A career as a Software Developer is a very interesting one like most industry expert and senior software developers will tell you. The question that might come to your mind is “Is the journey worth it?

Much like every other career path, a career in software development is not an easy one. As this guide will show you, there are a lot of things involved in been a software developer, but the journey can be rewarding. Here are the main points

• What is a Software Developer
• How to Become a Software Developer
• Duties of a Software Developer
• Software Developer Salary
• Software Developer Salary in Canada
• Education Required for a Career in Software Development
• How to get a Software Developer Job
• Entry Level Software Developer
• Software Developer Job Description
• Tools for Software Developers
• The Software Development Life Cycle
• Software Development Companies
• How to Hire a Software Developer
• What Are The Top 5 Careers Software Developer?
• How do I Prepare For a Career in Software Development?
• How do I Choose a Career Path For Software Development?
• What Are The Careers in Software Development?
• 5 Top Paying Jobs in Software Development
• How do I Pass a Software Developer Interview?
• How do I Prepare For my First Software Developer Job?
• What Qualifications do You Need to Become a Software Developer?
• Software Engineer Career Books
• How Many Hours Does a Software Engineer Work Per Day?
• How Many Hours do Software Engineers Work in India?
• What is The Best Career in Software Development?

What is a Software Developer

You know that smartphone app you rely on? That computer game that kept you transfixed for hours as a kid? That program that helps you budget and track expenditures? Software developers created all of them.

Software developers are the creative, brainstorming masterminds behind computer programs of all sorts. While some software developers may focus on a specific program or app, others create giant networks or underlying systems that help trigger and power other programs. This is why there are two main classifications of developers: applications software developers and systems software developers.

How to Become a Software Developer

GET AN EDUCATION

Completing a formal education is the first step toward becoming a software engineer. Prospective students can select from both traditional and nontraditional training programs to gain the education necessary to pursue entry-level positions. Some options include:

• ASSOCIATE DEGREE (TWO YEARS).Although employers typically prefer candidates with a four-year degree, an associate degree can open the door to entry-level jobs in the field. Students may choose to pursue majors in several related areas, such as software engineering technology or software systems engineering. Curriculum focuses on the core principles of software engineering, programming languages, and modern approaches to software development.
• BACHELOR’S DEGREE (FOUR YEARS).A bachelor’s degree in computer science, or a related field, is the traditional minimum degree preferred by employers. Bachelor’s degree programs expose students to a broader curriculum, one that provides a foundation in mathematics and computer science. Students develop a comprehensive understanding of programming, software architecture, and software testing. They may also take specialized courses in application areas, such as networking or embedded systems.
• CODING BOOTCAMP (8 TO 12 WEEKS).Coding bootcamps are a relatively new educational path for aspiring software engineers or developers. These programs typically last between eight and 12 weeks and place students into a hands-on, immersive learning environment. Upon graduation, students should be ready for entry-level careers as software engineers or developers.

DO AN INTERNSHIP

Completing an internship provides students with real world experience. Technology companies may offer internships for students with a bachelor’s or master’s degree who are seeking to expand their skills in specific areas, such as Java, XML or SQL. Internships typically last between three and six months and allow students to work on specific projects or products related to their skills.

PURSUE A SPECIALIZATION

Generally speaking, there are two specializations within software engineering: applications and software/systems development. However, distinct areas of practice exist within each of these areas. Software engineers may choose to become experts in a single programming language or type of development. Below is a list of example specialty areas to consider:

• Web development
• DevOps
• Mobile development
• Technical stack (e.g., Python, Ruby)

PURSUE ENTRY-LEVEL CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

After earning a computer science or related degree or completing a bootcamp program, the next step is to seek out entry-level employment. Because of the demand, software engineering has been rated one of the best entry-level careers available, according to Forbes. Although the dream job may be at Google, prospective software engineers can start with a small, local job hunt because, in the profession, experience is a critical commodity for career advancement.

GET CERTIFIED

Although some certifications have lost their luster, they remain an integral part of the tech industry. Software engineering is precise and technical, and gaining certification verifies an applicant’s knowledge and abilities. Along with experience, certification can improve a person’s marketability in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Certifications are available from technology vendors (e.g., Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle) as well as professional organizations (e.g., IEEE) and are tailored to specific areas of practice.

ATTEND CONFERENCES

Innovation drives change. That means software engineers need to stay abreast of the latest developments in both the general profession and their specialty. Attending conferences is a great way to network with other engineers and learn about new products, business practices, and technologies. Popular conferences for software engineers include the International Conference on Software Engineering and the International Conference on Automated Software Engineering.

What do applications software developers do?

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), developers in this sector are responsible for designing computer or mobile applications. The nature of their work is largely focused on creating for consumers. This involves understanding user needs, developing software solutions, monitoring performance and modifying programs as needed.

What do systems software developers do?

These professionals are focused on operating systems-level software, compilers and network distribution software, as outlined by the DOL. This role is geared more toward designing solutions for enterprise organizations. This includes developing software for medical, industrial, military, communications, aerospace, business, scientific and general computing applications.

Duties of a Software Developer

Much of the actual creation of software programs happens through the writing of code, and software developers oversee that. Depending on the company where they work, a software developer will analyze the needs of the user and then create, test and develop software that will solve a problem, provide entertainment or simply make life easier for its intended audience.

After mapping out the design, creating flowcharts and drafting out each step of the process, developers will build diagrams and models to instruct programmers how to write the code for the program.

Other job duties include mapping out the software to have on record for future upgrades and enhancements, testing the software, and collaborating with other computer specialists to make sure the software is top notch and functioning properly.

Skills Required

Software developers must have a healthy balance of hard and soft skills. Not only are software developers in charge of outlining and creating the code and design for a program, but these types of careers generally involve a lot of collaboration between various stakeholders.

Technical Skills

In such a complex role, these professionals inevitably need to have some precise technical know-how. We used real-time job analysis software to examine more than 1 million software developer jobs posted over the past year. This data revealed the top technical skills employers are looking for:

• Java
• SQL
• Software engineering
• JavaScript
• Python®
• Microsoft C#
• Linux
• Git
• Oracle
• DevOps

Soft Skills

Mastering the skills above is only half of the equation. The best software developers have certain transferable skills to complement their technical knowledge.

1. Problem-solving ability

The whole point of developing software is to create programs that solve the user’s problem. If you’re the type who tends to identify issues and figure out the best way to approach a solution, you may be a perfect fit for a software development career. Not only that, but programming alone is often an exercise in problem-solving and troubleshooting—being able to patiently and strategically tackle potential bugs or issues in code is a big part of their work.

2. Teamwork

Contrary to what’s commonly assumed, software developers aren’t secluded at their desk with no contact with the outside world. In reality, they spend a lot of time teaming up with other developers and programmers to create a prime product for the user. Great communication, empathy and a knack for collaborating with others is a must.

3. Analytical and strategic

Coding and software are enigmas of a sort, and if you’re someone who likes solving a mystery by looking at the big picture as well as the smaller steps along the way, you’ll be right at home developing software. There’s a lot of thoughtful planning that goes into creating these types of programs. If you can figure out the fastest or most efficient path from point A to point B, the world of software development will welcome you with open arms.

4. Intrinsic motivation

Creating software can be tricky, tedious work, so it’s important that you don’t get bogged down or discouraged when you don’t succeed the first time you try something. If you’re the type of person who is naturally determined to finish everything you start, you’ll be well-suited for a career in software development.

Software Developer Salary

In today’s digital economy, virtually everything is revolved around technology. This means qualified software developers are a hot commodity.

The BLS projects careers for application software developers to grow 26 percent through 2026, which is more than five times the national average for all occupations.³ This is largely due to the growing desire for businesses to produce new mobile device applications.

The outlook for systems software developers isn’t quite as favorable, but it is still projected at the faster-than-average rate of 10 percent.³ Although this type of work isn’t as prevalent, it does typically come with higher compensation.

Application software developer salary

The median annual salary for application software developers in 2018 was $103,620, as reported by the BLS. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $61,660 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $161,290. Some of the top-earning application software developers were employed at software publishing companies.

Systems software developer salary

The median annual salary for systems software developers in 2018 was $110,000, as reported by the BLS. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $66,740 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $166,960. Systems software developers employed at manufacturing companies tend to have higher earning potential.

Software Developer Salary in Canada

An entry-level Software Developer with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of C$55,802 based on 582 salaries. An early career Software Developer with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of C$62,688 based on 4,749 salaries.

A mid-career Software Developer with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of C$73,331 based on 1,824 salaries. An experienced Software Developer with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of C$80,762 based on 877 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of C$87,627.

Types of developer, engineer, and programmer jobs

Like most professions, there are various specializations within web and software development you can focus on. It’s important to have an idea of the specific job you want so you take the right path to becoming qualified and getting hired.

The roles below are a sample of the most popular tech jobs according to various online sources:

• Software Programmer – Write the underlying code that makes software function.
• Software Developer – Write code while also participating in the conceptualization of software (note that “software developer,” “software programmer” and “software engineer” are often treated as similar job titles by employers but there are sometimes mild differences).
• Solutions Architect – Map out the end-to-end plan for complicated tech projects.
• Mobile Developer – Build apps for phones or tablets (most specialize in either Android or iOS development).
• Front-end web developer – Collaborate with designers to bring functionality to a website.
• Back-end web developer – Connect websites with the proper servers and databases.
• QA Engineer – Test and debug software and apps to ensure optimal performance.

The examples above are a simple overview of the many career paths a developer/engineer/programmer could take. Conduct additional research to determine what jobs are in demand in your area, pay the most and require the languages/skills you’re interested in learning.

Education Required for a Career in Software Development

Since working in web or software development requires specific expertise, a computer science major is really the only college degree that prepares you for the job. Fortunately, there are a few alternatives to spending four years on a campus and paying sky-high tuition.

Over the past few years, numerous online and in-person coding schools and bootcamps have popped up. These schools teach students popular coding languages needed to break into the profession at a fraction of the time and cost of a four-year university.

However, the exact duration, cost and teaching styles land all over the map. Some can be completed in as quick as six months, cost in the ballpark of $20,000 and take place in a physical classroom.

Others move slowly or are self-paced, cost a few thousand dollars and can be completed online. If you decide to go this route, do your own research to find the coding school or bootcamp that best suits you.

You can also learn coding languages for free online but keep in mind that it requires complete and total self-commitment. If you’re not working, spend the majority of your day immersed in these resources. If you’re employed, commit your nights and weekends to them. Stay motivated and you could soon find yourself in a high paying job that required no upfront cost to prepare for.

How to get a Software Developer Job

Once you’re proficient in a few different coding languages, you can start applying for jobs. While the job market for developers, programmers and engineers currently favors candidates, it’s still a good idea to put in extra effort when searching for the right position. Here are a few tips for landing your first job in web or software development:

Build your own websites, apps and programs

Learning coding languages isn’t enough to get a job. You need to show potential employers websites or apps you built that prove you know what you’re doing. Additionally, it’s a great exercise for applying what you know as you learn to code.

Who knows, maybe you’ll build something cool that can become a revenue-generating business. Even if you don’t, you’ll have work samples to present in interviews.

Contribute to an open-source project

Open source refers to software code that is made freely available online. You can see how popular programs were built and modify or contribute to the code.

Getting involved in an open-source project will help you refine your skills and build a portfolio. It’s also a great way to network since many projects have a community of passionate tech professionals.

Attend a hackathon and show what you can do

Hackathons are popular events where developers get together and participate in coding competitions. Attending these events is not only a great way to network and show off your skills. It could also help you connect with employers since many companies sponsor and host hackathons with the intention of recruiting programmers and engineers.

Get your foot in the door

Even though your goal is likely to land a high paying job as a web or software developer, you might have to first pad your resume with some entry-level positions. Don’t shy away from starting as a junior developer or QA analysis. You’ll have the opportunity to hone your skills while getting paid and will have a solid chance of getting promoted to a mid-level position when you’re ready.

How to Write a Software Developer Resume

As a software engineer, you possess an impressive array of software development skills with knowledge in mathematics, physics, and other analytical disciplines. You are responsible for creating technically sound and efficient programs uniquely situated at the forefront of a new digital paradigm.

With your numerous software engineering skills, languages, and methodologies, you may be asking, “What should I leave in? What should I leave out?” This guide will help you navigate these tough questions.

By following our resume hacks, writing your software engineer resume will be easier than it seems. Here are four proven guidelines that will help you debug your resume, get you noticed, and help you land your dream job.

1. Keep your resume to one page

Time is in short supply these days. Hiring managers are swamped with dozens (if not hundreds) of resumes for each job opening. Chances are, a two-page resume won’t be read in full. Under these circumstances, a one-page resume is the most important element of success.

The easiest way to reduce document length is to reduce work experience. Good programmers know how to prioritize clear code. The same goes for resume writing. Your goal is to write clear, well-structured sentences that explain the depth of your experience. Do this and you will keep your resume content from mushrooming.

2. Clearly list relevant technology skills

Listing skills required for the position is a no-brainer. The trick, however, is to be precise with your relevant skills. For example, if you use Laravel for PHP, but only list PHP, the hiring manager will be left guessing what framework you are familiar with.

Always make it easy for hiring managers to perform a fair assessment of your abilities. The candidate in the sample above has succeeded with listing his skills, for these reasons:

• They clearly state their relevant skills early on in the resume.
• They show past skill utilization by describing the ways in which they used them.
• They reference the skills in key sections of the resume, including the summary, skills section, and work experience.

On the other hand, be aware that if you show too many skills, hiring managers may assume that your knowledge is too broad and not deep enough to perform at a high level. It will also look like you made the rookie mistake of bloating your resume with skills you don’t have or aren’t relevant to the job.

Additionally, you need to show depth in a given language and skill. Reference your skill or language multiple times in your resume. If you’re a C++ prodigy, ensure you mention the specifics about how you employed it in the work experience and resume summary sections. Furthermore, make sure you frame your use of C++ in terms of accomplishments, not just job duties.

3. Target your resume for each job application

Targeting your resume for one job at a time is the path to success. This requires a combination of two aspects: researching the company and customizing your resume.

Conduct extensive background research on all of the companies you are interested in working for. What are their products? Do you know how these products are designed? What are the technologies behind their products? And equally important, do you understand what the business is trying to accomplish?

These leading questions will help you delve deeper into the needs of the company. They will also help you further optimize your resume, and even glean useful nuggets to address in your cover letter or interview.

Customize your resume by optimizing your resume introduction and professional experience sections by addressing the job’s needs with your related background.

4.  Show what you achieved using your skills

In addition to including your skills, you need to quantify your accomplishments on your resume to demonstrate your value to an employer. Here’s how the resume sample above does this:

Designed internal website for agents and management, saving an average $8,000 in labor costs per week.

In this example, the candidate emphasizes their ability to successfully take on a large-scale development project (including planning, development, and execution).

Mastering the Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Find your crossover skills relating to the job posting
• Research as much as possible in the company before applying
• Write a resume summary like an elevator pitch
  

Don’t:

• Shoehorn your resume to fit a job that may not fit you in the long run
• Make sweeping assumptions about the role
• Write a career objective section

Entry Level Software Developer

An entry-level software engineer, also called a junior engineer, works with a team of mid-level and senior engineers to develop, test, and maintain software applications and programs.

The job duties of junior software engineers typically include relatively simple routine tasks, such as debugging, testing, and code documentation. These tasks hone a junior developer’s skills and familiarize them with the company’s code base. As software engineers gain more years of experience, they work on more complex development projects.

Software Developer Job Description

The job of a software developer depends on the needs of the company, organization or team they are on. Some build and maintain systems that run devices and networks. Others develop applications that make it possible for people to perform specific tasks on computers, cellphones or other devices.

If you’re looking for someone who can do both back end and front end software development, you’ll want a full-stack developer.

Software Developer Job Description Example

Our company is seeking to hire a skilled Software Developer to help with the development of our current projects. Your duties will primarily revolve around building software by writing code, as well as modifying software to fix errors, adapt it to new hardware, improve its performance, or upgrade interfaces.

You will also be involved in directing system testing and validation procedures, and also working with customers or departments on technical issues including software system design and maintenance.

To be successful in this role, you will need extensive knowledge of programming languages and the software development life-cycle. A Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related degree is required.

Software Developer Responsibilities:

• Modifying software to fix errors, adapt it to new hardware, improve its performance, or upgrade interfaces.
• Directing system testing and validation procedures.
• Directing software programming and documentation development.
• Consulting with departments or customers on project status and proposals.
• Working with customers or departments on technical issues including software system design and maintenance.
• Analyzing information to recommend and plan the installation of new systems or modifications of an existing system.
• Consulting with engineering staff to evaluate software-hardware interfaces and develop specifications and performance requirements.
• Designing and developing software systems using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and design consequences.
• Preparing reports on programming project specifications, activities, or status.
• Conferring with project managers to obtain information on limitations or capabilities.

Software Developer Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related degree.
• Knowledge of the software development life-cycle.
• The desire to work in fast-paced environment.
• Ability to develop unit testing of code components or complete applications.
• Creativity is always a plus.
• Must be a full-stack developer and understand concepts of software engineering.
• Experience working on a variety of software development projects.
• Deep programming language knowledge.

Tools for Software Developers

There’s no arguing that experience is what makes great software developer. However, there are tools that can help you in the pursuit of becoming better at what you do. Whether you’re new to software development or are already a veteran, you need to have the right tools if you’re striving to become a better software developer. 

There are tons of tools well-suited for developers, and selecting the best can be a challenge. Here is a curated list of tools organized by different categories. Let me know what your favorites are in the comments.

Source Control

1. GitHub. Unless you’re completely new to software development, you’re probably already familiar with GitHub. It is a web-based Git repository hosting service that allows developers to review code, manage projects, and build software.
GitHub is the largest and most popular code repository in the world. Software developers love it for its intuitive interface and various features added features.
The pricing model of GitHub is very flexible, so public repositories can be hosted for free and you can pay for private ones with a monthly fee.

2. Bitbucket. A strong contender to GitHub, Bitbucket is a web-based hosting service for repositories using the Git version control system. What’s Bitbucket’s edge? Well, it plays well with other Atlassian products, such as JIRA, facilitating easy collaboration for software development teams. Bitbucket is available both as a Cloud version and as an on-premise version, Bitbucket Server.

3. CloudForge. CloudForge is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service product for application development tools and services such as Git hosting, Subversion hosting, issue trackers, and application lifecycle management. Providing a wide choice of tools, it is primarily a tool for enterprise companies. Some of the customers listed on their website include Zuora, Sears, and The Weather Channel, for example.

Project Management and Issue-Tracking

4. JIRA. Proably the most popular development planning tool, JIRA is a great tool for project and issue tracking, ideal for Agile software teams. While it is a beast of a product, having tons of functionality, it works very well out-of-the-box and is generally easy to use. Some of the highlights of JIRA include customizable Scrum and Kanban boards.

5. Trello. Similarly to JIRA, Trello is great for project management. Trello boards are ideal for Kanban and Scrum fans, being easy to manage with tons of customizability. While not built specifically as a tool for developers, Trello can definitely get the job done. And on the plus side, Trello is definitely sleek, with a simple and visually pleasing appeal. 

6. Toggl. Slightly different from the two above, Toggl is a nice time-tracking tool for software developers. Tracking time with Toggl is effortless; it gives you an overview of where your time really goes! It is simple, is easy to use, and integrates with tons of tools, including the two listed above.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

7. Atom. This is a solid “hackable” text-editor. Atom is completely free and open-source, and it can be customized to a great extent. Atom even includes a smart and flexible autocomplete feature, making coding even faster. You can also share your workspace and edit code together in real time.

8. Xcode. Xcode is an integrated development environment for macOS, containing a suite of software development tools developed by Apple (for developing software for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS). It is undeniably simple to use, and especially welcoming to beginners, as it features visual settings and drag-and-drop options if you’re developing only the front-end user interface. Xcode is also smart in how it can also prevent errors and mistakes.

9. Microsoft Visual Studio. Microsoft Visual Studio is a collection of services, including the Visual Studio IDE (a fully featured integrated development environment for Android, iOS, macOS, web, and cloud). It is quick and easy to plan, build, and ship software across a variety of platforms with the Visual Studio.

Skill Development

10. CodeWars. CodeWars is an educational community offering real programming challenges to improve your skills, strengthen, and expand on your programming fundamentals. CodeWars features hundreds, if not thousands, of programming challenges, graded by difficulty and across various languages. So, CodeWars is also great for increasing your familiarity with programming languages that you don’t have a lot of experience with. There are other similar sites out there, but what makes CodeWars stand out is how you can see the highest-rated solutions after you’ve submitted your own. In this way, you can also learn from others, from these top-ranked solutions.

11. Code Climate. Code Climate is an automated code analysis tool. While it’s a paid product, you can try it out for free for a two-week trial, and even this can give you great feedback on your code. Code Climate grades your test coverage, complexity, duplication, style, security, and more. 

12. Code Signal. Code Signal is a skills-based assessment platform that helps both developers and employers. For developers, Code Signal offers interview practice so that you can solve real interview questions and master key computer science topics. 

The Software Development Life Cycle

The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) refers to a methodology with clearly defined processes for creating high-quality software. in detail, the SDLC methodology focuses on the following phases of software development:

• Requirement analysis
• Planning
• Software design such as architectural design
• Software development
• Testing
• Deployment

How SDLC Works

SDLC works by lowering the cost of software development while simultaneously improving quality and shortening production time. SDLC achieves these apparently divergent goals by following a plan that removes the typical pitfalls of software development projects. That plan starts by evaluating existing systems for deficiencies.

Next, it defines the requirements of the new system. It then creates the software through the stages of analysis, planning, design, development, testing, and deployment. By anticipating costly mistakes like failing to ask the end-user or client for feedback, SLDC can eliminate redundant rework and after-the-fact fixes.

It’s also important to know that there is a strong focus on the testing phase. As the SDLC is a repetitive methodology, you have to ensure code quality at every cycle.

Many organizations tend to spend few efforts on testing while a stronger focus on testing can save them a lot of rework, time, and money. Be smart and write the right types of tests.

Next, let’s explore the different stages of the Software Development Life Cycle.

Stages and Best Practices of SDLC

Following the best practices and/or stages of SDLC ensures the process works in a smooth, efficient, and productive way.

1. Identify the Current Problems 

“What are the current problems?” This stage of the SDLC means getting input from all stakeholders, including customers, salespeople, industry experts, and programmers. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of the current system with improvement as the goal.

2. Plan

“What do we want?” In this stage of the SDLC, the team determines the cost and resources required for implementing the analyzed requirements. It also details the risks involved and provides sub-plans for softening those risks.

In other words, the team should determine the feasibility of the project and how they can implement the project successfully with the lowest risk in mind.

3. Design

“How will we get what we want?” This phase of the SDLC starts by turning the software specifications into a design plan called the Design Specification. All stakeholders then review this plan and offer feedback and suggestions. It’s crucial to have a plan for collecting and incorporating stakeholder input into this document. Failure at this stage will almost certainly result in cost overruns at best and the total collapse of the project at worst.

4. Build

“Let’s create what we want.”

At this stage, the actual development starts. It’s important that every developer sticks to the agreed blueprint. Also, make sure you have proper guidelines in place about the code style and practices.

For example, define a nomenclature for files or define a variable naming style such as camelCase. This will help your team to produce organized and consistent code that is easier to understand but also to test during the next phase.

5. Code Test

“Did we get what we want?” In this stage, we test for defects and deficiencies. We fix those issues until the product meets the original specifications.

In short, we want to verify if the code meets the defined requirements.

6. Software Deployment

“Let’s start using what we got.”

At this stage, the goal is to deploy the software to the production environment so users can start using the product. However, many organizations choose to move the product through different deployment environments such as a testing or staging environment.

This allows any stakeholders to safely play with the product before releasing it to the market. Besides, this allows any final mistakes to be caught before releasing the product.

Benefits of SDLC

SDLC done right can allow the highest level of management control and documentation. Developers understand what they should build and why. All parties agree on the goal upfront and see a clear plan for arriving at that goal. Everyone understands the costs and resources required.

Several pitfalls can turn an SDLC implementation into more of a roadblock to development than a tool that helps us. Failure to take into account the needs of customers and all users and stakeholders can result in a poor understanding of the system requirements at the outset. The benefits of SDLC only exist if the plan is followed faithfully.

Software Development Companies

SoftEQ

Clients: SanDisk, Epson, HP, Canon, Samsung, Sega, Disney Parks, Coca Cola

Softeq is a full-cycle software development company founded in Houston, Texas in 1997. They specialize in three major areas; Mobile applications, advanced web applications and embedded software.

Their team consists of more than 150 engineers, designers and other professionals with an average project experience of eight years. Each of their team members has a deep understanding of both the hardware and software systems needed to develop, deploy or enhance a product. In 2015, Softeq was announced as one of the top Java developers.

Software Development Services

• Mobile Applications
• Advanced Web Apps
• Embedded Software
• Software Prototyping
• Game Development

• Apps and Data Integration
• UI and Front-End Development
• Maintenance and Support
• Dedicated Teams

Amadeus Consulting

Clients: Microsoft, Jacks 3D, Cabot Compliance, GlobalTranz

Amadeus Consulting is an award-winning technology organization that creates products to serve their clients, employees and community. Founded in 1994, Amadeus has helped clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startup entrepreneurs solve their business challenges with custom software and mobile app development.

According to their website, Amadeus has a 93 percent client satisfaction rate, employs more than 80 experienced professionals and has won 14 company awards. Amadeus has a mission-driven philosophy with a strong belief in “everything is possible.”

Their development teams assist clients through consulting, mobile development, software development and more. They build effective, useful solutions with engaging UX and UI in mind, understanding that “well-designed applications increase user retention and satisfaction through the intentional placement of fields, integrated controls, naming tabs, workflow directions, and button styles.”

Software Development Services

• Consulting
• Creative
• Marketing
• Mobile
• Software
• Support
• Staffing

Four Kitchens

Clients: Time Inc, Public Radio International, Stanford University, Yale, The Economist, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The University of Texas

Four Kitchens is a one-stop web consulting firm that builds websites with expert strategy, design and development. With more than eight years of expertise working with the web, their teams handle everything from digital strategy to post-launch support. Four Kitchens becomes their clients’ technology partners, thriving on collaboration while bringing a project from inception to completion.

Four Kitchens works with organizations to turn ideas into actionable tasks, features and measurable outcomes. Their best practices and methodologies are well-researched to provide a solid framework for any project. They are experts at making websites work on any device and they meticulously build scalable solutions for the web. Their code is responsive, fully tested and maintainable.

Software Development Services

• Digital Strategy
• Technical Strategy
• Content Strategy
• Community Engagement Strategy
• User Experience Design
• User Research
• User Testing
• Web Development
• Node.js
• PHP

• Robust API
• Drupal Development
• Drupal Training
• Responsive, Mobile-First Design
• Touch Interactions
• Support
• Functionality Enhancements
• Site Maintenance and Upgrades
• Security and Performance Audits
• DevOps Support

R-Style Lab

Clients: HP, Dell, P&G, Pfizer, Stony Brook University

R-Style Lab is a full-service software development company that specializes in custom software development, enterprise solutions and mobile apps.

They supply premium software development and IT consulting services in partnership with global technology providers. R-Style Lab has more than 20 years of experience and seasoned professionals on their board. They have served federal and local governments, small businesses and large companies.

Software development is rapidly changing every day, so R-Style lab offers three different development methodologies to better serve the needs of their clients. These options are chosen based on goals, project size and resources, and allow R-Style Lab teams to handle complex projects while applying best practices in business analysis, development, post-deployment support and maintenance.

The Waterfall development strategy focuses on clarity and simplicity, with a consistent set of project documentation at each stage of development. The Classic iterative methodology (RUP) can be applied to a wide range of projects and entails high attention to requirements, documentation, architecture elaboration and modeling.

Their Flexible methodologies (agile) builds on continuous interaction with the customer and allows for more flexibility. The main focus of each team member becomes the success of the whole project versus individual tasks, and the team is trusted with self-organization and self-management. This methodology usually entails cross-functional team members and high attention to relationships, communication, motivation and leadership.

Software Development Services

• Web Application Development
• Mobile App Development
• High-End Enterprise Solutions
• Customer Relationship Management
• Software Application Integration
• SaaS and Cloud Computing
• Enterprise Mobility

• Business Process Automation
• Web & Enterprise Portals
• E-Commerce Solutions
• Content Management Systems
• Social Networking Solutions
• E-Learning Solutions
• Casual Games

Intridea

Clients: Amazon, ADP, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Mashable, Safeway, Verizon

Intridea is a global, full-service strategy, UX and engineering agency headquartered in Washington DC. Their client base consists of 145 clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 agencies. Intridea builds products using an agile process that allows for adaptation and evolution in the development stage and beyond.

Their project management, design and engineering teams are constantly absorbing new feedback and recent user experience patterns and best practices to deliver software that lasts.

Software Development Services

• User Interviews
• Stakeholder Worksessions
• Data Audits
• User Experience Audits
• Simplification Strategies
• Competitor Analysis
• User Stories
• User Experience Map
• Product Innovation
• Product Roadmap
• Agile Application Design & Development

• E-commerce Applications & Platforms
• Enterprise-Scaled Software
• Ruby on Rails Applications
• Thoughtful User Experiences
• Responsive Interfaces
• Data Visualizations with D3.js
• Sophisticated Dashboards for Big Data
• Robust APIs with Node.js
• AngularJS
• Backbone.js / Marionette
• Cordova / Phonegap for Mobile

Web Developers vs. Software Developers

The primary difference between web developers vs. software developers has to do with the programs they work with and what they’re trying to create. Web developers are mainly concerned with websites and web applications that run on internet browsers, while software developers are more focused on computer programs for desktop and mobile devices.

Both career fields require extensive programming experience, a strong attention to detail, and a knack for problem solving, but they have different workflows, maintenance requirements, and levels of complexity.

For example, web developers often work in close collaboration with business and marketing experts to ensure their company’s website is efficient, user friendly, and aesthetically pleasing.

Software developers, on the other hand, tend to work with other tech-oriented co-workers on large-scale software, operating system, and mobile application projects that might not require input from other business units.

Ultimately, the career path students choose should align with their professional goals and personal interests, which is why it’s crucial to explore each role in detail before committing the time and resources.

Who is a Software Development Manager

Software development managers lead teams of software developers working in industries ranging from medical research to finance. In addition to designing software, web applications, and web services, they also hire, train, and manage staff, create and oversee budgets, and make progress reports to senior management.

They may work with various department heads to determine software requirements, meet with management to discuss how software applications can achieve business objectives, or train technical and non-technical end-users once the software has been developed.

Software development managers also test and debug applications, resolving performance issues and making revisions when necessary. The field of software development management is closely related to computer applications software engineering, which is predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to be a fast-growing occupation over the next several years

How to Hire a Software Developer

· Hire a Software Developer Who is More Smart and Intelligent than You

This is one of the best tips to hire the best developers. Start looking for a software developer who is more smart and intelligent than you. This will help you in building a successful company as it will trigger a process of hiring more and more smarter people into your company which will turn it into a center of highly intellectual developers in next few years. Remember, bright people attract more bright people.

Hence you should focus on hiring exceptionally intelligent software developers during the startup phase, and you will be surprised to see the similar or even better talent coming to your company soon thereafter. This will start a process which will continue for many years. Most of the big software enterprises follow this tip, and after some time, this becomes an automatic process.

· Hire A Developer Who Can Give Solution to a Real Life Technology Problem

Many people in the selection process give more emphasis to the developer’s coding skills. However, it is not the best way to hire developers. Instead, you should give him a real-life technology problem which has occurred within your organization and ask how he will handle and solve such a problem in the least possible time. This will actually give you a better idea about his skills and creativity and how he will work on a project when he joins your company.

Hence by this way you can come to know whether he is the best fit for doing the projects in your company or if his approach to resolve real-life problems is different than what is required in your company.

· Show Flexibility with the Programming Languages and Software Tools

In today’s fast-paced world, new programming languages and software development tools are being launched almost every year. If you are still asking — “How you will sort a list in Java?”, Then it is not the right approach. Instead, you should focus on the algorithms and concepts. Pay attention to how a candidate approaches a problem and how he thinks out of the box to solve a problem.

It has been found that it is easier for a great problem solver to learn a new programming language or development tool than learning the problem-solving skills for a master of any particular language. Hence show flexibility with the knowledge of certain programming languages and software tools and don’t make it a hard and fast rule.

· After You Select a Developer, Let One More Person Interview Him

If you are looking for answers to where to hire programmers and how to do that effectively, then remember finding many developers is easy, but screening them is difficult. Suppose you also know how to select a developer and you follow a proper process to select him but still make sure that you are not the only person in your company to evaluate him or to select him for the software developer role. If you find a developer fit for this role, still ask one more person from your company to interview the developer.

Many times it happens that although we don’t know, but we have some biases hence when one more person takes interview of the developer, then the best performer will join your organization. This process will lead to the hiring of a highly talented software developer who will be the best fit for your organization.

· Make Sure the Developer Has Good Communication and Team Working Skills

Many people ignore these kinds of soft skills while they hire a software developer due to presumptions. However, many researches have proved that to become a good software developer, excellent communication skills and team working skills are a must. Don’t forget that today, most of the project works are not done by a single developer. Rather there is a whole team which works on it.

Hence the best developer should be a good team player and should have excellent communication skills. After some years of experience when a developer moves to a higher role like project manager, then these kinds of soft skills become even more important and essential to make them perform their job perfectly.

· Don’t Give Too Much Importance to the Resume

There have been many instances when a developer looked great based on his catchy resume and the skills written in it, but he failed to perform well in the interview process or while doing the actual project work later on after joining the company. Actually, resume writing is also a job these days; hence, some people may create an attractive resume even if they don’t possess such great skills mentioned in the resume.

Hence take a look at all the areas and processes while hiring the software developer and don’t give very high importance to the resume.

· Hire Someone Who is Creative and Has More Ideas

While hiring a software developer, try to find out how much creative the developer is during his testing and interview process rather than how many theoretical questions he answers perfectly. Today, most of the technical questions asked in an interview process can be found on the internet, and even any uncreative candidate can read them in an hour before coming to interview and can answer all questions. However, when it comes to showing creativity and innovativeness, he will falter.

Hence look for a candidate who is more creative and gives more ideas in the interview process. He will always have many useful ideas even after joining your company, and his out of the box thinking will always be helpful for your organization.

· Hire a Developer Who is Passionate About Doing Projects and Has Portfolio to Show

A passionate and enthusiastic software developer always keeps on learning new things and must have worked on many projects. Hence ask the developer about his favourite projects which either he has done himself or while working in a company and ask his personal experience and how he handled these projects. If he is really passionate about his work, he will definitely give you a list of many projects which he has done before, and he will also be able to explain to you in detail about the features of these and how he overcame the challenges and problems while working on them.

Hence if a developer has a portfolio to show you of his work, then it is definitely a big plus for him and makes him a highly deserving candidate. Therefore, always hire a developer who is more passionate and highly motivated regarding his work.

· Make Sure the Software Developer Can Write Clean and Crisp Code

While most companies check the coding skills of the software developer while hiring, but there is a difference between writing any kind of code which looks complex to understand and writing clean and crisp code. Actually writing clean code is a skill and an art which every software developer should possess.

Hence always look for such kind of developer who writes clean code because if the developer writes messy code, then it will be very difficult to collaborate with him and to include him to work in any team no matter how good he is at other required skills.

· Give More Importance to Talent Then Experience

If you find that the software developer is extremely talented and scores very high on all other aspects and parameters of selecting a developer, then don’t give too much importance to his experience. Prior experience can be helpful only when you need a developer to work on something that is repetitive in nature but in the ever-evolving development environment in most of today’s companies, especially in startups, you need a developer who can think out of the box, can handle new problems effectively and who can find out their solutions quickly.

Actually, it has been seen that the more experienced developers tend to become stubborn when it comes to optimizing processes as they already know some way to write code for it and they don’t at all try to think differently and innovatively to resolve the problems in more effective manners.

· Discuss About the Flexibility of Work Options

These days travelling from home to office take lots of commuting time hence most of the large organizations now offer work to home options to most of their developers so that these travelling hours can also be made productive. This kind of flexibility in working hours and working options increases the productivity of the employees considerably, and it also increases the employee satisfaction levels within the organization.

If the developer likes this kind of flexibility, then you will get him to work for you 24*7, make him more satisfied and eventually this will lead to the completion of projects before deadlines all the time.

How to Become a Mobile Software

To be a mobile developer, one must possess software development skills and knowledge. You could develop these skills by earning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar discipline (management information systems, for example). You can further your efforts to master mobile app development by attending one or more of the many coding bootcamp programs springing up to train aspiring developers.

If you plan to bootstrap into software development, these are some of the basic qualifications you’ll need: 

• Understanding of principles of secure, stable software design
• Understanding of the software development process and lifecycle, including the design-develop-test-release-maintain cycle, and long-term lifecycle support and maintenance
• Exposure to and understanding of some development methodology (Agile, Scrum and so forth) and development platforms or environments
• Knowledge of two or more programming languages, preferably in-demand ones such as SQL, Java, JavaScript, C# or C++, Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails, or iOS, according to Coding Dojo

This framework establishes the basis for working as a software developer in general. Next comes the topics, tools and technologies that are specific to mobile development.

Climbing on the mobile bandwagon

Mobile app development is a little different from general software development. Because resources such as memory, compute cycles, storage and bandwidth are both scarce and precious on mobile platforms, most significant mobile app development occurs within the context of one mobile development platform or another.

Depending on what platform (Android or iOS, essentially) you prefer, what kind of development work interests you, and where you’d like to work (or rather, for whom you’d like to work), your choices will be likewise constrained. According to Techworld, the most popular mobile app development platforms in 2019 include those listed in the following table.

32 leading mobile app developer platforms.

Appery.io	Buildbox	Kalipso	Shoutem
Appcelerator	BuildFire	Kony	TheAppBuilder
AppInstitute	Como	LiveBlox	Unity
AppMachine	GameSalad	Mobile Roadie	Verivo Software
AppMakr	GoodBarber	NativeScript	ViziApps
AppYourself	iBuildApp	OutSystems	Xamarin (Microsoft)
Appy Pie	Ionic	PhoneGap	Xojo
BiznessApps	jQuery Mobile	RhoMobile	Zoho Creator

Learning a platform takes time, effort and dedication. That said, most solution providers make evaluation or limited-use versions of their platforms available at low or no cost so aspiring developers can learn them.

Many also offer low-cost or free self-study materials to help novice developers learn what they’re doing and how to make the best use of such tools. (Look around for massive open online courses on some of these tool sets, such as jQuery/jQuery Mobile.) 

Doing the work, learning the trade

Specialized training and bootcamps are also available for mobile app development, as well as for the broader audience of software developers of all kinds. More experienced developers looking for a quick leg up in this game might be well served by a local bootcamp that specializes in mobile development topics, tools and languages.

There’s no better way to build skills and knowledge as a developer than by doing development work. The next best thing to finding a job and getting paid to learn mobile development, these short and intense learning programs can get developers up to speed in as little as eight to 12 weeks.

But they require constant effort, long hours and lots of hard work. The really motivated may be able to bootcamp themselves, so to speak; others may find the structure and access to knowledgeable practitioners worth the price of admission.

These learning programs also help developers understand a platform’s inner workings and give them a chance to explore development resources in and around that platform. This includes not just help files, examples and training materials, but also developer forums and other online communities that spring up around popular tools and languages.

Look for open source and other repositories of shared and freely available sample code. Not only will such material shorten the learning curve, it will provide ample opportunities to learn by example (and avoid reinventing the wheel)

What Are The Top 5 Careers Software Developer?

The most recent software developments in the technology industry have paved the way for some of the highest-paying jobs in software development. From artificial intelligence to information systems and security, top positions for software developers are fascinating and highly rewarding.

With strong computer science and programming skills required, workers in the modern workforce can expect to earn excellent salaries and have plenty of potential for advancement. As computer technology continues to improve, the job market will evolve, providing new opportunities for highly skilled professionals.

1. Computer and Information Systems Manager

One of the fastest-growing and highest-paying careers in software development and computer and information technology is computer and information systems management. In this field, computer and information systems managers are responsible for managing computer-related activities and projects within an organization.

In some organizations, computer and information systems managers go by different names, such as chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO), or IT director or manager. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 461,000 jobs held by computer and information systems managers.

BLS indicates that 22% of those workers were employed by the computer systems design industry. Other large employers for this occupation are the information industry and finance and insurance industries.

2. Data Scientist

Data science is a subfield of computer science that uses machine learning, statistics, and mathematics to analyze large sets of data for trends and information about human behavior, population health, climate, markets, and other complex systems.

Advanced artificial intelligence software is used to analyze data sets that are too vast and complex for anyone to analyze without the aid of a computer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of data science is expected to grow significantly over the next 10 years. Further details about the projected employment growth are listed below.

Also, individuals in this occupation held about 32,700 jobs, as reported by BLS. The largest employer for this occupation is the federal government, excluding postal service, which employs about 28% of all data scientists.

Other top employers include computer systems design and related services, which employs 19% of all data scientists, and research and development in the engineering, life, and physical sciences, which employs 16%. Software publishers and colleges and universities are also listed by BLS among the largest employers of data scientists.

3. Computer Network Architect

Computer network architects are responsible for designing and building data communication networks that range from small connections between offices to expansive infrastructure that serves multiple customers. Computer network architects are often referred to as network engineers. In this capacity, network engineers design and deploy computer, information, and software networks.

According to BLS, the median annual wage for computer network architects is $116,780. The lowest 10% of earners make around $67,000, while the highest 10% earn more than $175,000 per year.

Top-paying industries for this occupation include insurance carriers and related activities, computer systems design, management of companies and enterprises, telecommunications, and educational services. Within the insurance carrier industry, computer network architects earn a median annual wage of $121,730.

4. Software Developer

Of the top-paying careers in software development, it should come as no surprise that software developers make the cut. Software developers are responsible for designing computer applications or programs. They work as testers, quality assurance specialists, and developers in various industries, from manufacturing to software publishing.

Often, individuals working in this role create diagrams that help programmers write computer code needed to operate applications and programs. Depending on the role, software developers may lead teams and oversee projects. Software developers hold about 1.5 million jobs.

The largest employer, accounting for 33% of all software developer jobs, is computer systems design. Manufacturing accounts for 11% and software publishers account for nine percent of all software developer jobs.

5. Information Security Analyst

Another top-paying job in software development is the role of an information security analyst. Individuals working in this role plan and administer security measures to protect a company’s computer networks and systems. Information security analysts usually work for computer companies, business and financial institutions, or consulting firms.

As of 2019, there were approximately 131,000 jobs for information security analysts. The largest employer for this occupation was computer systems design, where approximately one-fourth of all information security analysts worked.

How do I Prepare For a Career in Software Development?

Here are some tips that can help you advance toward your goals if you plan to pursue a career in software development.

1. Learn a programming language.

For a career in software development, you’ll need a solid foundation in programming languages. Four you might consider mastering include Java, Python, C++, and Scala. 

2. Figure out your end goals.

Where do you want to work? What is your vision for your career? Software developers work in a variety of industries, including software publishers, finance companies, insurance carriers, and computer systems design organizations. 

You might work in healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, or another work environment. Many software developers work in a traditional office, while others leverage opportunities to work for an agency or work remotely. Having a good sense of what you want from your job can help you successfully navigate your path forward.

For example, if you want to work in healthcare, you may need to build industry knowledge and skills around issues like data privacy laws and how patient records are stored and accessed.

3. Pursue a degree or take courses.

More than 65 percent of developers surveyed in the Stack Overflow 2021 Developers Survey hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. While you don’t always need a degree to find a job in software development, earning one can help you build technical skills and open more job opportunities. As you research majors, consider those with an emphasis on development skills, like software engineering, computer science, or information technology.

If you have an idea of the industry you’d like to work in, consider earning a minor in that field to start building industry expertise.

4. Start practicing in your developer niche.

Whether you opt for formal education or take a self-taught track, you need to devote time to working with programming languages and trying your hand at development. It’s the key to gaining a thorough understanding of the development process, which will help you become a more productive, efficient, and accurate professional.

If you have a passion for app design, you could choose to develop your skills by building mobile apps. If you’d rather work on the infrastructure of computers and servers, you might specialize as a DevOps engineer instead. There are many areas in which you can use your skills as a software developer.

5. Make a portfolio of your software development work.

As you practice programming and build applications, compile them into a portfolio. Having a portfolio of your best work demonstrates to potential employers that you can use the skills on your resume in the real world. At a minimum, your portfolio should contain:

• Short biography
• Contact information
• Relevant skills
• Link to your resume
• Accolades or awards
• Professional and personal projects

As you gain more experience, curate your portfolio to show off only your best work. Be sure to include projects where you’ve used technologies that align with the jobs you’re applying for. 

You can host your portfolio on your own domain (a way to show off your web development skills) or on a free hosting site like GitHub or GitLab. 

6. Develop your technical skills.

Beyond programming languages, it helps to have experience working with other tools that software developers commonly use. Examples include:

• SQL, a language used to power database engines
• Tools like Git and Mercurial SCM, two source control systems often used in software development
• Integrated development environments, which enable the writing, modification, running, and debugging of development code

7. Build your non-technical skills.

As a software developer, you’re going to be tasked with giving others instructions while working on projects. You’ll also have to explain how things work and answer questions clients and supervisors may have. In addition to excellent communication skills, developers should be creative, detail-oriented, and have stellar problem-solving skills.

8. Certify your skills.

Certifications can help validate your skills for potential employers and demonstrate your proficiency, which can be helpful if you don’t have a lot of work experience. For example, the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ certification is a good starting point to help get a sense whether a career in information technology (IT) is right for you. From there, consider certifications in data security, cloud computing, or data management.

Check out some job listings for positions you’d like to apply for to see what certifications are commonly required or requested.

9. Apply with confidence.

If you don’t already have one, now’s the time to create an amazing resume. It should clearly demonstrate your career progression and the experience that fits the role you’re trying to land. Customize it to highlight the projects and experience that best fit what each employer is looking for, and be sure to review it to make sure it’s typo-free.

How do I Choose a Career Path For Software Development?

Choosing your career as a developer should be easy. There is a considerable market for professionals with developer skills and a solid technical foundation. You need to choose your career wisely in this competitive field to ensure you get the best value for your expertise.

Firstly, you need to have a driving passion for excelling and reaching the top of your career ladder in whichever specialization you take.

You need a good educational background in IT or software related qualifications to work in this field and even become a CIO. Secondly, you should sharpen your soft skills to help you become competitive and stand as the best among others. Soft skills help with managing your relationships with other people and team members, while technical skills mainly help you execute your duties effectively.

Before you chose your career as a developer, you must pay attention to what you like or dislike before you make your decision. Observing what you don’t like about a specific job can help you decide on the path you want your developer career to take.

Get to see the positive aspects and what you admire in the career choice you are attracted to or interested in, and those aspects will guide you into making an informed decision on the career you select. If you are transitioning from one job to another, create time to learn the skills of the profession, you want to shift to and make sure your interests and ambitions can be found in that profession.

You also need to think like a researcher. Treat your career search as a detective on a crime drama and investigate thoroughly about its pros and cons before you make your decision. Look for clues to whether the job fits your personality or needs.

See whether the day to day responsibilities and functions of the career you want to choose will make use of your talent and skills or will be annoying to you. Does the role excite you? Collect details about the career and then analyse to see if it matches your intent.

Once your picture of what you want becomes clearer, develop a transition plan to adapt when you start to shift to the career you choose next. A transition plan will help you answer the four essential questions.

1. Where do you want to go next in your career level?
2. What kind of compensation are you looking for?
3. How will my skills be utilised?
4. What kind of obstacles am I likely to face?

Coming up with this type of strategy can help you choose a rewarding career path.

What Are The Careers in Software Development?

Here are 15 of the highest paying software jobs, including salary expectations, job responsibilities and education requirements:

1. System engineer

National average salary: $102,102 per year

Primary duties: A system engineer works for IT firms or corporations to install software programs or networks and databases. They also need to be able to help maintain the system and make repairs to ensure security measures work. To become a system engineer, you need to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or a related area.

2. IT security specialist

National average salary: $106,143 per year

Primary duties: IT security specialists are responsible for working with corporations to develop guidelines for cybersecurity within the company’s software programs and communication channels. To do this, they review the company’s current cybersecurity standards and review the IT department’s procedures. IT security specialist candidates should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity or another related area.

3. Software engineer

National average salary: $109,907 per year

Primary duties: A software engineer uses their knowledge of coding and applications to create software for companies and individuals. Typically, they create software programs, mobile applications and communication channels or content management systems (CMS) that are specific to a company and its needs.

Software engineers should have great communication skills to work with clients to establish their needs. To become a software engineer, you need to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering or Development, Information Technology or Computer Programming.

4. Full stack developer

National average salary: $113,011 per year

Primary duties: Full-stack developers use their knowledge of front-and back-end development to create back-end coding and visual designs for websites. They may also be responsible for creating mobile applications for the websites they create.

Full-stack developers need a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Development or Computer Programming. They should also have advanced knowledge in a variety of coding languages including Python, JavaScript and CSS.

5. Cloud engineer

National average salary: $120,297 per year

Primary duties: A cloud engineer is responsible for helping a corporation move their IT methods to a cloud format. This is to ensure they don’t lose important company information. Cloud engineers work to ensure that a company’s cloud management system stays secure and updated so it backs up information consistently.

To become a cloud engineer, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree in an area like information technology, computer science or cybersecurity. You should also earn three to five years of work experience in IT to be eligible for a position.

6. Data scientist

National average salary: $121,608 per year

Primary duties: Data scientists work for corporations to help them establish a software system or network from which to gather important data about company financials, sales or marketing techniques. This allows business owners to weigh the success of a campaign or compare quarterly sales. Data scientists should have a bachelor’s degree in an area related to computer scientist and preferably a master’s degree in a similar area.

7. Mobile developer

National average salary: $125,186 per year

Primary duties: Mobile developers are responsible for designing mobile applications. They may be required to restructure company websites to fit a mobile format or create an app for a video game. They can work specifically for corporations or as sole-proprietors enlisting their services to others.

To become a mobile developer, you should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Programming, Information Systems Management or a related area. You should also have previous work experience in the IT industry.

8. Development operations engineer

National average salary: $127,591 per year

Primary duties: Development operations engineers work within corporations or IT firms to compile code libraries or databases for each new system/software program created. This allows future employees to refer to the library to identify what certain codes represent, should they need to update the system.

Development operations engineers need a bachelor’s degree in an area like information systems management, computer programming or computer science. They may also benefit from having previously worked as a coder or network administrator.

9. Site reliability engineer

National average salary: $128,537 per year

Primary duties: Site reliability engineers communicate between development operation engineers and software engineers to address potential website errors or confusing messaging that could affect its effectiveness to the user. They use coding libraries from DevOps engineers and the designing capabilities of software engineers to make necessary changes to the website’s makeup.

To become a site reliability engineer, you should have a bachelor’s degree in an area like software development, information systems management or computer programming. In addition, you should also have a few years of experience working as a software developer, system engineer or a related area.

10. Data warehouse architect

National average salary: $134,922 per year

Primary duties: Data warehouse architects work with corporations to create and design data warehouses, which are large storage management systems that allow companies to store data regarding analytics.

They are also responsible for assessing the types of data a company uses to determine what to include in a data warehouse, like employee contact details, files, financial statements or customer complaints. Data warehouse architects should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Programming, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering or Information Systems.

11. Software architect

National average salary: $138,958 per year

Primary duties: Software architects are responsible for using their expert knowledge of software development to oversee a team of IT professionals, including software developers. They delegate tasks related to software program creation, maintenance and updates so that the company or client they work for receives top-tier software as a result.

Software architects typically have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Programming, Software Engineering or Development or Information Systems Management. In addition, for those without a bachelor’s degree, significant experience in a related role, certification or both can greatly enhance your qualifications.

12. Enterprise architect

National average salary: $140,877 per year

Primary duties: An enterprise architect works for a corporation to ensure their technological processes benefit their business goals. Therefore, this role requires both business and IT skills. Based on their analysis of their employer’s business goals, they set IT standards, purchase software or enlist the help of the IT department to create it.

To become an enterprise architect, you should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Business Administration or Information Technology. A Master’s Degree in Enterprise Architecture may help increase your eligibility for a position.

13. Software engineering manager

National average salary: $144,954 per year

Primary duties: A software engineering manager works within an IT department for a company or as part of an IT firm. As the title implies, these professionals use their extensive expertise in software engineering to direct a team of entry and mid-level software engineers in creating and maintaining software programs.

To become a software engineer, candidates should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Programming or another area. Following their bachelor’s degree, it may be beneficial to get a master’s degree in an area like business administration or software engineering.

14. Technical program manager

National average salary: $145,977 per year

Primary duties: Technical program managers are responsible for overseeing a team of software and hardware professionals within the IT department of a corporation. They come up with new software programs or updates/maintenance to existing programs that the team needs to complete within a given time frame. They also determine the budget for these projects and ensure teams meet their deadlines.

Technical program manager candidates should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems Management, Business Administration, Information Technology or a related area. Although not required, a master’s degree or additional certification can demonstrate their leadership skills.

15. Chief technology officer

National average salary: $157,005 per year

Primary duties: A chief technology officer is an executive position within a corporation. In this role, the officer is in charge of overseeing a company’s resource and development department and its IT department. Their main job duties include researching new technologies and identifying weaknesses within the company that could benefit from new IT technologies.

To become a chief technology officer, candidates need to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Business or Information Systems Management. Further, they should consider a Master’s Degree in Business Administration or Information Technology, and they should have several years of experience in a related role.

5 Top Paying Jobs in Software Development

Here are five of the best-paying jobs in information technology.

Senior Software Engineer | Median Annual Salary: $116,023

Salary outlook: They are responsible for designing, evaluating and testing software and must be able to read programming languages. Often, these roles, which generally require a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, information technology or computer science, lead teams in creating or improving software.

Google is one of the top-paying companies for this position, paying more than $150K. Popular top-paying skills include Java, SQL, .NET and C#. To get paid 20 percent or more above the national average of $104,870, senior software engineers’ best bet is to move to California where Mountain View, Sunnyvale, San Jose, San Francisco and Santa Clara pay well. 

IT Project Manager | Median Annual Salary: $98,844

Salary outlook: IT project managers lead technical teams in design and development tasks and help create test plans to make sure software quality is up to par while coordinating delivery of development and production releases. Interested applicants must have strong leadership, conflict resolution and communication skills and must be strong collaborators and listeners.

This role generally requires a bachelor’s degree in a field related to management or other related fields, in addition to prior leadership experience working in IT support or development. Deloitte Consulting and Capgemini pay their IT project managers in the $120K to $130K range. Top-paying locations include New York, San Francisco and Washington, which pay at least 15 percent above the national average of $87,707. 

Software Engineer | Median Annual Salary: $102,943

Salary outlook: Software engineers develop and maintain software applications and systems responsive to users’ needs with the ability to exhibit logical, structured thinking that helps identify even the most minute of glitches. Most employers require a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar field but put a greater weight on relevant experience and knowledge. This role requires candidates to have excellent attention to detail, problem-solving and communication skills.

Job satisfaction is reported to be high and top-paying companies include Yahoo, Apple and Google, all around $120K. California is a hotspot for pay with areas like Mountain View, Sunnyvale, San Francisco and San Jose paying at least 28 percent above the national average of $77,513. 

IT Business Analyst | Median Annual Salary: $84,988

Salary outlook: IT business analysts create project plans for IT development and testing with the goal of identifying how IT can help satisfy business and customer requirements. In addition to calculating and managing projects risks, these roles test prototype software implementations and consult with various departments to develop new systems.

Employers generally require a four-year degree in computer science, engineering, management information systems or a related field. Top-paying companies include Chevron, HP Enterprise and Accenture, all paying in the $80K to $90K range. San Francisco pays IT business analysts 24 percent above the national average, $67,456, followed by New York at 18 percent and Los Angeles (11 percent). 

Software Developer | Median Annual Salary: $102,943

Salary outlook: Software developers create computer programs, including video games, web browsers, writing tools, photography editing programs and even operating systems. Trained to read programming languages, these developers require a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer programming or information technology and some companies require a master’s degree.

Software developers report high job satisfaction and the most pay at companies like Epic Systems and Microsoft, both paying around $110K. San Francisco, Seattle and New York all pay more than 20 percent above the national average of $67,117. 

How do I Pass a Software Developer Interview?

1. Be enthusiastic

Enthusiasm has a huge impact on interview results. About 50% of the Triplebyte candidates who fail interviews at companies fail for non-technical reasons. This is usually described by the company as a “poor culture fit”. Nine times out of ten, however, culture fit just means enthusiasm for what a company does.

Companies want candidates who are excited about their mission. This carries as much weight at many companies as technical skill. This makes sense. Excited employees will be happier and work harder.

The problem is that this can be faked. Some candidates manage to convince every company they talk to that it’s their dream job, while others (who are genuinely excited) fail to convince anyone. We’ve seen this again and again. The solution is for everyone to get better at showing their enthusiasm. This is not permission to lie. But interviewing is like dating. No one wants to be told on a first date that they are one option among many, even though this is usually the case.

Similarly, most programmers just want a good job with a good paycheck. But stating this in an interview is a mistake. The best approach is to prepare notes before an interview about what you find exciting about the company, and bring this up with each interviewer when they ask if you have any questions. A good source of ideas is to read the company’s recent blog posts and press releases and note the ones you find exciting.

This idea seems facile. I imagine you are nodding along as you read this. But (as anyone who has ever interviewed can tell you) a surprisingly small percentage of applicants do this. Carefully preparing notes on why you find a company exciting really will increase your pass rate. You can even reference the notes during the interview. Bringing prepared notes shows preparation.

2. Study common interview concepts

A large percentage of interview questions feature data structures and algorithms. For better or worse, this is the truth. We gather question details from our candidates who interview at companies (we’ll be doing a in-depth analysis of this data in a future article), and algorithm questions make up over 70% of the questions that are asked.

You do not need to be an expert, but knowing the following list of algorithms and data structures will help at most companies.

•  Hash tables
•  Linked lists
•  Breadth-first search, depth-first search
•  Quicksort, merge sort
•  Binary search
•  2D arrays
•  Dynamic arrays
•  Binary search trees
•  Dynamic programming
•  Big-O analysis

Depending on your background, this list may look trivial, or may look totally intimidating. That’s exactly the point. These are concepts that are far more common in interviews than they are in production web programming. If you’re self-taught or years out of school and these concepts are not familiar to you, you will do better in interviews if you study them.

Even if you do know these things, refreshing your knowledge will help. A startlingly high percentage of interview questions reduce to breadth-first search or the use of a hash table to count uniques. You need to be able to write a BFS cold, and you need to understand how a hash table is implemented.

Learning these things is not as hard as many of the people we talk to fear. Algorithms are usually described in academic language, and this can be off-putting. But at its core, nothing on this list is more complicated than the architecture of a modern web app. If you can build a web app (well), you can learn these things.

The resource that I recommend is the book The Algorithm Design Manual by Steven Skiena. Chapters 3 through 5 do a great job of going over this material, in a straightforward way. It does use C and some math syntax, but it explains the material well. Coursera also has several good algorithms courses.

Studying algorithms and data structures helps not only because the material comes up in interviews, but also because the approach to problems taken in an algorithm course is the same approach that works best in interviews. Studying algorithms will get you in an interview mindset.

3. Get help from your interviewer

Interviewers help candidates. They give hints, they respond to ideas, and they generally guide the process. But they don’t help all candidates equally. Some programmers are able to extract significant help, without the interviewer holding it against them. Others are judged harshly for any hints they are given. You want to be helped.

This comes down to process and communication. If the interviewer likes your process and you communicate well with them, they will not mind helping. You can make this more likely by following a careful process. The steps I recommend are:

1. Ask questions
2. Talk through a brute-force solution
3. Talk through an optimized solution
4. Write code

After you are asked an interview question, start by clarifying what was asked. This is the time to be pedantic. Clarify every ambiguity you can think of. Ask about edge cases. Bring up specific examples of input, and make sure you are correct about the expected output. Ask questions even if you’re almost sure you know the answers.

This is useful because it gives you a chance to come up with edge cases and fully spec the problem (seeing how you handle edge-cases is one of the main things that interviewers look for when evaluating an interview), and also because it gives you a minute to collect your thoughts before you need to start solving the problem.

Next, you should talk through the simplest brute-force solution to the problem that you can think of. You should talk, rather than jump right into coding, because you can move faster when talking, and it’s more engaging for the interviewer. If the interviewer is engaged, they will step in and offer pointers. If you retreat into writing code, however, you’ll miss this opportunity.

Candidates often skip the brute-force step, assuming that the brute-force solution to the problem is too obvious, or wrong. This is a mistake. Make sure that you always give a solution to the problem you’ve been asked (even if it takes exponential time, or an NSA super computer). When you’ve described a brute-force solution, ask the interviewer if they would like you to implement it, or come up with more efficient solution. Normally they will tell you to come up with a more efficient solution.

The process for the more efficient solution is the same as for the brute force. Again talk, don’t write code, and bounce ideas off of the interviewer. Hopefully, the question will be similar to something you’ve seen, and you’ll know the answer.

If that is not the case, it’s useful to think of what problems you’ve seen that are most similar, and bring these up with the interviewer. Most interview questions are slightly-obscured applications of classic CS algorithms. The interviewer will often guide you to this algorithm, but only if you begin the process.

Finally, after both you and your interviewer agree that you have a good solution, you should write your code. Depending on the company, this may be on a computer or a whiteboard. But because you’ve already come up with the solution, this should be fairly straightforward. For extra points, ask your interviewer if they would like you to write tests.

4. Talk about trade-offs

Programming interviews are primarily made up of programming questions, and that is what I have talked about so far. However, you may also encounter system design questions. Companies seem to like these especially for more experienced candidates.

In a system design question, the candidate is asked how he or she would design a complex real-world system. Examples include designing Google Maps, designing a social network, or designing an API for a bank.

The first observation is that answering system design questions requires some specific knowledge. Obviously no one actually expects you to design Google Maps (that took a lot of people a long time). But they do expect you to have some insight into aspects of such a design.

The good news is that these questions usually focus on web backends, so you can make a lot of progress by reading about this area. An incomplete list of things to understand is:  

•  HTTP (at the protocol level)
•  Databases (indexes, query planning)
•  CDNs
•  Caching (LRU cache, memcached, redis)
•  Load balancers
•  Distributed worker systems

You need to understand these concepts. But more importantly, you need to understand how they fit together to form real systems. The best way to learn this is to read about how other engineers have used the concepts. The blog High Scalability is a great resource for this. It publishes detailed write-ups of the back-end architecture at real companies. You can read about how every concept on the list above is used in real systems.  

Once you’ve done this reading, answering system design questions is a matter of process. Start at the highest level, and move downward. At each level, ask your interviewer for specifications (should you suggest a simple starting point, or talk about what a mature system might look like?) and talk about several options (applying the ideas from your reading).

Discussing tradeoffs in your design is key. Your interviewer cares less about whether your design is good in itself, and more about whether you are able to talk about the trade-offs (positives and negatives) of your decisions. Practice this.  

5. Highlight results

The third type of question you may encounter is the experience question. This is where the interviewer asks you to talk about a programming project that you completed in the past. The mistake that many engineers make on this question is to talk about a technically interesting side-project.

Many programmers choose to talk about implementing a neural network classifier, or writing a Twitter grammar bot. These are bad choices because it’s very hard for the interviewer to judge their scope. Many candidates exaggerate simple side projects (sometimes that never actually worked), and the interviewer has no way to tell if you are doing this.

The solution is to choose a project that produced results, and highlight the results. This often involves picking a less technically interesting project, but it’s worth it. Think (ahead of time) of the programming you’ve done that had the largest real-world impact. If you’ve written a iOS game, and 50k people have downloaded it, the download number makes it a good option.

If you’ve written an admin interface during an internship that was deployed to the entire admin staff, the deployment makes it a good thing to talk about. Selecting a practical project will also communicate to the company that you focus on actual work. A programmer who is too focused on interesting tech is an anti-pattern that companies screen against (these programmers are sometimes not productive).

6. Use a dynamic language, but mention C

I recommend that you use a dynamic language like Python, Ruby or JavaScript during interviews. Of course, you should use whatever language you know best. But we find that many people try interviewing in C , C++ or Java, under the impression these are the “real’ programming languages. Several classic books on interviewing recommend that programmers choose Java or C++.

At startups at least, we’ve found that this is bad advice. Candidates do better when using dynamic languages. This is true, I think, because of dynamic languages’ compact syntax, flexible typing, and list and hash literals. They are permissive languages. This can be a liability when writing complex systems (a highly debatable point), but it’s great when trying to cram binary search onto a whiteboard.

No matter what language you use, it’s helpful to mention work in other languages. An anti-pattern that companies screen against is people who only know one language. If you do only know one language, you have to rely on your strength in that language.

But if you’ve done work or side-projects in multiple languages, be sure to bring this up when talking to your interviewers. If you have worked in lower-level languages like C, C++, Go, or Rust, talking about this will particularly help.

7. Practice, practice, practice

You can get much better at interviewing by practicing answering questions. This is true because interviews are stressful, but stress harms performance. The solution is practice. Interviewing becomes less stressful with exposure. This happens naturally with experience. Even within a single job search, we find that candidates often fail their initial interviews, and then pass more as their confidence builds.

If stress is something you struggle with, I recommend that you jumpstart this process by practicing interview stress. Get a list of interview questions (the book Cracking the Coding Interview is one good source) and solve them. Set a 20-minute timer on each question, and race to answer. Practice writing the answers on a whiteboard (not all companies require this, but it’s the worst case, so you should practice it).

A pen on paper is a pretty good simulation of a whiteboard. If you have friends who can help you prepare, taking turns interviewing each other is great. Reading a lot of interview questions has the added benefit of providing you ideas to use when in actual interviews. A surprising number of questions are re-used (in full or in part).

Even experienced (and stress-free) candidates will benefit from this. Interviewing is a fundamentally different skill from working as a programmer, and it can atrophy. But experienced programmers often (reasonably) feel that they should not have to prepare for interviews. They study less.

This is why junior candidates often actually do better on interview questions than experienced candidates. Companies know this, and, paradoxically, some tell us they set lower bars on the programming questions for experienced candidates.

8. Mention credentials

Credentials bias interviewers. Triplebyte candidates who have worked at a top company or studied at a top school go on to pass interviews at a 30% higher rate than programmers who don’t have these credentials (for a given level of performance on our credential-blind screen). I don’t like this. It’s not meritocratic and it sucks, but if you have these credentials, it’s in your interest to make sure that your interviewers know this. You can’t trust that they’ll read your resume.

9. Line up offers

If you’ve ever read fund-raising advice for founders, you’ll know that getting the 1st VC to make an investment offer is the hardest part. Once you have one offer, more come pouring in. The same is true of job offers. If you already have an offer, be sure to mention this in interviews. Mentioning other offers in an interview heavily biases the interviewer in your favor.

This brings up the strategy of making a list of the companies you’re interested in, and setting up interviews in reverse order of interest. Doing well earlier in the process will increase your probability of getting an offer from you number one choice. You should do this.

How do I Prepare For my First Software Developer Job?

1. Learn Git (properly)

Git is an incredibly useful tool, but it’s also not the most intuitive for beginners.

When you’re starting out, it’s possible to get by for a while by memorizing a set of commands to achieve a certain thing, without any understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes. The problem with this is that it’s very hard to get yourself out of a tricky situation when something goes wrong.

By the time you get your first job, you’ll probably have at least used version control for personal projects, but the workflow you’ll use when collaborating with other people will be different. There are even different workflows you could find depending on things like the type of company you’re working for and the size of your team.

Try to make sure you have an understanding of these concepts before starting your job:

• Forking
• Branching
• Stashing
• Merging and rebasing (and the difference between them)
• Resetting any unstaged changes
• Amending a commit (for example if you made a typo in the commit message)
• Reverting a commit
• Squashing several commits together

2. Get to know your text editor or IDE

You’ll spend a lot of time using your editor, and you don’t want to be pointing and clicking and dragging stuff around with your mouse once you’re working professionally, as it will slow you down a lot. If this sounds like you so far, it’s worth trying to break those habits.

Start by learning the keyboard shortcuts for all the common things you do multiple times a day—then practice until it becomes second nature.

3. Learn your ecosystem’s developer tools

The exact tooling you need to learn will depend on your language and tech stack, but you’ll want to know—at a minimum—one or two popular frameworks, a testing library, and how to use a debugger.

For front-end or full-stack web developers, it’s worth knowing your way around the Chrome DevTools in a bit more depth than just logging to the console or tweaking CSS.

For example, you can explore the contents of any JavaScript file in the Sources tab, and set breakpoints directly in there. This is a much quicker way of checking out the code at a particular point than putting debugger or console.log() statements in your code. The Network tab will show you the status of all the HTTP requests the page is making, and how long it’s taking to fetch all its resources. With Chrome’s device mode, you can view your site as it would appear on different mobile devices, but also simulate network throttling to check how it will perform for users with different connection speeds.

4. Make sure you’re typing properly

This one sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many people (especially those coming from other careers—I know, I was one of them) just never learned to type properly.

You might type fast, but if you don’t put your fingers on the ‘correct’ keys, you will have a harder time when it comes to things like making keyboard shortcuts a smooth part of your workflow.

There are plenty of free online courses if you don’t touch type already, like TypingClub. Most of them are a mix of explanatory videos and repetitive drill exercises to train your muscle memory. I can’t say the learning process is exciting exactly, but the results are more than worth it.

5. Get good at Googling

As a developer, you’ll become intimately familiar with Google. Sometimes, you’ll spend more time searching for the answer to a problem than you will on fixing the problem itself.

Whenever you encounter an error (yes, there will be many), you’re probably not the first person to discover it, so paste the text into the Google search box. Most of the time, you’ll get either a Stack Overflow thread, a GitHub issue, or a blog post, with other developers discussing the problem and (hopefully) suggesting a solution.

If you’re Googling about some specific piece of syntax, remember to include key information like the language and version you’re using, or the name of a library or framework if you think the problem could be specific to that.

Pro tip: As a developer, it can be useful to know that Google ignores most non-alphanumeric characters in search queries. This is why symbols like !@#$%^&* or (){}[] don’t make any difference to your results.

There are many more advanced ways to use Google that it’s worth knowing about. These are not developer specific, but to become a pro at software development, it will help significantly if you are also a pro at Googling.

6. Timebox getting yourself unstuck

When you start a new job, be prepared to get stuck (a lot) in the first few weeks. This happens to everyone, but it’s especially true in your first professional role.

The key is to find the right balance between trying to figure out the problem by yourself, and asking for help.

On the one hand, you don’t want to waste time struggling on your own for days when a coworker could have got you unstuck in 5 minutes. But nor do you want to bother your teammates too frequently, or you’ll be annoying and never learn to be self-sufficient.

As a general rule, spend long enough by yourself to run through everything you can think to try, but try not to be stuck on one specific bug or error message for more than an hour or two.

7. Keep a “Don’t Know” list

As a new developer, you come across things all the time that you don’t know anything about.

The same terms keep popping up—maybe it’s Docker, or code splitting, or serverless—and you start to feel like you should at least have some idea of what they mean.

8. Focus on high-impact tasks

This tip is about what you can do to start off on the right foot in terms of getting visibility and recognition for yourself and the work you’re doing.

As a junior developer, it can be easy to get sucked into overoptimizing something for no reason, or rewriting code that doesn’t need it, or trying to find an excuse to introduce the latest framework just because it sounds cool.

But when you work for a business, it’s useful to remember that it is just that: a business.

You’ll make the best impression if you can align your priorities with business goals, and this means figuring out how to prioritize.

Try to focus your time and effort on things that will have the most commercial or mission-critical impact: fix a visible bug, work on a feature that helps a large number of customers, or make some tangible difference to a team process.

This doesn’t have to apply to everything you do, but if you can make a positive noticeable difference, you’ll be a more successful developer—in your first role, and beyond.

What Qualifications do You Need to Become a Software Developer?

Software developers have the option of being self-taught or using a college degree as a stepping-stone. Software developers apply scientific principles and mathematics to expand their systems.

Not only does college offer students a structured introduction to the subject, but it has also become a requirement for many entry-level jobs, with most listings asking for a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a related subject.

A bachelor’s degree in computer science and software engineering are a few of the majors that are used as a stepping-stone for burgeoning developers. These majors have a significant math requirement that includes differential equations, calculus, and the linear algebra – all skill sets and tools that will help when creating, and maintaining software.

Software engineering focuses more on constructing, analyzing, and maintaining software through laboratory sessions. These programs include operating software within an operating system and network. As a final project, would-be software developers would need to design a program or project that apply the principles that they’ve learned and turn it into an original concept.

There are also several soft skills that are separate from the hard skills, like math and programming. Being a communicator with excellent interpersonal skills are essential for software developers. You need to be efficient in actively listening to the complaints of your clients, and being able to explain what you’re working on succinctly.

These interpersonal skills are also necessary since many software developers often work in a team setting, where there will be required to work together efficiently. Problem-solving and analytical skills are also vital for any software developer, as it will help determine the user’s needs and help troubleshoot problems before they become insurmountable.

Software Engineer Career Books

Software engineering is defined as a process of analyzing user requirements and then designing, building, and testing software applications to satisfy those requirements.

Here is a curated list of Top Software Engineering Books, which is recommended for any beginner to advanced Software Engineer’s library.

1. Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship

Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship is a book written by Robert. C. Martin. The writer brings Agile principles from a practitioner’s point of view of thousands of programmers.

It is one of the best software development book which is divided into three parts. The first part talks about the principles, patterns, and practices of writing clean code. The second part covers various case studies of increasing complexity. The third part includes a single chapter containing a list of heuristics and “smells” gathered while creating the case studies.

2. Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software is a book written by Richard Helm, Erich Gamma Ralph Johnson, John Vlissides, and Grady Booch.

The authors of this book begin by illustrating what patterns are and how they can help you design object-oriented software. Each pattern covered in this best software engineering book describes the circumstances in which it is applicable. All patterns are compiled from real systems, which are based on real-world examples.

3. Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture

Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture is a programming book written by Martin Fowler. In this new book, the author discusses enterprise application development.

He helps professionals understand the complex but critical aspects of architecture, which is an important aspect of all application development and specifically essential for an enterprise project’s success.

This is one of the best software engineering textbook that presents patterns, enterprise architecture, and the author’s context allows the reader to make the correct choices when facing with a difficult design decision in their project.

4. Enterprise Integration Patterns

Enterprise Integration Patterns is a book written by Gregor Hohpe and Bobby Woolf. This book offers an invaluable catalog of various pattern suggestions with real-world solutions that help you design effective messaging solutions for your enterprise.

The authors also include examples covering multiple technologies, like JMS, MSMQ, Microsoft BizTalk, SOAP, and XSL.

It is one of the best software engineering book provides a consistent vocabulary and visual notation framework. It explains large-scale integration solutions across many technologies. The book also explores in detail the advantages and limitations of asynchronous messaging architectures.

5. Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction

CODE COMPLETE is a book written by Steve McConnell. This classic book offers a wide range of new code samples to illustrate software development’s art and science.

The author also synthesizes the most effective techniques and must-know principles into clear, pragmatic guidance. This book helps you to stimulate your think and help you build the highest quality code.

It is one of the best software engineering book that also allows you to resolve critical construction issues early correctly and effectively debug problems.

6. Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code

Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code is a book written by Martin Fowler. This book improves your legacy code’s design to enhance software maintainability and make current code easier to understand.

The book includes JavaScript code examples, as well as functional examples that demonstrate refactoring without classes. In this book, you will understand the general principles of refactoring. The book also gives you knowledge about making a program easier to comprehend and change. You will also learn how to build solid tests for your refactoring.

7. Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual

Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life is a reference book written by Manual John. It is a guide to a well-rounded, satisfying life as a software development professional. For that, developer and life author advise software engineers on important subjects like career and productivity, personal finance and investing, and fitness and relationships.

It has been arranged as a collection of 71 short chapters. This book helps you to make a better programmer and enhance your software engineering skill.

8. User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development

User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development is a book written by Mike Cohn. The book represents an effective means of gathering requirements from the customer. It also describes user stories and demonstrates how they can properly plan, manage, and test software development jobs.

The book highlights both successful and unsuccessful implementations of the concept and provides sets of questions and exercises. After reading this reference book, you will be able to know what are the effective means for developing software applications.

9. Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams is a book written by Tom DeMarco. The book discusses the pathologies of leadership that had not previously been judged to be pathological. Anyone who wants to manage a software project or software organization will find invaluable advice throughout the book.

It is an ideal reference book for everyone who runs a software team like a team leader or project manager. So, this book that everyone who runs a software team needs to read and reread once a year.

10. The Pragmatic Programmer

The Pragmatic Programmer is a book written by David Thomas (Author), Andrew Hun. The book helps clients to create better software and rediscover the joy of coding. This book’s lesson helped a generation of software developers examine the very essence of software development, independent of any specific language, framework, or methodology, and the Pragmatic philosophy.

It is one of the best book to read for software engineers that also illustrates the great approaches and major pitfalls of many aspects of software development.

How Many Hours Does a Software Engineer Work Per Day?

Work life balance is generally better than in jobs with higher or comparable pay. According to one survey, software engineers work 8.6 hours per day, though hours are likely to be longer in more highly paid roles and at startups. As mentioned above, some tech companies work a 4 day, 32-hour work week (for example Treehouse does this all year round, Basecamp does it from May to October).

In terms of general working conditions, tech companies are progressive, often having flexible hours, convenient perks, remote working and a results-driven culture. The best companies in the industry, like Google, are leaders in evidence-based management and widely regarded as among the best places to work in the world.

Remote working opens up location flexibility, which is excellent for improving your quality of life: you can move to climates and cities that you prefer, you can increase your disposable income by moving to places with a lower cost of living and you can be close to family and friends. You also have the added peace of mind of being able to get work as a freelancer or a contractor as and when you may need to.

How Many Hours do Software Engineers Work in India?

Official working hours is 220 hours a month considering 45 hours a week and casual leaves.

But it all depend on assignment as in many cases Software Engineer have to work more than 45 hours a week as well as 24*7 support which may be due to small team size and poor management.

The terms working hours is very much debatable. If you are capable and professional in your approach then you may finish your work in one hour or you may keep on working till the work at hand gets over.

Your question has a different meaning. It should have been what are the general working hours for a software engineer working in a software company in India?

Then the answer would have been, generally it is 9 to 6 including the lunch break. But, most of the companies are opting for flexi-timings so as to create an open work culture. The better you work the more early you may leave from work.

What is The Best Career in Software Development?

1. Data Scientist

Termed as the #1 In-Demand Career profile for 3 consecutive years in USA, data science is a stream in software engineering which revolves around the creation of relevant data based on enormous amounts of data of the user behavior, market trends, etc. This study has proved to be revolutionary in e-commerce, health, and financial industries.

Using statistics and software engineering aptitude, the experts gather, analyze and represent the data to collect relevant insights which, when taken consideration in decision making can boost the organization’s yield and individual returns.

Few people understand that Machine Learning is also a subset of the data science branch, that is used to make predictions about the trends based on data recovered in the past, put it to accuracy test and finally optimize the algorithms to enhance the process of further predictions. Since such intricate scope of work requires a lot (or the best of) software, coding, and mathematics in each step, software engineers are the first choice in such scenarios by the organizations.

2. Cybersecurity Engineer

In recent times when the industry leaders are prone to and witnessing all kinds of data breach issues and threats, other organizations put a keen interest in getting their products and services resistant and foolproof to such potential dangers.

Internet of Things security has become essential in every field as we are now surrounded by grids of connected devices all around us, thus making the system more vulnerable to exploitation. Companies are always on the lookout for resourceful software engineers who can ensure them of a stronger and active layer of security without compromising on the quality.

3. Machine Learning Engineer

This is one of the core areas of Artificial Intelligence which empowers computers to grow self-aware and to stay in self-learning mode without being explicitly programmed. As the equipment is exposed to new sets of data, they learn, grow, change and develop insights and data by themselves.

For example, Machine Learning works in the cases of the self-driving Google car, cyber fraud detection, friend suggestions on Facebook, Netflix showcasing the movies and shows you might like and Amazon showing product suggestions for you!

Machine learning engineer can draw valuable data from analyzing the web search results, real-time ads on devices, email spam filtering, pattern and image recognition. Such detailed processes rule out the old ways of data analysis (which is basically on hit and trial) – Machine learning holds the stopper to the chaotic data process by developing fast, efficient algorithms and real-time data models to deliver accurate targets and analysis.

Such skill requires a poignant knowledge in technology, coding and even at times mathematics. All the three fields are some of the essentialities of every software engineer.

4. Full Stack Developer

As per Indeed, full stack developer is one of the most in-demand job postings category by employers of recent times. Full Stack Developers cater to the entire project right from designing the concepts to deploying the product appropriately – rather than having separate backend and frontend teams assigned on it.

The front end layer primarily focuses on the client’s experience at first and then the following user response, while the backend focuses on the logic of the web app. From writing the right backend languages to ensuring a relevant thesis to it all, this is the server side of the application. And finally, database development and maintenance.

5. Python Developer

Source – Payscale US

With the rise of AI and Machine Learning technologies, Python as a language in on-demand for its flexibility, ease of learning, and has a large developer community and brevity – making it easier to write great code. According to studies, it has been observed that Python codes can cut development time by up to half.

This is one prominent reason companies are turning to Python in more significant numbers every day. Additionally, Python supports many styles of programming, including object-oriented, functional, and procedural. Such a wide array of libraries exists to help machine learning as well as data analysis and visualization – all vital features in an IT industry increasingly impacted by data science.

In recent times, more and more startups and new apps are looking for Python rather than PHP. A recent study by the European tech talent landscape says that engineering positions were ranked as the most difficult to fill, and 43 percent of survey respondents said that it was because of the lack of any specialist or technical skills.

Python developers emphasize code readability and increase productivity while used for desktop apps, web apps, and data mining. For example, in October 2016, Microsoft launched the beta version 2.0 of its Cognitive Toolkit open-source deep-learning framework, that includes support for Python.