CareerEvents

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So You Want to Become a Software Dev

Working in tech has been an attractive career choice for many years. With recent layoffs, is this still true? There is some bad news there, but it may not be what you think. The market for junior developers was already tough. Stories around high salaries and easy job hunts only apply to people with several years of experience. That might no longer be true, but only time will tell what impact the layoffs at big tech companies will have. Regardless of how hard it is to find work, the methods we use to find it have stayed the same.

The Rise of The Machines

“AI is about to take our jobs!” is not a true statement. AI is in the process of changing tech jobs and has been for many years. Tools like ChatGPT and Github Copilot can make a skilled developer more efficient. They are not a replacement. In addition, not all jobs allow these tools since they are a security risk or because their legal standing is questionable.

Instead of giving up, it’s another tool you can learn to use, just like we use development environments (IDEs), Stack Overflow, or Slack. As a new developer, train yourself to verify what the AI says. GPT does get the easy stuff right most of the time, but the more complex the problem, the more often it will be wrong.

Education Options

Previous article on the topic: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/which-better-getting-tech-cs-degree-bootcamp-samara-soucy/

Key Skills

As a beginner, there is much to learn before getting paid to code. Fortunately, you don’t need to be an expert in technical skills. In addition, you can bring the same soft skills you’ve developed in other areas.

Most coding courses focus primarily on technical skills. However, the value of a developer is bridging the gap between humans and computers. That means communicating with humans is just as important as communicating with machines.

• Technical skills
  • Programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, JavaScript, C++, etc.). One is enough to get started.
  • Data structures and algorithms
  • Types of software development (e.g., Web, Mobile, Embedded, Cloud).
  • Version control (e.g., Git)
• Soft skills
  • Problem-solving
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Communication
  • Adaptability and continuous learning
  • Time management

Standing Out in the Crowd

There are two primary ways to find a job in competitive positions like junior development: send out many applications and hope you get lucky, or take steps to create your own luck through tools like networking and personal projects.

• Personal projects: Projects serve a dual purpose. They give a potential employer insight into whether you can create code that works. They are also a fantastic way to learn development since it is a better analog for real-world coding than a tutorial. It doesn’t have to be unique, but it needs to be more than a tutorial you copy/pasted. Picking something that interests you will also help motivate you to work on the project.
• Open-source projects: If you want to get some practice working with other developers, consider contributing to open-source projects. On GitHub, there is a tag specifically for this, “good-first-issue.” Developers use this tag to indicate they are open to working with a newer dev on the issue, and they tend to be more manageable tasks. You can also contribute to documentation. It can be less intimidating to work on, and people greatly appreciate the help in this area.
• Networking: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” only becomes more relevant in a tough job market. Coming in with a referral makes it easier to get an interview, and your interviewer is more likely to start with a positive impression. More important is that many jobs are never posted publically. It’s less expensive to hire a referral than to post a job.
• Recruiters and agencies: Some people find recruiters helpful in finding work, while others do not. Independent recruiters (ones that don’t work for the company they are recruiting for) get paid by placing candidates in jobs, not on whether the job is a good fit, so be cautious.
• Content: Creating content is a lot of work but can pay off long term. This can be standard methods like blogging or videos but also includes things like presenting at tech events. Like networking, content allows potential employers to see what you can do before hiring you.
• Certifications: The value of certifications will vary based on the audience and the specific area you are working in. Areas like cybersecurity use them heavily, whereas others like web dev do not. In your day job, your teammates will care more about what you know than whether you took a test, but just like content, they give people a clue about what you know. They can also be expensive and unnecessary if you can’t afford them.

Getting a Job

When to Start Applying

You will feel like you need more time to start applying for your first job. Fortunately, the people interviewing you will know whether you are prepared and might even be nice enough to give you feedback on where you need to improve. If you can create things independently without relying entirely on tutorials, you can start looking at what is available. Needing Stack Overflow or documentation is fine- you’ll do that for the rest of your career.

Interviewing

There are two main types of interviews devs do- technical and non-technical. Non-technical interviews look a lot like they do for other jobs. “What is your greatest strength?” or “Tell me about a time you had competing work items.” Technical interviews are somewhat unique to the industry.

A technical interview can take a few different forms, anything from coding inside a Google Doc to a take-home project they pay you to complete. On the surface, they focus on data structures and algorithms (leetcode.com is your friend here), but a skilled interviewer will also be interested in how you approach and solve the problem. Unfortunately, there is no correct answer to how to pass a technical interview. Some interviewers will only care about whether you created the solution you wanted, while others will be more interested in how you got there. The only way to consistently do well is to practice. Sometimes, you’ll just have an off day and bomb the interview.

Working as a Developer

The day-to-day job of a software developer can vary depending on the company, team, and project they are working on. However, some common tasks and activities make up the typical workday for most software developers:

1. Planning: Planning a project, planning what the team will do that week, and planning what you will work on that day.
2. Coding: You’ll hopefully spend a significant portion of your day implementing features and fixing bugs.
3. Collaborating: You might have a question for another developer or need clarification on a task. It’s also common for developers to review each other’s code before it is put into production.
4. Learning: Tech moves quickly, so keeping current is a constant process. This can include things like reading, watching videos, attending events, or experimenting with your own projects.