a coding boot camp. Whatever route you do, you need to develop a portfolio in GitHub to demonstrate your software development skills to potential employers. One way to break into these roles is become a software tester and move your way into a development position.
Introduction
A programming / software engineering job is a job that requires the individual to write and implement programs. The programs written by programmers are used to automate tasks and streamline processes.
Programming / software engineering jobs can be found in many industries, including engineering, finance, healthcare, education, and more. It appears that almost all organizations have a development team.
A programmer is usually given a set of requirements from a customer and the programmer realizes the software from the requirements. Also, a programmer needs to test their code and also integrate it with their team. Programmers usually work in teams but they will do a lot of their own work individually unless you are in a pair programming environment.
What is the job demand for programming jobs
Programming jobs are in high demand. In the U.S., programming jobs were the some of most in-demand occupation and the fastest-growing job in 2022.
The demand for programming jobs is increasing because there are more and more companies that need programmers to create their software. The demand will also increase as technology advances since programmers need to be able to keep up with new technologies to build better software and develop new programs for different purposes.
There are many different programming / software engineering jobs. Some examples and salaries from comparably.com include the following:
- Software Engineer (backend) – $109,000
- Automation Engineer – $96,768
- Programmer – $85,485
- Programmer Analyst – Java – $54,667
- UX Designer – $97,245
- DevOps – $92,776
Pay for these positions are good and are comparable if not higher they cybersecurity positions.
What are the Top Skills Every Programmer Needs?
Programming is a skill that is taught, learned, and honed. However, there are certain skills that are more important than others. These skills can be broken down into two categories: technical skills and soft skills.
Technical skills are the backbone of programming. They include things like coding languages, databases, web development frameworks, and computer architecture. Soft skills are important because they allow programmers to communicate with other people in the workplace effectively and efficiently. These include things like leadership, team-building, and empathy.
The following list contains some of the most important technical and soft skills for programmers to have:
- Programming Languages
- Java Programming
- Python Programming
- Ruby on Rails
- C++ Programming Language
- C# Programming Language
- JavaScript Programming Language
- Database Management both relational and NoSql
Database management is something that can be said to be a necessary evil. It is not fun, but it is necessary. The first type of database management involves the use of relational databases and this is by far the most common form of database today. A relational database is made up of records that are grouped into tables that can have related data in them such as:
- Oracle
- SQL Server
- MySQL
On the other hand, NoSQL databases are a type of database that are built for scaling to store large volumes of data. They do not have the same consistency, durability, and ACID compliance that relational databases have. An example NoSQL database would be MongoDB.
- Web Development Frameworks
Web Development Frameworks are used to help in the creation of websites. Frameworks like Node JS, Angular JS, ReactJS, and VueJS are becoming more popular due to the amount of effort they save. Frameworks like Bootstrap and Foundation make it easy for developers to build responsive sites that work on many devices. - Server-Side Development
Server-side development is when the code that the developer writes is executed on a server. The server processes and executes any given request, and then returns the results. Server-side development is often used for applications where data must be stored remotely or for applications where many users interact with one another in real-time. Examples would be PHP, NodeJS, Ruby on Rails, and ASP.Net,
- Computer Architecture
Computer Architecture is the set of hardware structures that form the structure for a computer. It describes how data are stored and processed within a computer. Computer Architecture is essential to software developers because it defines what sort of instructions are executable on a given hardware system.
- Operating Systems Architecture
- Windows
- Linux
- Mac OS X
- Soft Skills
Soft Skills are essential for software development work. Employees need to be able to take initiative, communicate ideas well, collaborate with others, and remain calm. These skills will help the employee produce better work and keep up with the fast-paced environment of software development. - Software Development Lifecycle
Software Development Lifecycle skillsets are needed for a company to develop software. There are many different types of skillsets that are needed for an SDLC. One type is UX (User Experience) which is the process of designing how a product or service will be perceived, and how it will behave in the hands of users. The other type of skill set is QA (Quality Assurance), which ensures software is fully tested before delivery. Examples of processes:- Agile/SCRUM
- Agile/Extreme Programming
- DevOps
- GitHub
Conclusion
Software engineers and programmers are important parts of a lot of businesses. For some organizations, they make money and are not necessarily a support role. There are support roles like software testers. The demand for software engineers and programmers is high because of the value they bring to organizations.
In this article, we reviewed the demand for these positions and also looked at some of the key skills needed to be successful. Remember always build your foundation first and then build upon the foundation. The stronger the foundation the easier it will be for you to be adaptable in the different positions that exist today.
