Software engineering or development uses software engineering languages to construct and test user-centered applications to satisfy a specific need.
When compared with simple programming, software engineering is specially used for larger and more complex software systems in business use.
Software engineers need a rare and unique combination of programming skills, including expertise in design, development, testing, and debugging systems, and also soft skills for an all-round communication with leadership, team, and stakeholders.
So, without further ado, the following are the skills that you’ll need to become a successful software developer:
Project Management
Project management in software development is an art and discipline of supervising and planning different projects. Various external and internal factors affect projects, but software developers with project management skills can manage risks and minimize uncertainty around client expectations and meeting deadlines.
Every developer must have excellent project management skills because businesses rely on timely follow-throughs.
Revature, a tech company, educates people not only in tech skills and courses but also gives them the soft skills that they’d need to run their own businesses. The Revature project manager salary is highly competitive compared with other similar degree programs.
Coding and Programming
As a software developer, you’ll need to constantly build and develop software systems. This kind of work requires extensive experience working in coding and programming.
If you want to be a good developer, then you should know all the programming languages including Python, JavaScript, and C/C++. Many developers choose only a couple of these languages and become proficient in using them.
But to give yourself an edge over the others in the competitive tech market of today, you should familiarize yourself with all the relevant languages. You don’t need to be an expert in using every programming language, but you should know the basics.
Following are some common coding languages that you should learn:
JavaScript: This language helps developers in designing interactive web pages with clickable and navigating buttons.
HyperText Markup Language (HTML): This language is used to display images and text on websites as paragraphs, charts, or bullet points.
Cascading Style Sheet (CSS): CSS helps you add colors, fonts, and spacing to a website. Developers use both HTML and CSS complementarily.
Python: This language helps you carry out different types of software development tasks, including error tracking when writing code for a program. Its structure is simple and easy to learn.
C++: It is a powerful general-purpose programming language. C++ can be used to develop programs that optimize and interact with hardware capabilities, such as browsers, games, operating systems, and medical equipment software.
Java: Java allows you to create applications and programs across different computer systems. It is similar to C++, albeit with fewer complexities. Video game developers use Java to develop high-quality games.
Software Testing and Debugging
Before launching any software in the market, every developer carries out an intricate testing process that involves a series of digital tools to check whether the designed product is functional.
The software is also put through tests on multiple device platforms. Developers have to check the software’s capabilities to hold confidential information.
There are three components of software testing:
Unit Testing: In unit testing, individual areas or lines of code are checked. Different unit tests of a project are created to ensure all the key elements are operational.
Integration Testing: This kind of testing is used to observe how one software interacts with the code in another software. The test is used by developers to determine whether they can successfully merge different areas of a program’s code.
System Testing: After integration testing, system testing determines if the product fulfills user needs.
Debugging is the process of addressing and removing errors in a coding language during the software development phase. The developer’s problem-solving skills aided by debugging software determine the exact part of the code that is incorrect.
Mathematical Skills
Software development involves algorithms and problem solving, which means that developers need to have a good mathematical background.
Programmers have to be aware that even the littlest mistake can lead to big errors and make sure that they think of out-of-the-box solutions when encountering novel issues.
Data Structures and Algorithms
Data structures are methods of storing information within a database. Algorithms, on the other hand, are calculations required to solve or complete tasks.
Software developers use data structures and algorithms to optimize and upgrade information in a code. If you want to become a software developer, then you need to have knowledge about algorithms and data structures; it’s an indispensable requirement.
These make up those non-negotiable technical skills that tech companies seek in candidates applying for software development jobs. Data structure and algorithms are directly related to coding skills and problem-solving.
Operating Systems
Software that configures the hardware of different devices and allows programs to run on them. Linux, Microsoft, and macOS are operating systems used on PCs and Macs, while Android and iOS are the two well-known operating systems for mobile devices.
For better testing of the developed programs, a software developer needs to have expertise in those operating systems.
Cloud Platforms
These are a collection of software and hardware that operate a company’s remote database, known as the cloud. In configuring cloud platforms, developers need server management and coding skills.
Most companies now are shifting to cloud services for better scalability and cost-saving. Learn about Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure, which are all brilliant cloud services with their own unique capabilities.
Conclusion
Every tech company looks for a set of both technical and behavioral skills in their employees, and software developers are no different. Software developers, they need to master time management, teamwork, communication, and analytical skills. Plus, they need to be adept at the seven skills mentioned above to become highly sought-after experts in the software development field.
