Why Join an Agency For Your First Role in Software Development?

Entering into the job market for the first time can always feel like a daunting task, especially with an industry as large and diverse as technology and software development. There are so many opportunities to start a career such as working for a company with an inhouse application, working for a software development agency or doing freelance work. However, in this article, we will explore why working for a software development agency, particularly as your first role, presents an advantageous path for you and your career.

Technical Skills

At the start of your career, it can often feel like there is an overwhelming amount to learn. From new programming languages to complex technologies, the path to working in the software development industry can be filled with lots of continuous learning and adaptation. By joining a software development agency as the first role in your career, they can provide you with an ideal environment to learn many new skills - especially if you have not decided which to specialise in yet.

The main benefit to being in an agency environment is the large amount of software projects developers work on. Many different clients come to a software agency with ideas for a variety of different apps, resulting in lots of varied projects for the developers. This rapid, fast-paced client work means that there is a unique opportunity to quickly build a diverse portfolio and gain a wide range of experience and skills in a relatively short period. It also helps new developers discover their strengths and interests within different software areas. Depending on the agency, you may ‘wear lots of different hats’, meaning you’ll be exposed to a variety of different tasks and challenges. You could do your day to day work in Swift or Kotlin but then move to writing Python to help with areas of automation.

Because agencies are obtaining new clients, the work remains interesting, varied and engaging. It may also mean you get exposure and the opportunity to learn the latest technologies. Clients come to an agency such as Coderus with ideas to use new technology and frameworks from companies such as Apple and Google, allowing the developers to try out fun and exciting projects. This can help new developers learn a lot about changes to platforms, enabling them to get ahead in their career.

The projects you will encounter in an agency are not just about coding; they are about solving real-world problems. This means understanding the problem domain, architecting solutions, and implementing them effectively. It’s about building software that meets user needs and stands up to the challenges of scalability and maintainability. This exposure to system design and seeing solutions as a whole early on in your computer science career can be extremely rewarding and will make for a stronger developer.

Soft skills

While technical skills are undoubtedly important in software development, soft skills play an equal and perhaps even more important role, especially in an agency environment. Working with a diverse range of people means effective communication is a skill learned early on. Understanding client needs, explaining complex technical topics in layman’s terms and managing expectations are all part of the day to day work, helping to develop your soft skills.

Working in a software agency naturally requires team collaboration. You quickly learn to work with various personalities and styles, promoting teamwork and respect. Effective team participation, constructive contributions to discussions, and supporting your colleagues are key soft skills that improve both work quality and the team dynamic which are great skills to learn early on in your career. Furthermore, working closely with both clients and team members helps in developing emotional intelligence.

The fast-paced and project based nature of agency work requires a certain degree of adaptability and problem solving skills. Developers learn to be flexible, adjusting to different technologies, codebases and tasks. This environment helps develop your problem solving skills quickly by encouraging you to think on your feet and develop creative solutions to a wide variety of problems by working in a team of like-minded individuals.

Degree Apprenticeships

Many people may join a company after they have graduated from university. While this is the typical path for a lot of engineers, studying a degree apprenticeship at a software development agency may be advantageous. A degree apprenticeship involves studying a degree while working full time, offering a blend of academic and practical experience. This career pathway works particularly well when working in a software development agency where apprentices can quickly apply the theory they have learned at university on a wide variety of projects.

Degree apprentices gain valuable industry experience, giving them more of a competitive edge in the job market upon graduation. They also have the advantage of earning while learning, reducing the financial burden of higher education. Additionally for the software development agency, these apprentices bring new perspectives and up-to-date academic knowledge, enhancing the team's overall skill set and innovation capacity.

“Working at a software development agency such as Coderus has really propelled me forward in my career as an iOS developer. I initially didn’t realise how much I would learn on the job from practical, real-world projects. I even sometimes think that I learned more in the first year of working than I have in my entire time at university! Another great thing about working at Coderus is the range of different projects I have worked on. This has exposed me to lots of different technologies that I never would have thought to look at before. For example, Bluetooth and IoT which are now interests of mine and I’m hoping to use them in my university dissertation." - Luke Roberts | iOS Apprentice Developer

Networking and Support

You can only learn so much from articles, videos and training courses. Being surrounded by like-minded people in a highly collaborative environment, developers in their first role can learn lots while on the job. Software development agencies draw in talent from many different backgrounds and industries which is the perfect opportunity to learn lots while on the job.

One large benefit to working in an agency is the variety of experience levels which presents unique opportunities. You can learn key skills and best practices from more seasoned developers with a wide range of knowledge and experience. On the other hand, you can help similarly-experienced or less-experienced developers, solidifying your understanding of key concepts. The diversity in experience levels also helps to harbour new and creative ideas and can help with lots of different software development challenges.

Many agencies also offer support and training. Well-established training plans and competencies can help newer developers who are just starting out in their career. The benefit of this approach is there is a blend of formal training which can then be applied to a variety of different client work.

Networking is such an integral part of working in this industry so working in an agency enables you to build a robust professional network, not just within the agency but also with clients and other industry professionals. These connections can be invaluable as you progress in your career, opening doors to new opportunities and collaborations.

The benefit of working in such a diverse industry such as technology means there are so many different career pathways to choose from. While there are various different journeys to choose from, joining a software development agency for your first role can be a smart choice, filled with many advantages.

There are so many opportunities to work with the latest technologies, learn many different skills and work with a diverse group of different, knowledgeable people. Your adventure begins with a software development agency.

Coderus has been providing various first step opportunities for students for over 10 years, with 40 placements fulfilled over the last 25 years.