Being a successful developer is quite relative because various people have different definitions of success. However, a lot of beginners in this competitive field find it difficult to establish goals for themselves, which makes it extremely difficult for them to maneuver through this ecosystem. Think of driving your car without knowing your destination. You might keep going in numerous directions without getting anywhere tangible. This is why it's so important to set yourself up for success, and this article outlines how you can achieve that.
DEFINING YOUR GOAL
Defining your goal simply means narrowing down your objectives and making them as clear as possible. This will create a clear path for what you need to learn and what activities you need to participate in. You can determine your goal by asking one simple question.
Where do you see yourself in five years?: Do you wish to lead tech teams as a senior developer and work for a corporation as an executive? Do you intend to launch your own software development company in the future? Do you want to start your own business, and develop your own product as an entrepreneur? Or are you more interested in working as a consultant? Whatever the size of your goal, it must be specific enough for you to take concrete action to achieve it.
Answering this question will let you know what kind of developer you want to be, what kind of software you intend to build, what skills you need to acquire in order to build them, and how long it will take for you to acquire these skills. Easy right? Now let's get to the easier parts.
ACTIONABLE STEPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL
This is the part where you get to decide what path to take to meet your goal. If having an outstanding career is your goal, there are certain actions I would recommend
Attend a formal education/training program: It is not necessary to spend 4-5 years at a university studying computer science concepts (although I recommend it). Formal education provides a structured learning environment and ensures that you are on track for your goals. There are many online programs for software developers, which allow them to earn their certifications from anywhere, at any time.
Get mentored: Having field experts walk you down a specific path is a valuable experience. They immediately show you where you can improve, new ways of problem-solving, and different ways of thinking. It's a wealth of knowledge right at your fingertips, ready to provide new insights and advice whenever needed.
Acquire an internship: An internship program provides unique opportunities for learning outside of academic settings. It can expose you to new tasks and help you learn goal-specific skills to complete those tasks. Internships also give you lots of hands-on experience with technology, people, and projects that may be relevant to your career goals.
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
As a developer, you may want to work on the front-end of applications by creating user interfaces, implement business rules and logic by working on the middleware of an application or work on the backend of an application. It is possible to pick all three and be a full-stack developer. There is a wide range of specialization in software development. Among the specializations and technology stacks that should get a beginner started are:
Web development - HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python.
Mobile development - Java, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native.
No code development - Webflow, Wix, WordPress, Shopify.
Specific Frameworks - React, Vue, Angular, Node js, Django, .NET.
Cloud computing - Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), Product as a Service (PaaS).
Database administration - SQL, NoSQL database.
LEARNING RESOURCES
FCC: freecodecamp.com is a great place to start. The website was established as a non-profit to assist newcomers in learning web programming. They offer a fantastic curriculum and award certificates, all for free.
Coursera: coursera.org is equally a good platform for learning. The majority of their courses are taught by renowned universities from around the world. They also provide students with financial aid.
Scrimba: This platform has the objective to offer the best possible coding school, to give software developers a chance at success. They provide paid and unpaid classes as well as a learning Bootcamp. You should absolutely visit scrimba.com to learn more about them.
Read books: Online courses are great. But you may occasionally want to flip through a book related to your area of interest, perhaps use it as a source of reference. Some people prefer digital books over physical ones. If you are such a person, you can find most books on zlibrary.org.
YouTube videos: There are numerous good YouTube channels that provide tutorials. It is very easy to become lost in tutorial hell. Make a list of what you want to learn and build projects while you're at it.
SOFT SKILLS
This article would be incomplete without highlighting the significance of soft skills and why software developers require them. It's easy to think that a developer's sole responsibility is to write code and build applications. Contrary to popular belief, developers require interpersonal skills in order to collaborate effectively, pay attention to detail, and solve difficult problems. Listed below are essential soft skills
Communication: To perform their duties successfully, developers must efficiently communicate with clients, coworkers, supervisors, and personnel in non-technical departments.
Problem-Solving: A software developer's responsibilities include resolving issues discovered by computer programmers or users. To ensure that a program works properly, they must have excellent problem-solving skills.
Teamwork: Software developers frequently collaborate in groups to plan, design, and develop projects. They must effectively collaborate with others, receive constructive criticism, and participate in meetings.
Attention to Detail: The best software developers have an eye for detail that allows them to spot and follow even the smallest errors in the code. They must also be able to switch their attention back and forth between the large picture and the specifics.
CONCLUSION
Set SMART career goals: Your goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, timely, and relevant.
Make a plan: Have a series of actions that lead you to your goals. This will keep you on track
Soft Skills: Acquire soft skills
Software development is an exciting career, and the path to becoming a proficient developer is even more so. I believe that this article has outlined guidelines that would be useful to anyone looking for a path, and I hope that someone finds it useful. Have fun coding!