Joseph Campbell, co-author of The Power of the Myth, stated that “Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” That book and the television series it sprang from burst onto the scene in 1988. Computers have changed a lot since then.
Indeed, today's tech landscape is unrecognisable from the barren digital expanse of forty years before.
Despite what many think, Information Technology (IT) isn’t as popular a career path with the younger generation as we might believe. Most would rather get into game and app design without learning anything about programming languages or frameworks.
But that's where the greatest assurance of employment is. And where the greatest demand for skilled workers is.
In this article, we'll look at the kinds of jobs that software or web developers can find. We'll talk about who you can work for and how you can make the most of your role as a developer. Along the way, you'll find out more about software development.
Software Developer Jobs in a Company
After you’ve earned your degree in software development, engineering or computer science, you can start looking for work in companies. But which ones? We're not talking about American software giant Cisco or our own Telstra.
Job search sites like Indeed, Glassdoor and even LinkedIn list positions for companies that produce other goods and services, not software products.
Larger companies are often the best place to start your software developer career because they recruit more people, more often. This is also true of online businesses as they regularly need to develop and improve their online services.
Companies looking to develop mobile applications need lots of developers, for example.
Smaller companies also recruit software developers. Such companies need developers with a broad range of skills rather than one to fill a specialist role. Of course, those workers may still need to specialise in a particular aspect of development like app development or augmented reality, for example.
Working for a company is a good way to earn a stable salary and establish your professional network. You may find it easier to work with a team of regular collaborators rather than constantly changing teams. To join a company, you’ll need to apply for a position or be offered one. As with most jobs, this will require a Curriculum Vitae (CV), a filled-out application, and an interview.
Working for Agencies
You don’t have to stake your future on a specific company. Recruitment agencies work with businesses to place software developers, often on a project-by-project basis.
Agencies like Manpower, Randstad Australia and Michael Page specialise in pairing workers' skills with the manager who needs them.
You'll be placed quickly once you prove you have the right level of training to meet the agency clients' needs. For many newly-graduated software developers, the advantage of agency work is getting to know many clients. You might design a website for one client one week and develop web-based products for a different one a month later.
Often, recruitment agencies advertise jobs on their own websites. But you can reach out too, by submitting your application. When starting as a freelancer, it could be a good idea to go with an agency to find your first clients.
Fortune favours the audacious so pursue every avenue open to you.
Software Developer Salary as a Freelancer
Software developers can work as freelancers. As an independent contractor, you'll have more freedom to choose which projects you work on. You can work with several clients at once, managing several different projects.
It goes without saying that such a freelancer would need to provide quality assurance with every job.
To begin your freelancer role, you will need an Australian Business Number (ABN). When you register as a sole trader, you must give assurance that you have (or will have) a business bank account and insurance, among other requirements. Once you're cleared to operate, you can set your rates and start looking for clients.
Establishing your role as a freelancer can be tedious at first, but it’ll be worth it once the money starts rolling in. You should offer more than one level of service to attract more clients, too. Here are some of the services you could offer as a freelancer:
- Develop games, apps, websites, etc.
- Debug systems
- Examine data and code
- Manage e-commerce sites
- Design programs
- Teach software development
- Etc.
Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. When you become a software developer, you can offer services according to your skills and experience. As a developer, you can find projects of all sizes. The biggest drawback to freelancing is the lack of a salary so you'll have to be good with money management.
Software Developer Jobs in Tech Companies
Tech companies are the most obvious places to look for employment as a software developer. They tend to hire lots of developers for new and ongoing projects. They may also specialise in software solutions for specific sectors like banks, company management, marketing, etc.
A bit like with agencies, firms contract these companies to complete software projects like upgrades, systems debugging. Such work may take weeks, months, or even years to complete. The advantage of employment with tech companies is that they’ll often have a wide range of projects.
As a technical employee, you might tackle everything from web development to updating a company’s entire Information Technology (IT) network. Australia has tech companies of all sizes. The bigger ones like Telstra work with massive multinationals while others, like AgriDigital, work exclusively with one sector or industry.
Software Development Jobs in Teaching
As we grow ever more reliant on technology, more people grow interested in learning about software design and how to code. You've earned your software developer degree, why not teach others? If you have experience in software development, you could teach in schools and universities.
Of course, you also need teaching skills on top of your software development skills. You’ll need to manage and supervise your students’ projects, too. Schools and universities aren’t the only places where you can teach junior developers, though. You could always teach as a private tutor.
You can choose whether you want to teach at your students’ homes, your house, or a dedicated classroom. You can also choose what you want to teach. If you'd rather host workshops or give group lessons, some clubs and associations offer software development classes.
Where to Find Software Development Jobs?
You can find job offers for software developers on sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and other job sites. But these are public platforms that every developer can access. You'll have to compete with senior applicants more experienced than you so you’ll need to find a way to stand out.
Good marks in your software engineer and developer courses and any internships or exchanges you might have gone on could boost your hiring chances. Your freelance experience and any tutoring you've done in coding, software design or other IT-related field will, too. And if you have a portfolio of past projects you've worked on, all the better.
It’s a good idea to follow companies that you’re interested in working for. That way, you can apply as soon as the jobs are advertised. You might even twin your independent business with company employment. There’s nothing to stop freelancers from working as an employee at a company for a while.
You can always contact companies even if they haven’t advertised a position. You might set up job alert for every jobs webpage so that you’ll be notified the second a relevant position opens up. This is a good idea if you’re looking for a job or are a freelancer looking for projects.
Your Software Developer Salary Depends on You
Software developers with the right level of skills and experience shouldn’t have any problem finding employment or earning well. But you have to put yourself out there. Otherwise, potential employers won't know about you. To that end, social media works well.
LinkedIn is a good way to advertise your skill level and list completed projects. You’ll want to highlight any programming languages you know: Java, HTML, C+, JavaScript, Python, etc. You’ll also want to detail your experience.
If you’re a team junior, you’ll want to focus more on projects you've worked on than any roles you've filled.
Consider building a website to serve as your portfolio. It doesn't have to be fancy but make sure that it showcases your skills and level of talent. If you need help with your web page design, consider a Superprof tutor.
They can help you learn more about software engineering, web development and other technical roles. Superprof has tutors across Australia and online, ready to mentor you face-to-face, online or with group tutorials.
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