What Does a Software Developer Do in their Career?
It was bound to happen; when once upon a time parents shopped toy stores for imitation doctor’s bags and astronauts’ helmets, today’s parents can buy toys that teach children to program computers. Aspirations change; children grow up to be software developers as readily as they grow up to be doctors, astronauts, and lawyers.
What Does a Software Developer Develop?
In today’s Internet of Things (IoT), a seemingly endless list of Things need software, from toasters to thermostats to espresso machines. Software developers create the software to run all those items and get them to communicate coherently with many platforms, such as smartphones, PCs and laptops. Some software developers came up with the idea of stuffing software and communications inside a night light, while other software developers came up with the system and networks of software to handle the unusual device.
Niches
Software developers can contribute to the growth and strength of the computing world in many ways. Applications software developers will design and code applications for consumers, like that internet toaster.
Systems software developers create entire systems that allow computers and the IoT to function and communicate. This includes operating systems that will work on a watch or a mainframe, and systems interfaces that connect humans to computers via touch screens, keyboards or other methods.
How is a Software Developer Different from a Software Architect?
The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) answers this, with its definition of this constantly evolving craft:
“Software development involves the key task of turning the vision of a software architect into working application code that generates the required result, works under the predefined conditions, is robust and secure, performs within the specified parameters, and achieves all this with optimum efficiency and use of available resources.”
The software architect conceives of the grand vision, leaving it to the software developer to realize the actual product. This is akin to the building architect who turns the details over to plumbing engineers, electrical engineers and structural engineers.
Software developers write code, but do much more than only write code. They do not pluck their coding from the ether, though they may write for ethernet. They do not build their software in the clouds, either, but they could design software to work in the Cloud. They write rigorous code that:
- Fulfills the software architect’s vision
- Generates the desired result
- Works under predefined conditions laid out by software scientists and architects
- Is robust and secure against intrusion
- Performs within the specified parameters of production cost, operating temperature, operating cost and ease of use
Lone Wolf or Team Player?
A software developer is part of a team. Software development teams over the decades have developed predictable methods to complete their work with a minimal failure rate. They scorn wasted effort and value creativity and panache.
Communication skills are vital in this line of work. While a software developer has to write code as easily as speaking English, she or he must also write, listen and speak to ensure complete understanding with other members of the software development team.
The skill set of a software developer, the collection of hard and soft skills (technical and people skills) that makes a developer invaluable to a team, include these:
- Analyzing needs and problems
- Communicating ideas, listening to instructions, hearing tone and emotion beneath conversations
- Creativity to conceive of new uses for existing computer programming, or new ways to connect devices to offer customers greater choice or ability
- Computing skills, which means not merely knowledge of programming languages, but a thorough background in computer capabilities and vulnerabilities
- Social skills to work with others of varying abilities from other specialties, to engage customers and colleagues so your entire team can succeed
- Problem-solving abilities that lead to practical solutions for real-world problems
Are you interested in the world of software development? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Information Science with a Major in Software Development, ECPI University offers this degree program with an accelerated scheduled. For more information, connect with a helpful admissions counselor today.
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Gainful Employment Information – Software Development - Bachelor’s
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