The 21st century saw computers take over the markets of the world. Now that the first two decades of this century are almost over, survival has become very difficult without computers.
People nowadays are dependent on computers for everything. Laptops, Mobile, Smart Watches, Smart Security Cameras are only a few of the machines which have become important in people’s life.
But there is something that even the computers depend upon, Software. Software is the framework or programs that make computers work. The software is pieces of codes written in a particular programming language to perform a specific task. To develop a piece of software, you need to apply the principles of the specific programming language.
This is the job of a Software Engineer. As a software engineer, you are supposed to design, develop, test, and sometimes maintain software or a small piece of it.
Software engineers are also called software developers, programmers, or even computer scientists. But most of the people still prefer being called a software engineer.
Every industry depends upon computers for its operation in one or the other way. This has resulted in increased demands for software engineers all over the world.
Skills For Software Engineer Job
A software engineer is one of the hottest jobs in the industry nowadays. The salary for software engineers ranges around USD, 92000, according to Glassdoor. You should check out high paying companies that want software engineers for hire.
You need to have a degree in computer science, programming, or a related field to become a software engineer. While some recruiters rarely ask for a master’s degree, you need to master a variety of programming languages like C, C++, or python before you become one.
Before a software engineer gets hired, recruiters look for a defined set of skills they need for their company. If you are looking for companies that want to hire an android developer, you should do thorough research for the skills that are required.
Given below are the set of skills recruiters look for in a candidate before hiring them as a software engineer.
Soft Skills
Personality traits, habits, or non-technical skills that are intangible are referred to as soft skills. A software engineer has to work in a professional environment and behave accordingly.
Soft skills refer to character and interpersonal skills. They determine how well a person can work with others in a given environment. The importance of soft skills has always been underrated.
1. Ability to multitask
As a software engineer, you need to do a lot of work and that too at the same time. Multitasking is the only way to achieve that. When you multitask, your efficiency increases as you’re able to complete many tasks at the same time.
Multitasking does not only mean trying to accomplish as many tasks as possible. There is a fine balance between wasting time while switching tasks or achieving efficiency with Multitasking. You need to find that balance for you and make sure you are operating in the efficiency zone.
2. Problem-Solving Ability
A software engineer needs to ask the difficult questions and is supposed to answer them too. What is it that you want this software to do, and how do you think you can achieve it? These are some questions that a software developer has to answer.
Usually, requirements are nothing more than a set of problems which is not solved yet and Software Engineer has to find a solution for them. Thus, the problem-solving ability is a must-have trait for a good software engineer. A good problem solver can find all the solutions, and that’s what a software engineer is hired to do.
3. Attention to detail
As a software engineer, you will be provided with hundreds of pages of codes and programs. You will be asked to find the problem there. Without having a good eye for details, a person can never achieve that.
Even a small part missing could result in chaos. Therefore, this is an essential trait for a software engineer.
4. Ability to work in a team
Developing software is no easy task. Lots of groups work at the same time on different pieces of data to achieve the desirable. So if you want to be a good software engineer, you will have to work in teams.
Being a team player is a much-needed skill for a software engineer.
5. Open-mindedness
As a software engineer, you have to keep your mind open at all times. There are multiple solutions possible when you are working on software. However, you don’t have to be rigid about sticking to one solution. If a more straightforward solution comes up later, you have to be open-minded enough to see it.
Hard skills
Skills that can be taught and can easily be quantified are known as hard skills. One needs to take up technical courses to develop them. Hard skills include specific technical knowledge and training.
Having a degree in computer science does not guarantee a software engineer job. You need to have specific expertise in a certain programming language or a domain related to computer science.
1. Programming skills
This is the most fundamental yet the most essential skill. To become a good software engineer, you must have the command over at least one programming language.
There are lots and lots of programming languages that can be learned by you. According to Stack Overflow, Javascript, HTML/CSS, SQL, and Python were the four most popular programming languages in 2019.
When it comes to choosing which programming language to study, you should choose one which interests you the most.
2. Software testing
Before software can be released to the market, it has to go through rigorous testing to ensure that all the things are working correctly.
A software engineer has to test all the aspects of the software. Thus you need to possess good software testing capabilities.
3. Debugging
The process of finding bugs (or in common words error) in a software program is known as debugging. A software might contain viruses that will hamper its working.
The job of a software engineer is to find these bugs and cleanse the program. You need to have a real eye for detail and debugging skills to do that.
4. Encryption
As a software engineer, you are expected to know how encryption algorithms work. You need to implement a secure and encrypted key that can safeguard user data from hackers.
There are different phases in which software is developed. As a software developer, you are supposed to use your skills and brain to make this flow very easy.
Conclusion
Software engineering is not about experience. It is about how well you can incorporate new technologies together to make a good product.
Now that you know what skills are required to become a good software engineer, you can get going and start working on your skills set to get a high paying job.
