The rise of digital technologies has led to increased demand for software developers across the world. Today’s digital economy influences nearly every sector globally and affects everything from economic growth to income distribution and resource allocation. As new technologies emerge and the demand for digital transformation projects across industries increase, the need for top-notch professionals who can build and execute digital applications and innovative solutions follows. This explains why software development is one of the most popular career trends in the past decade.
If you’re a software developer or looking for a programming job position, chances are you’ve come across a detailed job description with an extensive list of technical skill requirements for a developer role. And you may have wondered which developer skills are the most desirable and valuable in today’s market. Here’s a look at the top five essential skills that will help you stay ahead of your competition as a software developer:
Programming Languages
Computer programming is one of the fundamental technical skills that modern software developers need to have. There are many programming languages out there but that doesn’t mean you have to know all of them. You can choose whatever programming language you want to learn, but it’s best if you know at least two of the common languages: Java, C++, JavaScript, and Python. Knowing two or three of these is enough to earn you a good monthly income and raise your profile as a developer.
According to the popular job site Indeed, SQL, Java, and Python are the top three in-demand programming languages for employers today. Make sure you have command on either of these languages in depth. You can also choose a language that matches your area of interest and one that you’re comfortable with when it comes to creating solutions to problems.
On the same token, you should look into growing programming languages and their nuances. For example, you might want to learn Go, an open source programming language; from here, you can start using go-tun2socks to “socksify” TCP connections at the network level, how to improve enterprise document security, and much more.
Cloud Computing Skills
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Cloud computing is another valuable skill every software developer needs to have in today’s market. Companies are increasingly shifting their operations and environments into Cloud for better mobility, data security, scalability, and efficiency.
For software developers, this means development projects will soon involve cloud-native applications. Companies are already hiring against expertise and experience with cloud services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. Taking the time to learn and align yourself with either or all of these platforms will place you ahead of others both in your current and next post.
AWS is the most popular cloud platform and has the largest market in the United States. So, if you want to pick up cloud computing skills, start by learning AWS. There has been a fivefold increase in job listings for AWS-proficient software developers between 2014 and 2019, according to an analysis by Indeed.
Data Structures and Algorithms
To be a successful software developer you must learn and understand data structure and algorithms well. You can always expect this subject area during any computer programming job interview you attend. Companies will want to check your problem-solving and programming skills. Keep in mind that it’s impossible for you to develop a solution to a real-life problem without knowing the most basic algorithms and data structures like a stack, list, and array.
So, if you’re looking to get into the programming world, you need to make every effort to learn this important topic when attending boot camps or during your computer science course. Algorithms and data structures are the heart of coding.
Basics of Software Testing
An application or software has to pass several test cases before it’s handed over to the client or released into the market. As a programmer you need to master at least three important product testing methods:
- Unit Testing. This testing technique involves testing each and every individual class or module of software to verify the correctness of the code used. Common unit testing tools include EMMA, NUnit, Junit, Jtest, and PHPUnit.
- Integration Testing. This method involves testing the interaction or rather interfaces between software modules or units to expose faults and determine the correctness of the interface.
- System Testing. This type of software testing involves testing a complete integrated system to detect any issues within both the integrated blocks and the whole system.
Note that software testing and debugging is a skill you will learn on the job and requires honing through experience.
Database and SQL
Every programmer is expected to have an understanding of essential database concepts like relations, entities, and normalization along with SQL. Developers need to understand how databases work since it’s impossible to develop any kind of software or application without a database. Though there are many different databases, taking the time to know just one is enough. SQL remains the most popular database among programmers today so you need to make sure you can write basic SQL queries. Other databases you can consider working with include Cassandra, Redis, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.
Whenever you’ll be working on any major development project, you’ll also be required to take care of all the security issues and manage the organization’s complete data and records with proper backup. As such, every company will expect that you can comfortably work with databases and you’re capable of managing their records securely.
