What are the Steps in Becoming a Software Developer?

Hi Emily, My name is Issac,

well.. when i started out, just fresh out of high school, i've always liked computers, and was offered a chance to study in one of the universties where i'm from and take up computer science, i started learning basic concepts of computer science and coding and in my 3rd year i was able to take up projects form small institutions and build websites and so on this helped me a gain confidence since most of the projects i worked on was for small startups i learnt more then just Software development Such as Devops and Testing,

Building projects helped gain confidence for the interviews well which landed me a job in development.

what im trying to say is work on projects learn by doing and not just reading books and for sure you will be in a career u desire

all the best emily for your future as well.. :D

Hi! Interesting question, and there is more than one "right" answer. The "typical path" is to get a bachelor's degree in "computer science"/"computer engineering"/"software development". You can check with your college to see which programs have people hired as a software developer. Shorter degrees or specialized classes can lead to jobs... but they typically have less opportunities in the long run. However, if you like it and that is what you can afford, start there. :)

Software Development is all about writing software to do something useful for someone else. This means that you need to be able to write software ("code"), understand how to solve problems (also called "understanding algorithms"), how to check you did it right (testing), and supporting a customer once the software is delivered into the field.

The more you know about each part, the more and different jobs you can do. You need programming classes, and generally 2-3 computer programming languages to get the exposure you need to use any of the others (it is common to teach yourself a new language as needed). Algorithms and different styles of solving problems come from both computer science, math, and lots of other places. Understanding your customers is also useful, and taking some classes in that area is not a bad idea. Often times you will be interested in some "general field" (like "finances" or "medical" or "automotive" or "sciences"), and that will help guide classes/experience you may want to get in these areas.

Advantages of software development as a career is that software developers have been (and for the foreseeable future will be) in high demand. The "down side" is that it takes time, patience, and a combination of both technical skills and personal skills. Some people "only like to code" and not interact with people.... but people are who you are your customers... and the more you interact with them the better you will be. :) The disadvantages are that it is a meticulous discipline, requiring a lot of time and concentration. It is easy to spend WAY more than 40 hours on the job... and not even notice you have done it! Not everyone can do it... which is why those people who can are in high demand!

If you like solving problems, are patient and determined, then give this a serious look! Best of luck!

Hey Emily! I've been working as a software engineer for the past 11 years, specializing in web development with html, css and javascript. I found my interest in writing software during high school and began learning by inspecting websites I liked and seeing if I could re-create them on my own, and building simple games. I built a portfolio website to showcase my projects and this helped me get my first job as a junior software engineer. Companies really value seeing a candidate's project portfolio since it demonstrates that the programmer already knows how to do the type of things they're looking for. Since my first job, I've continued to work on software projects outside of work and constantly pushing myself to learn more. Writing code involves being in front of a computer for a lot of hours and tackling challenges without much help from others (every challenge is unique and it's often difficult to find specific answers on Google) which are aspects I enjoyed. I recommend building a few projects on your own, they don't need to be perfect; companies will really appreciate your enthusiasm and self-directed learning.

Pros - I really enjoy the challenge of writing software and seeing my ideas come to life on a computer screen.

Cons - Lots of time in front of a computer, be sure to take breaks and stretch!