The software has changed this year. However, let’s be clear that software continues to evolve, every week, every month, every year, and in some instances even every day! There are Numerous defining shifts shape the software industry and custom software development in 2020.
With the Covid-19 pandemic threatening not just our lives, but our means of livelihood as well, it’s all the more important to think about a career path that would continue to thrive despite the pandemic that has caused lockdowns, business closures and plunged the worldwide economy down.
Fortunately, the IT field has remained standing despite the pandemic. For those people, or even for you considering a career in the Information Technology Field, joining the software development field is a good choice. Nowadays, a custom software development company continuously hires people with the skills, knowledge, and expertise to join the team of developers.
5 Compelling Reasons to Become a Software Developer
You could acquire the skills necessary to join the field of software development with the right amount of perseverance and passion.
- Software Development, a Highly Creative Job
Although of course, it’s critical to adhere to the tested and well-known patterns as much as possible, usually there are a lot of possible tools or approaches that could be used when working on a project, and which one to choose is a personal and creative expression all the time.
Custom software developers express their one-of-a-kind logical thinking constantly, as well as creative processes in each new feature or fix. While others may think the job is boring and tedious, there is so much creativity in software development, and it’s related to how you approach problem-solving.
While you may be tempted to find the quickest solution possible, making the job less creative and more mechanical, consider stepping back and analyzing the issue before attempting to resolve it. This I assure would make things more interesting.
- Free Education and Accessibility
If you want a job in developing software solutions, having a Computer Science degree is a great foundation to achieve a professional software development level, but it’s not the only path possible. These days, you could become a skilled developer even if you don’t have a Computer Science education via self-education and practice.
There are so many self-education resources on the internet you can find. There is a wide array of boot camps, tech blogs, online courses, as well as beginner-friendly communities to choose from. With enthusiasm and discipline, teaching yourself the basic skills required in the job is possible, and there are just so many companies willing to give a chance to self-taught, yet talented junior developers.
- Work Freedom
If you’re a software developer, your working times and locations are flexible, and all you need is your computer and your skills. You might be interested to know that there are so many developers who opt to go freelance and have complete freedom of organizing their working conditions and time.
Others choose to work in companies, but still has the benefit of working remotely. Finding English speaking IT jobs is easy, even in non-English speaking countries, which lets you relocate to a foreign country of your choice and find a job even before you get to learn the local language.
- Continuous Learning
Software development means continuous learning. Always, a developer has to stay current with the latest technologies and trends to have the right toolbox for every tech issue. Each new project requires you to step out of your comfort zone and acquire and/or use new skills to achieve the result desired.
This means that you will never lack motivation or get bored in a daily repetitive task. As a developer, you need daily creativity to build the solution required and to resolve problems that could occur in the process.
- Robust Career Path
The demand for skilled developers and programmers has skyrocketed in the past few years without showing any signs of slowing down. At present, there are more job openings in positions related to Information Technology. As a software developer, finding a job is not a problem, even with the pandemic that’s threatening the world today.
The career path continues to thrive, providing plenty of opportunities for those interested, and for those who plan on switching their present careers, or even those who have lost their jobs due to business closures, there is a big opportunity for a software development job.
First Steps to a Software Development Career
The following are the first steps to take before you could join any custom software development company as a software developer.
- Online Learning
The web is packed with both free and paid educational resources. An absolute beginner could begin with an online course that covers Computer Science basics, including computer architecture, data structures, algorithms, problem-solving, and more. You could pick up a course later on, which goes over the major programming concepts with your choice of language.
- Programming Language Selection
Choosing a particular language is always better to start and to be proficient with it first before jumping to another. This makes it easier to avoid confusion, and you could gain skills fast, which are useful on the market. When you have mastered a language, it would be easier to switch to another because you possess the right mindset and key concepts already.
You get to decide which language to learn based on several factors, such as job demand, popularity or a specific app field. However, at the start, you should opt for a language that’s beginner-friendly and is supported by a large development community.
- Learn through Doing.
It’s never too soon to begin working on personal projects of your own, and challenging yourself with practical concerns of real-world apps is the best way of learning on the job. Consider an app that you want to create, and try dividing it into small logical parts and start working on them.
From the start, you likely would face various challenges, and this would pressure you to go through forums and documentation to find help. Don’t be shy to ask for help from the development community. Additionally, the best way of showcasing your skills to prospective employers is to build your portfolio of pet projects.
Conclusion
A software development career is a journey of a lifetime. Regardless of how you begin or how long it takes to succeed; this is indeed a great career choice. Every single day, you have an opportunity to learn new, amazing things, and bring value to society via innovation, and this I think you will agree is the most important reward.