Software Development - Attracting The Next Generation

I continue to enjoy my career - having worked for, and been mentored by some very talented people along the way! Today, I’m am lucky to work with an incredibly gifted group of professionals. From the team members that work directly within my organization to the team members that we support and interact with every day, this is a group of people committed to making a difference for the financial institutions, merchants, and fintechs that we do business with daily. And the card holders trying to manage and spend their money. On a daily basis, we all get to see the impact we have as we help our customers manage their business and assist consumers making purchases across the world.

I am also lucky enough that I’m able to spend time with students across the Central Iowa area, promoting careers in STEM (in particular, careers related to software development and quality assurance). This ranges from kids as young as 10 to students getting ready to graduate from college. This is the next generation that will drive innovation – data analytics, artificial intelligence, serverless technologies, containers, virtual reality and more that I/we haven’t thought of yet.

Sometimes I get direct 1-on-1 interaction with students and at other times it is speaking to groups of 50 students. I enjoy the opportunity to talk about what makes the industry tick and what the individual opportunities are within these fields. There are things these young minds need to know:

1. Software Development is an opportunity to have incredible impact on the organizations and the consumers of the technology you build! As the cost of entry to the technology has come down over the years, people have access to systems and technology that are fundamentally changing the way that people live their lives. The most recent example is the Apple Watch 4 and the built in ECG capabilities that are already saving lives.
2. Software Development provides opportunities every single day! This is not a job where you do the same things day after day. If you want variety, this is the role for you. Being a developer gives you the ability to creatively solve problems every day and those problems will be different. You will not be sitting in an office looking at the same types of reports and data every day and making similar decisions, you will be solving unique problems and challenging yourself.
3. Software Development provides unique opportunities to grow and advance within an organization! As a developer, you will be exposed to and have the opportunity to drive change within the organizations where you work. These experiences give you the unique ability to understand the business and to contribute in a way that others may not be able to see. Your ability to see ‘connection points’ that might be lost on others gives you the ability to recommend and make changes that drive efficiency, improve the customer experience and increase the profitability of the organization.
4. Software Development means you will be in demand! There is a current shortage of software developers, this is a trend that will get worse as the baby boom generation continues to retire and leave positions open. This means companies need you! If you need any proof of this, go out and look at all the openings for software developers – they are literally everywhere. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 24% growth in the overall number of software development jobs thru 2026.
5. Software Development gives you flexibility! More and more companies are allowing their software development team members to work remotely – if not full time for at least part of their regular work schedule. If you can prove you have the ability to work independently and still drive to milestones and hold yourself accountable, companies will provide you more flexibility. In fact, traditional ‘coastal’ technology companies have recently announced initiatives to train and hire workers in rural Iowa. This trend will continue and developers will find opportunities to work wherever they choose to live.
6. Software Development pays well! As a software developer, you will need to establish your bonafides, once you have proven you are capable, you will be rewarded. Software development is one of the higher paying professions and will give you the ability to live comfortably. Current average national salary for entry level software developers is $68K. Yes, depending on location, that number will be higher or lower, but it is nothing to sneeze at when comparing to other jobs. And, software developers are ranked as the #1 in the top 100 jobs nationwide, as well as the #1 STEM Job.

To be a really good software engineer, means to understand the above and then choose to passionately pursue this career choice. Being a really good developer means that you are eager to explore new technologies, learn new development techniques, invent new ways of doing things and to be creative. It means taking all of that, and using it to work on different projects – no day will ever be the same. It means dedicating yourself to making the time to work on smaller side projects to explore and hone your skills.

We should be encouraging students as early as possible to explore software development. Kids in grade school can start with on-line tools like Scratch from MIT (https://scratch.mit.edu/). If they get comfortable with Scratch, then they can move up to Python, Ruby or even JavaScript. With the technology available today, there is nothing to stop them from learning. Online manuals and tutorials, online forums where they can ask questions and be mentored.

This generation has access to so much information and it’s all available at their finger tips thru their smart phones, tablets and computers. Let’s encourage them to explore opportunities where they can have fun, make a difference doing something they love and make a nice salary along the way!

via: https://anidea4today.blogspot.com/