How to become a software developer? Tips from Synergy Codes pros

The IT industry is developing dynamically. It tempts with both exciting and developmental work and the salary.   

People tend to look for sources of information concerning the development of IT. Many of them ask how to start a career as a Junior Developer or Software Developer on the Internet. Surprisingly, they search for the answers on the non-tech forums, pages, or interest groups on Social Media. What sort of knowledge and skills do you need to become a programmer, especially a skilled software engineer, or software developer? What and how to learn? How to find your first job?   

If you’re thinking of trying your hand at the IT industry, but you don’t know exactly where to start, this article should give you a hint. Let’s roll.  

How to start your IT career in software development?

Nobody has the right recipe for starting a career in IT in software development. You can read articles, watch YouTube channels or listen to technology podcasts full of good advice. Another idea is to ask experienced programmers for their opinion on this topic – how to find and start a job as a developer or a software engineer.

Our specialists are happy to share their thoughts. Here are a few of their tips for beginners.  

Passively watching a tutorial video won’t help you learn a programming language. You should study the training and write your code. Creating an application related to your hobby might be a good idea for your project.  

Kacper Cierzniewski, Software Developer and Team Leader  

There is no shame in not knowing an answer to a technical question – mainly if you apply for an internship or a junior position. Admitting it can open up the room to discuss what you need to learn. Also, reflecting upon your skills honestly will help you develop them in the future. 

Mateusz Jagodziński, Software Developer and R&D Team Leader  

Remember that you will be asking “stupid” questions as a beginner, and it’s absolutely fine. So ask them instead of wasting time and being afraid. This resource might help learn how to ask good questions.

Piotr Zaborowski, Senior Software Developer  

What is my advice? Be patient. You will be stuck so many times. Sometimes it takes longer to notice that the syntax typo is the reason for not working code. Maybe you are using a different library version, and it doesn’t work exactly as in the tutorial. No worries, every issue gives you the knowledge and the experience. Searching and finding answers will help you in your future work. Therefore, you should look for different sources and materials. Read about best practices for programmers. Try to improve your coding skills.   

You may find it attractive to listen to the podcast with Dawid Perdek about “How to start working as a Developer” – his pieces of advice might be helpful at every level of your career. 

Why work at Synergy Codes?

As in every career option, it’s better to research through IT industries and companies.   

In the Synergy Codes software house, we create apps for data visualization and process modeling using the most up-to-date technologies.  

In our company, we will bring your creativity and technical skills into play. We can offer you the dev meetings and pieces of training, leadership development programs, and so much more. We will help you find out and boost your skills.  

In the Synergy Codes, you’ll have a tangible impact at work. We support you in any activity you’d like to share through internal growth initiatives with the organization. Every team has a unique work atmosphere with a friendly and supportive working environment. Get to know us and become part of #SynergyCodesSquad. If you want to unlock your true potential, please check our open positions here (https://synergycodes.com/careers/).  

Broad knowledge and skills wanted 

Nowadays, it’s essential to have broad skills and experience. We do realize that software stack diversity can reap many benefits in the future. In Synergy Codes, you will have a designated time slot for deepening your interests or exploring new IT landscapes.  

Some of our Synergy Cafe Projects

Some of the most interesting ways to develop and present the knowledge are just by sharing it with a broad audience. Just like Kacper Cierzniewski, our software developer, who decided to take part in Synergy Caffe. It is the Synergy Codes series that takes you on a short but knowledgeable tour of the most up-to-date topics in software development or software engineering. Kacper is taking you to the other dimension and talking about simple diagram representation in VR written in Unity. 

Do you know what is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Here’s a short explanation of the most common truths and myths. Meet Tomek Świstak (Senior JavaScript Developer at Synergy Codes) and find out why so many people are afraid of AI.  

The possible development paths in IT

Keep in mind that there are many jobs in which coding experience is not required. A basic understanding of programming or software engineering is always helpful in your career path, but you can still work in an IT company without using programming languages. There’s a broad position portfolio available, not necessarily concerning the software development or coding as such.   

Perhaps, you are keen on graphic design and have experience with UI design tools like Sketch or Adobe XD. As a UX/UI Designer, you should consider the Why, What, and How the product should look from the business and user perspective.    

The software test engineer is responsible for designing and implementing test procedures to ensure that the application works as intended. If you are precise and curious, the software test engineer might be a good role. It’s worth mentioning that this role allows you to get/use some coding skills and become a test automation engineer or programmer.   

Maybe you are interested in technology, and you would like to be responsible for generating leads, negotiating contracts, and closing deals. If so, working in the software as a service (SaaS) sales field could be the best place for you.  

You can choose between project or product manager, business analyst, marketing specialist, technical recruiter, and many other career possibilities. Those are just examples of the possible choices in the IT sector. Whatever you decide, the curiosity and ability to learn new things will be your superpower.  

If you have decided which career path you would like to follow, but you are still unsure what you should learn and which training to choose, here is my advice. Find a few job offers and check the standard requirements. I am pretty sure that you will notice some patterns and required skills.  Most software companies deliver the board description of their teams, projects, benefits, resources, services, the technology used, or other resources such as video to give you the full insight.

If you want to be a software developer and don’t know what to learn and where to start, you can check the Web Development Roadmaps here

 Soft skills matter in software engineering 

Your technical skills are essential but don’t forget about your soft skills.    

Keep in mind that learning a hot programming language might not be enough to become a senior software developer with a high salary in the future.   

In today’s workplaces, a lack of soft skills might cause productivity, innovation, and growth issues for the whole project or even the company. In Synergy Codes, we support the development of your interpersonal and emotional skills.  

Communication skills are sometimes even more important than technical skills

As a software engineer, you have to cooperate with many people. You have to communicate with your teammates, but with external teams and clients, too.  Your knowledge of computer science is crucial, but the way you communicate it is even more important.

Collaboration and teamwork

The way the team works together matters and affects project outcomes. Remember that there are no wrong questions or ideas. Having different points of view helps to build cleaner code and better functionalities.  Thus, you develop much quicker as a software engineer or software developer.

Empathy

Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes. As a software engineer, you will be responsible for creating tools and applications to make other people’s lives easier. You also need to understand the business requirements and think about the user experience.    

Time management is one of the essential skills on every level of your career, and it’s a crucial competency in your personal life

We all have something that feels productive to us at the moment but usually ends up wasting time and energy. Read about time management strategies and try to implement different methods in your daily routines. Check what is more efficient for you and your workspace environment.  It’s beneficial if you ask for advice from your team members, and other developers, or check out the good practices on the web.

To sum up

How to become a software developer? Unfortunately, there is no one answer to this question, as you probably already know. Remember that every new line of code, following if statement, or working for loop in your project will bring you closer to becoming a software developer. Working in the IT world is the beginning of a beautiful adventure. Good luck, and hope to see you on the job interview at Synergy Codes!