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How to become a good software engineer

November 16th, 2022

A future projection in careers indicates that most lucrative jobs will fall in the software engineering discipline. The best time to prepare for this future is now. Lucky for you, I have researched on simple hacks that will prepare you to become the best candidate for the job market.

The name sounds a little bit complex, I promise, it is not what many people perceive it to be. You are only required to learn some computer languages that allows software engineers to develop applications and improving ways of doing complex processes.

What Software Engineering Involves.

Software engineering is a career that demands knowledge of a programming language to enable coding. Coding in itself refers to communication of more than one command to give desired results. Software engineers therefore formulate these commands to maintain, improve, develop and design applications that make work easier for end users.

Some common programming languages used by software engineers include:

  • JavaScript
  • C++
  • HTML/CSS
  • Python
  • SQL

What You need to become a Software Engineer.

  1. Passion is a component that enables success in different disciplines. This is no exception. You are required to not only enjoy the learning process but also the practice of coding and actualizing concepts. Passionate people deliver gold in whatever they put their minds on. Software engineering requires basic concepts as a start as you develop to more complex languages of coding.
  2. Basic programming knowledge is also useful in starting your career. There are multiple of ways to explore in depth of programming languages in the current digital era. There are tailor-made courses for beginners across the internet. Some which are free and others that charge as small one-time fee. Social media has made the world a global village, therefore, search for knowledge is not limited to proximity but to intent. With YouTube and Google, new software Engineers are made in front of a screen. Programming language is unique to the specific language and changes depending on the desired result. You are going to notice this in no time. All the best.
  3. SQL as a language is unique to its purpose. This programming language is made to ease data input as a software engineer goes about their duties. It is not everything in software engineering but its knowledge is important in the execution of projects. Often, clients’ needs include data that demands presentation to the end user. SQL enables software engineers to query this data easily. It is important for beginners in this discipline to explore basic SQL language.
  4. Practice to perfect software engineering. Just like getting experience in different other disciplines, Software engineering requires constant practice to embed the coding language and commands with you. You will not check how to write the same commands often if you practice. With time you get acquainted with the language that all you need is to get a task and off you go. Learning with practice eases the complexity of software engineering. It is also advisable if you connect with other software engineers to get knowledge from them. In software engineering, no man is an island. As much as you desire independence in writing and executing codes, there are inputs that you can get from the next software engineer and vice versa. Create as many projects as possible when you can. These projects might add up to your portfolio when you need to prove prowess in the discipline. Hiring managers look at these portfolios to determine who is best suited for tasks.
  5. Identify interest in software engineering. The discipline seems narrow but includes several careers in it. There are a variety of careers that beginners can venture in to develop deeper understanding and knowledge in software engineering. As a newbie in this career, there is need to identify where you thrive most. There are Frontend, Backend, Security and DevOps, among others. (I’ll detail them to you with what they do later) All this software engineers work together to make functional user-friendly applications and websites. It is important to pick one and perfect as you learn the rest.
  6. Certification is also important if you desire to work for renown organizations or government firms. Enroll in a certified course to get accredited for the purpose of proving knowledge to clients who do not know about you. A certificate of merit is what hiring managers look for as an introduction. There are also universally accepted certifications for software engineers from Oracle and Microsoft. These certificates allow clients to rate expertise and get suitable candidates for specific and special tasks. Enrolling for a degree program in software engineering is an added advantage.
  7. Advance your knowledge in software engineering. Now that you are already acquainted to this discipline. It is important to advance your knowledge and compete for the best positions in the industry. Working for the best globally and having the bargaining power is the desire of every software engineer. Pursuing a career by enrolling in MBA and PHD classes will definitely separate you from most software engineers. Even though this is in the prime time of your career, it will add value when you are competing internationally.

Conclusively, software engineering requires dedication and commitment to scale its heights. It is one of the careers that require both creativity and precision in execution. The roles in this discipline range from stage to stage with an aim of creating one end-user product that promotes interactivity between customers and the service providers. A mess in coding would not give the desired output, therefore, it is necessary to always plan before executing the final project.

All the best in your software engineering career.