Kibo Hutchinson https://www.tatvasoft.com 6m 1,603 #devleoper
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
What’s it like to be a software engineer. Many of you especially non-techies have this misconception that software engineers or software developers are nothing but tech-savvy geeks who tend to code all day and all night long. In fact, earlier for centuries software developers were considered psychopaths fortunately not anymore!
You see with the rise in the adoption of software development life cycle, more and more people have started to realize the fact that the realm is pretty booming and has a rosy future. Take your day-to-day chores into account, tell me one activity where software is not being used? Tricky right?
In fact, Recently I came across an interesting post that stated every industry is driven by recent technology and trends; web development technology is no exception. Previously a computing device was a simple-looking box and today computing devices aren’t limited to those boxes now we have smartphones and smartwatches. In all these innovations and evolution, there is one thing pretty common and that is a software application. The world needs to conduct a plethora of software development projects, especially the better ones. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be facing any problems or challenges while conducting a software development project. Well, to overcome these aspects I came up with the idea of writing an article on top software engineer skills to take into consideration. Some of you guys might be 100% sure of making this formidable career choice while others might still be wondering whether to delve into it or not. Well, so let’s just begin with the basics.
Why One Must Consider becoming a Software Developer?
Making a career choice can be quite daunting and overwhelming especially when you have a plethora of options around. Today, the entire world has become your school where every subject is available. All you have to do is stay committed to it and Voila! Nobody can stop you from becoming what you have dreamt of.
Surfing over the high tide of digital transformation is not easy but it’s a doable job. Further below I would like to mention certain reasons why more and more people are willing to become software engineers by enhancing their technical skills and programming languages. And most importantly why you should do it too.
First of all, who is a software engineer? Well, he is a person just like you and me but with a knack for creative and technical skills to develop unique software applications. These applications are further used by different people on their respective computing devices, it could be whether to play games or chat via social media apps, Purchase apparel and accessories via eCommerce apps, order food online, book travel tickets and whatnot!
As the name implies a software engineer or a software developer spends most of his time in developing applications, and websites and testing them before deployment just to check whether it is meeting the client’s needs or not.
#1 It Keeps on Changing!
One of the obvious reasons to become a software engineer is consistency. You see technology keeps on evolving in a breathtaking space and it’s never going to stop. So yes, one of the obvious reasons is that you will never get bored with your job as a software engineer. Whether you are considered among those entry-level software engineers or an experienced software developer, you are bound to learn new skills, and techniques, day in and day out.
In addition to not getting bored, software engineers will be able to enhance their abilities from time to time as long as they keep their tabs on the latest updates.
#2 Enhance Your Problem-Solving Skills
Yes, you read it right software engineers are great when it comes to solving any problem. And maybe that’s the reason why it is also said that one should never hesitate in dating a software engineer because they are never going to give up on you.
More or less, software engineer tends to solve those complex problems which most of you non-techies have given up on a long time ago. Whether it’s a quick fix or any complicated problem out there, being a software engineer you are bound to get it done in a short span of time.
Other than problem-solving skills, software engineers excel in donning multiple hats and tend to think in parallel as they are supposed to work on more than one project at a time. So yes, a lot of time is saved.
#3 Increase Rapport and Collaboration
Another reason to become a software engineer or get a computer science degree is that you as a programmer can increase rapport and collaborate with the masses at the same time. Yes, gone are the days when programmers were compelled to sit alone in a dark room and do the task. At present, software engineers are out there in the open ready to communicate well with the world. In fact, there are a plethora of platforms available where software engineers including the newbies and experienced ones gather to share their knowledge, and ideas and learn from each other.
Apart from these, you get job security, you can develop interesting apps which sooner or later might make you a millionaire just like WhatsApp, Facebook and so more, excellent salary packages, Remote work is quite appreciated after COVID-19, Travelling, Face unheard challenges, constant changes and the list goes on. So I say why the heck shouldn’t become a software engineer. Further, I would like to mention certain non-technical and technical skills, and programming languages, that a software engineer must consider if he or she wants to make it big in 2022 and the upcoming years. Are you ready to explore these software engineer skills?
Certain Non-Technical and Technical skills Software Engineers Must Take into Account
#1 He Has to be a Legit in Multitasking
Yes, the job of a software engineer is not monotonous, one has to do multiple projects/develop programming languages at the same time. Moreover, a software developer is not just responsible for developing he is equally responsible for testing and debugging software, basically conducting the entire software development process using relevant skills and programming languages.
It doesn’t matter whether he is just a freelancer or works as a full-timer in your space, the software engineer job remains the same for everyone. This means he must excel at management. Yes, management is one of the important software engineer skills that must be taken into consideration here. Other than management, What else is needed here?
- Organizational skills
- Prioritizing wisely
- Meeting Strict Deadlines
- Managing and most of the time Surpassing Expectations
#2 He Must be a Team player
Another important software engineer skill to take into account is that he has to be a team player. You see software development life cycle is no one time process, it is constant and it takes a team to get it done in the right manner. In fact, it turns out to be a core weapon that can assist you in outshining among thousands of software engineer jobs. Ironically, being a Team player is considered as one of the core technical skills needed to become successful software engineer.
What else is needed?
- Increasing Rapport
- Effective Collaboration
- Active listening
- Precise verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Problem-solving together as a Team and not outdoing others
#3 Computer Programming Languages
Another interesting software engineer skill to consider is computer programming and coding. Since you have majored in Computer science and willing to become a software engineer, computer programming has to be a must-have skill. Fortunately, you will come across a wide range of programming languages and technology-based solutions to learn and upscale your software engineer resume.
Some of the prominent programming languages to keep in mind:
- Java
- Python
- C#
- .Net
- Mean
- Ruby
- Javascript
- PHP
- HTML/CSS
- SQL
- C and C++
#4 One With a Hawk Eye
Another interesting skill that must be taken into account is that he or she must have a hawk-eye. In other words, he or she must consider each and everything in detail. Now, what are the certain things that must be taken into account by a skilful software engineer? Right from using version control systems to employing a robust testing protocol and several other complicated details such as storing, maintaining and analyzing older code, developing strategic methodologies, and so forth.
So yes being a hawk eye means he must excel in regards to analytical skills, troubleshooting, precise technical documentation, data analytics, creativity, and critical thinking.
#5 Communication skills
Who says communication is not an essential skill for a software engineer? Let us face it gone are the days when software engineers were supposed to work in a dark room with nobody around. At present, the situation is not the same anymore. At present, software engineers are asked to communicate with everyone right from the client to teammates including designers, testers, QA and so forth.
So yes conducting effective communication is a very crucial skill and it needs to be improved now and then.
Effective communication is always tested during interviews, this practical guide includes some very useful interview questions & answers and some highly relevant elements to consider to become a high-quality software developer. This practical guide was created by Toptal, an elite community of top-notch freelance software developers and it can help software developers to prepare for that next big jump in their careers.
Conclusion
So are you ready to become a successful software engineer? I hope the aforementioned points are helpful enough and will assist you in working in this Qhigh paying profession. In case if you still have any doubts or concerns, feel free to mention that in the comment section below.
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