What is a Software Developer?
I feel like this answer is obvious, but it’s worth explaining. A software developer writes code to create computers programs. There are many different types of developers including web developers, mobile developers, hardware or embedded systems developers (like hardware engineers). I’m going to focus on how to become a web developer because that’s the area I’m most familiar with. Web development has been an interesting field over the past few years because it’s constantly changing and becoming more important in our daily lives. In the past decade or so, we’ve seen smartphones and tablets come into existence which changed our interaction with technology forever! Google was one of the first companies to commercialize “mobile” search results when they released Google Maps for mobile devices, which was a huge deal at the time – now every single website needs its own mobile version! Facebook also came along at about this time and began revolutionizing social media. Why do developer lifestyles matter? The lifestyles of developers are interesting because they can vary so much. It’s a very lucrative profession, but you have to work hard and be smart. Some people are happy with their job as a software developer while others want to go further with their career. I’m going to explain what it takes to get started in this field, but I’m not going to go into detail about how far you can take your career path because that’s something only you can decide!
Lifestyle 1: The Software Developer (5 years)
The first lifestyle is the one that most people choose – working as a software developer for 5 years or so before moving on. This is the easiest route and usually involves starting at an entry level position like junior software engineer or senior web developer, then advancing up from there over time by gaining more experience and becoming more specialized depending on what company you’re working for. You’ll start out as an intern or junior hire doing basic tasks like designing databases, writing code (mostly JavaScript), testing code (usually unit tests or automated tests using something like Selenium), and fixing bugs when needed by either researching them online or asking someone else who knows how to fix them. As you get more experienced, you’ll move on to bigger tasks like creating your own web apps (like your own personal blog or a website for a company), adding new features to an existing app, and eventually moving your way up to architecting the next big thing.
Lifestyle 2: The Founder (5 years)
The second lifestyle is the much less common one – becoming a founder of a software startup. This is something that I’m interested in personally because I want to start my own company someday. A software startup is essentially any small business that makes software instead of physical products like clothing or items for the home. Usually this involves starting something from scratch with some friends or by yourself, raising money from investors if possible, working hard on the code while also doing marketing and other types of tasks related to running a business, then finally selling it off or going public when it’s ready depending on what type of business you’re making! As with all startups though, success isn’t guaranteed so don’t get too excited about this career path just yet! It’s definitely not easy and requires lots of time commitment!
Lifestyle 3: The Freelancer (10+ years)
The third lifestyle is the most common lifestyle in my opinion – freelancing as a full-time software developer after 4-5 years as an employee at another company. I am a software development freelancer myself, and I’ve been doing it for 2 years now. Freelancing is when you work for yourself instead of working for a company (like my first lifestyle). Going this route requires starting your own company or finding clients as an independent contractor. In the past, freelancing was only really popular among computer programmers and IT consultants, but recently web developers have also started to freelance because they can’t find jobs in their area with what they know and are looking to break into the industry – especially if you’re in a smaller town. This route is great because you get to be your own boss! You can choose which projects to take on or which companies to work with, but at the same time it’s not that easy either! You need good connections (usually through social media like Twitter) so people will find out about you and give you business.
It’s my hope that this post is helpful to you and has given you some food for thought. I’d be happy to answer any questions in the comment section below, so please feel free to ask!
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