The knowledge economy is in full tilt, as it's projected that digital transformation investments - a key driver of the knowledge economy - will exceed $1.3 trillion in 2020. And at the heart of the knowledge economy, is software. Software drives the gig, app, and on-demand economies, in addition to many more digital economies.
Building this software are millions of software developers worldwide - writing lines of code that are reshaping the world as we know it - making software development one of the most critical careers of the 21st century. Knowing this, let’s look at what it takes to become a software developer. But first, besides the mission of reshaping the world, what’s in it for you to become a software developer?
The median software developer salary in the United States in 2019 was $107,510 USD a year. Software developers in companies like Google and Facebook earn double or triple that.
These salaries are supported by the growing demand for software programmers, with annual demand growing at a rate of 22% per year, much faster than average growth across industries.
That means that anyone getting started as a software developer today is almost guaranteed a well-paying job when they complete their training.
Software development means working almost exclusively with computers, which makes working remotely easier.
Many companies hire remote software developers because they know remote work doesn’t affect their performance. Software development can give you the freedom to work from anywhere, and for any company in the world.
It’s also easy to maintain a positive work-life balance with such a lifestyle and to take jobs at companies that you feel fit your lifestyle.
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Tech companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Apple and tech startups are among the world’s most highly-coveted workplaces.
Since these companies are technology-focused, many of the jobs they advertise are for software developers. As a software developer, you’ll have a chance to compete for these jobs and get an opportunity to work in a cutting-edge remote environment.
If you focus on becoming a standout software engineer, some of these companies may even headhunt you since they are always looking for top programmers.
Careers like dentistry, orthodontist, and the legal profession are lucrative but can get boring quickly. Since technology is continually advancing and evolving, a software developer’s job puts you in an exciting industry.
You’ll learn new technologies, new ways of using existing technologies, and more. If you are a naturally curious person, software development can help you expand your knowledge and live a life of continuous learning.
As the world continues to transform digitally, demand for software developers will only grow. As a software developer, you can work in any industry that uses software, which means you can work in practically any industry in the world.
With all these options, it only makes sense that becoming a software developer is a good way to ensure that you’ll have a job at every stage of your career.
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Are you excited to become a software developer? We thought so. Your next question might be where to start and how to become a software developer quickly?
Many paths lead to this destination – some short, some long and some very expensive.
Let’s briefly look at the top three paths to becoming a software developer:
The coveted Computer Science (CS) degree is the traditional path to becoming a software developer. With this approach, you need to enrol in a college or university, attend CS classes for two to four years, and then graduate.
While this path gives you a comprehensive understanding of CS concepts, it can be quite long and tedious if all you want is to learn how to code, not to mention the upfront costs involved.
Websites like Codecademy offer free content that can help you learn to program. With rock-solid commitment and unwavering dedication, you can self-teach software programming and become a coder.
The upside to this is that it's free and self-paced, meaning your only commitment is your time.
The downside to this is that it’s tough to stay the course alone, and if you get stuck, you’ll have to wade into forums to find help. You also risk the chance of giving up or losing focus, as staying committed and motivated for months on end takes a lot of self-discipline.
Pair programming is a remote learning technique that enables you to learn how to code with others. Taking it one step further, remote pair programming helps students learn how to code with remote teammates and collaborate on real-time projects.
This approach works well for those wishing to learn programming in a collaborative yet remote environment similar to a remote programming job.
The downside is that it’s challenging to find others that are interested in learning this way and staying committed with you.
As you can see, becoming a software developer can be a life-changing event in anyone’s life. However, it’s not always easy or cheap to become one.
That’s why Microverse is offering to help you become a software developer for no upfront costs - you don’t pay until you land a life-changing job.
Microverse’s full-stack software development program uses a remote pair programming approach that teaches students how to program, while exposing them to a global collaboration environment.
Once students complete their training, they have all the skills required to work as a remote software developer, helping them land great jobs quickly.
If you are ready to change your life by becoming a software developer, sign up for free below!
Ariel is the founder & CEO of Microverse, an online school for software engineers. Read more about Microverse and how it can help you.
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