What's the best software development career path for you?

Software exists to solve problems. Understand a problem space. Not a technology. Both will change over time, but the problem space is the more difficult of the two to understand, and it will always pay more.

Today, I've noticed an issue: many tutorials for beginners jump straight into teaching frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue. I believe this is not the best approach for learning front-end development. Starting with these high-level frameworks may seem convenient, but it can leave you unprepared for troubleshooting issues later on. I recommend beginning with the fundamentals: HTML, CSS, and plain JavaScript, without relying on any frameworks. Spend time manipulating the HTML DOM tree using JavaScript, and you'll gain a deeper understanding of how things work. Once you're comfortable with these basics, you'll be better equipped to tackle more advanced frameworks.

Some ways to get started: Start with the basics. Before jumping into the latest framework, understand the basics like HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript. Trying to learn React/Angular/Vue will be a lot more difficult without a solid foundation. Think about your design. Once you have the basics and maybe even a framework in your toolbelt, it can be easy to forget about design principles. Creating a positive user experience should be at the forefront of your mind when creating a user interface. I've been working on the Google UX Design Certification to get a better understanding of UX design principles and to make myself a more well-rounded developer. For users to enjoy a product, it should be usable, useful, equitable, and enjoyable.

In software development, you can explore various paths. Consider becoming a Web Developer, creating websites, or a Mobile App Developer, building smartphone apps. Alternatively, specialize in both front-end and back-end as a Full-Stack Developer. Backend Developers handle server-side logic and databases, while Data Scientists/Engineers analyze data with machine learning. DevOps Engineers focus on automation, Game Developers create games and Security Engineers protect against threats. Cloud Engineers work with platforms like AWS or Azure. Stay adaptable and continue learning to excel in your chosen path.

There are many tools and technologies one can learn (for free!) to get started as a front-end engineer, but one thing that can set you apart is the willingness to learn more about design, usability, and accessibility. These skills are often ignored by engineers but are pivotal when it comes to building attractive experiences for the user. Being able to have empathy for a wide variety of users, along with the technical skills to create beautiful user-facing applications, is something to aspire to front-end engineers at all levels of experience.

- A back-end developer these days must think both from a systems engineering as well as data engineering perspectives. - One key aspect of backend engineering is also handling scalability challenges in the face of exponential data growth. - As you learn fundamental technology stacks, familiarizing oneself with their equivalent cloud-native alternatives is also a great asset. - Lastly, a back-end developer must also think from a dev-ops perspective and look forward to actively engage with the stakeholders(not just front-end developers but also customers). This engagement will help close the loop for making the best and efficient design choices.

It seems like in reality it's not so much the language itself but the backend framework that matters: - Java: SpringBoot - Python: Django, FastAPI - PHP: Lavarel - Ruby: Ruby on Rails - ... While knowing the programming language is the first step to success, knowing these frameworks is equally important.

I've been a Backend Software developer for over a year now. I usually develop APIs using Nodejs, Typescript and AWS. Backend development is more about implementing business logic, designing optimal solutions, in my case creating APIs with less response time using cloud services. I guess integrating with members from other teams is a given considering there are multiple hands at play, be it front end team, backend testing team, Quality Assurance team, Performance test team and so on. One thing that has worked for me is to take 1 language, 1 concept at a time and build small projects on top of it. Learn something new, go back to that project and add to it!

A Back-end developer should, - Break down complex problems into smaller, manageable components. - Use logical reasoning and analytical skills to find efficient solutions. - Collaborate with front-end developers and other team members to establish objectives and design more functional, cohesive codes to enhance the user experience. - Translate user requirements into the overall architecture and implementation of new systems. - Write clean, scalable code using programming languages - Focus on optimization of the application for maximum speed and scalability.

- I think tools should be more directed on frameworks rather than just languages. Almost any modern programming language is suitable for backend development, but it's what frameworks are developed that sets them apart. - Since the collaboration of front and backend developers is already covered in the front end section, there's no need to repeat it here. - Overall the description here is a bit too generic. I feel like they can be applied to any programmer rather than just backend developers.

There's a humorous saying in the programming world: "junior full-stack developer." The joke suggests that it's tough to start as a full-stack developer from scratch. People usually transition into full-stack roles from either a back-end or front-end background. My advice is to start with one end—either front or back—and then gradually expand your skill set. If you're already specialized in one area, try building a full project on your own or ask for tasks that involve the other side of development. Learning by doing is the most effective way to become a senior full-stack developer.

In my experience the transition to full stack developer role usually happens from either back end or front end. It is good to start with the basics like html, and then moving to any JavaScript framework along with a back end technology. It is always better to learn by doing and implementing projects on your own where you handle all the aspects of the application. When you get comfortable with these aspects then you can start with any of the cloud technologies and start implementing projects using cloud services. With the ever changing world of tech the journey of full stack developer is never ending and you have to always keep learning.

Uma coisa é certa, trabalhar como desenvolvedor full-stack é desafiador, porém muito gratificante. Ver a sua solu??o caminhar desde a lógica de negócio, até a intera??o com o usuário final trás uma sensa??o incrível. Eu sempre gostei mais de atuar com o back-end, por ter mais apre?o pela constru??o da lógica e por poder trabalhar com os dados, mas confesso que criar interfaces sugestivas, intuitivas e responsivas também é muito prazeroso.

Full-stack development will stay in trend in 2024 as well. It is fine to stick with front-end development or back-end development if you're doing job in a large scale company. However, if you want to be a freelancer or an agency owner, you must have the full-stack development skill so you can compete to win projects.

Opt for a career as a full-stack developer if you want to work on both the frontend and backend of web applications. This role requires proficiency in a range of technologies, offering a holistic view of the development process and the ability to contribute to all aspects of a project.

It's important to mention the different types of Mobile Development: Native, Hybrid and Cross-platform: Native Development === - Develop separate apps for Android and iOS, each with its own codebase. - Offers best performance and user experience, but may require more time and resources. - Technologies: Java/Kotlin for Android, Swift/Objective-C for iOS. Hybrid === - Single codebase for both Android and iOS. - Limited functionality and performance issues but faster to market as you can leverage existing web code. - Technologies: Ionic, HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Cross-platform === - One codebase for Android and iOS. - Offers a balance between performance and speed-to-market - Technologies: Flutter, React Native, MAUI or Xamarin.

With Kotlin Multiplatform for Mobile, developers can now build for both iOS and Android Natively. As Kotlin end up being translated to Java Bytecode on Android and native binaries on iOs using the Koltin/Native

Cross-platform languages like Flutter or ReactNative are cool and can save time, but you should always remember that Android and iOs are different platforms and have different functionalities. You cannot rely fully on cross-platform. Sometimes you have to go native. Another aspect of mobile development (unlike web) is that you may have users that use older version of you app (did not update). You need to keep this in mind when decide to deprecate/cleanup/change things.

Mobile development has a higher entry barrier compared to web development. While it might seem easy to build an app using Flutter or React Native for prototype purposes, things get complicated when aiming for a production-ready app. If you're interested in developing for both Android and iOS, consider starting with a small project and releasing it on both Google Play and the App Store. This approach will take you through the entire process, from project initiation to release. Eventually, you'll need to delve into native code, using languages like Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android. Having native coding skills will be particularly helpful at that stage.

Flutter vs React Native was one of the trending topics in 2023. However, after completing 100+ projects, I can say, the client doesn't care about the technology you're going to use but you must need to be a problem solver to fulfill the clients requirements.

I don't feel like technologies should be listed here. A software engineer can't be defined by them like a frontend or backend developer can, even though a software engineer will probably have proficiency in a wide range of programming languages. The difference between a programmer and a software engineer should also be the focus here: Although they can be used as a synonym, a software engineer will probably have some level of leadership skills and project management skills. Their main concern should be helping to plan and design applications.

Gone are the days of a new developer choosing to work solely on backend or frontend. The modern developer needs both frontend and backend skills, but also needs to know system architecture, testing, and deploying an application. Each of these are critical to success.

I appreciate the idea of companies hiring for the role of "Software Engineer" rather than specifying front-end or back-end development. This implies a well-rounded skill set that includes coding, computer science knowledge, and the ability to see the big picture. It suggests that the engineer is adaptable, capable of learning any language or technology required by the project. While specialization is valuable, the ability to address a variety of issues is equally important. I believe that every senior developer should aspire to become a "Software Engineer." The transition from saying "I don't know" or "I can't" to "I need time to dig into it" marks the point where a developer evolves into a true Software Engineer.

Becoming a software engineer requires more than just writing code. I am often taking up courses in expertise such as cybersecurity, and cloud computing to be able to call myself a software engineer. It is a difficult path I could say, but a very rewarding one if you love solving problems with technology.

Currently, every developer must know about software engineering. It doesn't matter if you are a back-end, front-end, or mobile developer, everyone needs to have basic knowledge of patterns, code quality, design, development, testing, and maintenance. In addition to thinking about scalability, security, robustness, and all the aspects that quality code implies.

You cannot oversee all future changes that the client will request, that is why architecture should be flexible and ever evolving. It is not something fixed, picked at the beginning of the project. Architects should focus on the big-picture, rather than specific issues. There is no single recipe to define good architecture. However, there are good models to follow (see clean architecture). Remember: choosing one thing over another is always about tradeoffs.

I've been a Backend Software engineer for over a year now but i wear multiple hats in my team, one of which is designing solution architecture for APIs using AWS services. For someone completely new to SA, I'd recommend selecting 1 cloud services provider and diving deep. For me, it was AWS as my org leverages it heavily. I started looking into some training material and working on a few projects. Soon I took the AWS Solution architect associate certification which really helped me understand and implement the learnings from my training. Taking these kinds of certifications helps you provide a learned insight on designing solution architecture.

Embrace the role of a software architect if you have a passion for designing complex systems, making high-level technical decisions, and creating scalable and efficient software solutions. This role involves translating business requirements into robust architectural designs for development teams to implement.

This role is often covered by more experienced software engineers. They are often tech leads on a project, who design the solution and then the whole team works on implementation. It is infeasible to be a "pure" architect. One can only grow into it from senior software engineering roles.

There are excellent books on software architecture, but understanding them fully requires practical experience. You'll need to go through several projects to grasp what production-ready services look like from the inside, to identify common challenges, and to learn how software architecture can address those issues. I also recommend taking system design courses for a comprehensive understanding. While software architecture provides high-level patterns, applying them effectively in the right contexts requires a significant amount of experience.

I have realised that learning the basics and how they apply to real-life, relatable situations is the most important step for a beginner. It is the solid foundation that anyone can build upon and become successful in any area of software development: either as a developer, product manager or architect. Some of this basic knowledge includes: - Google CS 101 - Logic gates and how electronics work - Basic networking: overview of how the internet works - The evolution of computer technology With these, tech enthusiasts will be empowered to not only learn about, but also try out various fields in the software development industry. For example, moving from UI/UX to frontend, backend and DevOps. After which they make well-informed decisions.

It would make sense to mention a DevOps path here as well. It’s highly interconnected with modern development and plays a big role in pretty much all web projects nowadays. DevOps works closely with developers and stakeholders helping with setting up and configuring infrastructure for the project, which may be a huge challenge also. Similar to architects, I see DevOps often grow from development positions which makes sense to me.

In my experience, the most beneficial factor in building my career has been working on side projects. My advice is not just to learn new skills but to actively apply them. If you're interested in a new programming language, create a small project and either publish it on GitHub or use it to rewrite an existing one. Don't be afraid to share your work publicly. We all have to start somewhere, and it's natural for your initial code to be less than perfect. However, practice makes perfect. Show future employers that you have a genuine passion for coding, rather than just seeking a high salary.

Personally, i have the opportunity to be all of the above, and at some point I pivoted to Agile Roles. I found that at the end, no matter where you are, or what you do is always about the people. Agile roles are the ones that provided me the most fulfillment in 24 years of IT, because it is is an opportunity to give back from the experience gained, and help other people to evolve.

Always know that awful interviews might come your way. And when that happens, you need to be prepared. When in an interview, keep a notepad or a piece of paper and a pen to take notes on whatever you are asked and the answer goes to the "no", "I haven't", "I still don't" area. Those are the questions that will set you in the right path for growth. After that, be sure to always be researching something new. That's the only way to remain relevant in this market.