A career in development is a great thing and something that can really provide a fantastic career.
Live, Eat, And Breathe Code
Programming and coding will be the bread and butter of any software developer. This means that you need to make code your life.
Singers who do not sing every day or writers who do not write every day will not be able to get far when compared to those who do. The same idea applies to coders. If you want to be a successful software developer, you need to live your life in this way.
Take the time to practice coding and learn what you can about the programming languages you are going to work with. You need to keep up to date with the trends in the programming world. You can prove how much you want this career through your actions.
Do Not Specialize
This is often debated, but a lot of experts state that you are better off when you do not specialize in a particular programming language. This is particularly true when you are just starting out.
There are very few jobs that require a niche programmer who specializes in one language. This is one of the reasons why you should familiarize yourself with as many languages as possible. It is also recommended that you focus on the most popular languages.
The wider your knowledge base is, the more opportunities you will have. Of course, there is an argument for specializing later in your career to make yourself an invaluable asset. However, this is something that you should work on in the future.
Get Experience At A Big Company
Experience is important in any career, but getting this early in your career is vital. When you have a big name company on your CV of LinkedIn profile, you are going to get more interest. Contact Evolution Jobs for help with your job search.
You do not have to stay at the company for very long. Any amount of development experience at a company such as Intel, Facebook, Microsoft or IBM will add more weight than experience with a lesser-known company. This is true even if you feel the experience with the smaller company will be more rounded. Ideally, you will want both types of experience because the combination will make your CV more attractive.
Work On Your Own Projects
Having your own website or side projects is something you need whether you are looking for a new job, are in a job or are freelancing. This ties into the living and breathing of code. Your own development projects will showcase your passions and help you hone your skills in your spare time.
While you might love your job, you will not always get to do what you want. This is where your own projects will help as they offer an outlet. It is also something you can add to your CV to show your coding skills.
Join Online Communities
Software developers love to talk to other software developers regardless of where they are in the world. It is a good idea to get online and find their usual hangouts.
Online communities are also a good way to improve your skills, network and develop friendships with other developers. You can also bounce ideas off other people.
Platforms to look at include Coderwall, Stack Overflow, and Hashnode. These communities are full of developers who ask questions, provide advice, and discuss coding. They are also open to developers of all levels.
Work On Soft Skills
Something that a lot of people forget when working in tech is to hone soft skills. However, this is important if you want to get your dream job. While you can practice the hard, technical skills and improve your programming knowledge, if you are unable to be part of a team or think outside the box, you will not stand out as a candidate. Spend some time practicing for the interview and determine your weaknesses in terms of soft skills.
