Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Developer

What skills do you need to become a developer?

Coding and programming

Professional developers specialize in at least one programming language, though most have a knowledge of several. New languages and platforms are constantly appearing, and online courses are a great way to learn about them.

Collaboration

Developers work closely with project managers, analysts, designers and clients. This might also involve working as part of fast-moving team structures such as Agile or DevOps.

Testing and maintaining

Developers are tasked with debugging, upgrading and reiterating programs and work with testers and users to keep improving them.

Problem-solving

No matter the discipline, developers are called upon to solve user problems with code and fix problems inside programs.

Why is there increased demand for developers?

Every company has become a tech company to some degree, with digital transformation projects underway in most industries to stave off disruption. This means that demand for developer talent has skyrocketed in recent years, as companies seek people who can bring digital projects and applications to life.

Front-end developers, full stack developers, mobile developers, and back-end developers are among the top 10 hardest to fill tech jobs, according to data from Indeed.

Meanwhile, the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts that software developer jobs will grow 24% between 2016 and 2026--much faster than the average rate of other professions, the bureau noted. Application developer jobs are projected to grow 31% in that time, and systems developers are forecast to grow 11%.

What are some developer job roles?

Developers can take a number of different career paths. Here are a few roles in the field.

•    Mobile developer: Builds apps for mobile devices, including iOS and Android. A mobile developer might use Java, Swift, and Objective-C.
•    Full stack developer: Is able to work on both the front-end and back-end portions of an application or website. A full stack developer has specialized knowledge of all stages of software development, including server, network, and hosting environment; relational and nonrelational databases; interacting with APIs; user interface and user experience; quality assurance; security; customer and business needs.
•    Front-end developer: Builds websites by converting data to a graphical interface for the user to view and interact with, using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
•    Back-end developer: Builds the functionality and interactivity of a website, including the elements that allow users to carry out actions like logging in, creating an account, and liking posts.