If we've learned nothing else during the coronavirus pandemic, we learned how easy it is to work from the security of our homes. Of course, software developers have known that for a long time. But as traditional employment falls out of favour and inflation spirals out of control, more people than ever are looking to make the jump into satisfying, lucrative work.
Jobs in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector remain consistently popular, as proven by the most-searched jobs on LinkedIn. For all of these reasons, could there be a better time to look for work in ICT? Whether it’s coding computer games, working on virtual reality (VR) projects or web development, there are a lot of ways to find your place as a software developer.
What Do You Need to Study to Become a Software Developer?
Before you dive into the field, you need some sort of training. When it comes to ICT or development roles, you should take courses in computer science, computer engineering, or web development. But it's possible to become a software developer with no formal training or education. Going that route is far more challenging, though.
Generally, a bachelor’s diploma is enough to get a beginner developer into the industry. That means you can start working in ICT or development after 3 years worth of courses. Many of Australia's universities rank well for ICT and software development education.
The University of Sydney, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the University of Adelaide all meet the requirements for well-developed ICT courses.
Of course, some newer universities offer excellent degrees. The aspiring developer's choice of school depends on the type of ICT or development they want to study. But don’t forget that a student can’t learn everything about software development in a university program. Most courses are useful for learning theory but they can’t fully prepare the student for what the working world is like.
But is a university degree a requirement to become a software developer? As hinted above, the industry doesn't demand a degree or certificate. Students who’ve taught themselves how to code, for example, will have a portfolio of completed projects, applications and websites to their credit.
Prospective clients are drawn to driven and passionate professionals, whether they're self-taught or not. Besides, experience is more important than qualifications for certain jobs; certainly those in ICT. So don’t hesitate to show potential employers and customers your past projects.
Just make sure the project you highlight is relevant to their business.
Software Developer Earnings and Career Prospects
Once they’ve finished their studies, a lot of developers dive straight into work. The world of ICT and software development is broad and there are many different sectors you can explore. Your skills may limit your application to certain sectors of the industry, but you have options to retrain or transition into other fields. Each developer should work on what they’re passionate about.
ICT professionals and software developers can design systems for a large company as employees or as contracted freelancers. Each option comes with its pros and cons. For many, the promise of a regular wage will put them off the idea of working for themselves. That's understandable, as the average ICT professional in Australia earns between $55-75 thousand/year working in:
- Video game development
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Machine Learning
- Cybersecurity
- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality
- Embedded Systems
- Web Development
Working at a company means that you’ll be around the same groups of professionals and get into a routine. But developers can also choose self-employment. In that case, they’ll need to register as a sole trader. If you go that route, you'll be the boss but it’ll also mean finding design clients on your own.
Once word of your business gets around, you will have the potential to earn more than a developer working for a company.
As a freelancer, you need to be organised. A freelance developer may design for several different clients at a time, on a range of different projects. Each project will help keep your professional life interesting. However, you mightn’t have a stable income as a freelancer. In some cases, you might not have a project to develop for weeks at a time.
What Qualities Do You Need to Become a Developer?
A good software developer needs a specific set of skills, whether working at a business or as a freelancer. First, they’ll need programming skills. Knowing one or several programming languages tops the list of professional requirements; you need to master at least one.
It’s pointless being familiar with several but lacking specialisation.
A software developer also needs to be versatile to satisfy their clients’ systems requirements. They may need to come up with project ideas and ensure testing at every step until project completion. They’ll need to be good at wearing different hats as well as rigorous in their work. You can’t throw a project together and hope that the application works.
Software developers also need to be reactive and ready to solve problems as they arise. Some problems can cost management a lot of money so you’ll need to be agile to minimise them.
You also need to be driven as you may be expected to regularly work independently, especially as a freelancer. As a specialist, you probably won’t have a superior to ask for help and support. A developer will often run into process problems and they’ll need to be able to solve them without outside help.
This means that developers need to know a lot about programming while also being resourceful. They need to keep up-to-date with their field as their clients will expect them to be the expert. A developer needs to adapt quickly as ICT and software development is a field that continually evolves.
A developer also needs to have soft skills as they’ll need to communicate with clients and those in management who mightn’t have a deep understanding of software development. They need to listen and understand what their client is after, especially since the client mightn’t be able to express it using the right computer jargon.
In some cases, it may feel like you’ve mastered a foreign language! You’ll need to know all the industry-specific jargon and how to explain to those who don’t speak ICT. But most of all, you need to be curious and always willing to learn.
How to Find Work as a Software Developer
If you stake your professional future on a company, you’ll either submit your job application to a software company or a business large enough to have software teams on the payroll. The quickest way to find these kinds of jobs is online.
Companies regularly advertise software development roles on the biggest job recruitment sites or through specialist job recruiters.
Some companies may want to build ICT or software development teams, so they'll hire several developers. This might be true for e-commerce sites or companies that need to develop their applications.
You may also find your professional niche at marketing firms. They often look for clients who need applications or websites to assign to their software teams or specialists.
These are good jobs for professional software developers because they will have several projects in their queue and lots of support throughout the creative process and testing phase.
There are also software firms that offer software development as a service to other companies in virtually every industry.
As long as you have the diploma and know computer systems, why not become a teacher? You can teach your ICT and software development to the next generation of student programmers.
Or you might start a career as a private tutor and find your own students, much as you did when you were a freelance software developer.
Whatever you want to do with your career, you likely won’t struggle to find projects as a software developer. Just look on job websites and social networks like LinkedIn to find intriguing prospects.
Make sure that your CV is always up-to-date, though, as this industry changes regularly!
If you'd like to learn more about software engineering, web development, or computer programming, consider getting help from a private tutor on the Superprof website.
There are plenty of tutors around Australia and all over the world who can support you through face-to-face or online tutoring. Don't forget that a lot of Superprof tutors offer the first session or lesson for free so you can try out several different tutors before choosing which one is right for you.
It's a good idea to make a list of criteria before you start searching for tutors and then shortlist a few before you start contacting them and arranging taster sessions or free lessons.
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