It is possible to get hired with an associate’s degree or even with nothing but self-taught experience. Pursuing this route, you should have a strong collection of completed and functional projects demonstrating your skills on a website like Github. You can also pursue open source projects to contribute fixes and new features to in case you don’t have a concept of your own. Open source means that the code (source) for a piece of software is publicly viewable (open). Often, this allows anyone to submit code to a project, pending approval of the project maintainers. Finding an open source project with a welcoming community of developers can greatly accelerate your skills after you’ve established a baseline skillset.
Software engineering is not focused exclusively on coding, but you will need to know at least a couple languages, and a deeper understanding of how they function. There is no widespread agreement on which languages are most useful, but these are all popular choices: Python Ruby JavaScript C# Java C++ Be aware that some languages are better at solving some problems than others. No one language is better than another. No one language is objectively easier than another. Most languages were written with certain types of problems in mind and are better at solving them while weaker at solving others. Experiment and get a feel for your style. At first, only focus on getting the most basic of programs running in one language. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with one, start experimenting with a second. There is no need to learn all languages. Find your niche and become awesome at it! For youth, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) created the website and programming tool, Scratch. This tool teaches programming concepts using visual queues rather than intimidating text. It’s also useful to adults who would feel more comfortable focusing on visual elements rather than abstract concepts and text.
(Optional) Study math. Mathematics will be a part of any computer science major, and many algorithms and data structures knowledge stems from mathematics. While not absolutely necessary, having a strong background in math will give you stronger core skills for analyzing and designing new algorithms. If you’re targeting companies that do cutting-edge research and development, math will be a must. If you want a cushy corporate job, you can likely skim through higher level math. Discrete mathematics is a particularly useful area of study, as is any math course that involves software.
Browse through StackOverflow. StackOverflow is a question and answer website for developers. You can search by tag to identify the technology, problem space, or language you want to improve in. Seeing others’ answers will give you insight into how engineers solve problems. Bookmarking clever solutions will also help you build your problem-solving toolkit. Use practice sites for coding. Sites like CodeWars and CodinGame offer thousands of problems for you to test your skills against. Find a real-world community to help keep you inspired, develop connections, and give you guidance on where to focus your learning. Sites like Meetup can be great places to find software engineers and learn more about the profession. If you have trouble finding general engineering meetups, try to focus on specific languages or technologies. Check out social media sites, as well.
Unless you plan on monetizing the software you build, put it online! Allowing potential employers to see the projects you’ve created and the code powering them allows them to assess your skills. It’s also a great way to get feedback to help improve your skills.
Colleges often help their alumni obtain a position. Talk to your professors, department staff, and the career services office about finding job opportunities. A large percentage of jobs happen through networking. [13] X Research source Use your personal contacts, and meet people in the field through career meetups and conferences. Check job search websites regularly. Create a profile and post your resume to professional sites and use them for networking as well as job applications.
Join a professional organization for networking opportunities. Consider a Master’s degree if you have long-term plans in the field. While not a requirement for most positions, a Master’s greatly improves your chances to work for an industry leader, in a management position, or in embedded software. [14] X Research source A Master’s degree can also give you a considerable pay bump early in your career. Certification can be useful in some sub-fields and regions, but may decrease your desirability in others. [15] X Research source Talk to other engineers in your area of expertise before you enroll in one of these programs. Often, traditional corporate environments favor certificates, but start-ups and highly progressive companies can find them as a waste of time. However, there are always exceptions. Some countries also view certificates differently, so try to connect with software engineers and understand how the industry in your area operates.
Teach yourself programming through online tutorials or friends willing to teach you. Take a massive open online course (MOOC). If you already have some experience, collaborate with other programmers on GitHub. A coding bootcamp is one of the fastest ways to learn, if you’re willing to invest money and free time. Just make sure to do your research, as some bootcamps have poor reputations in industry and may not be worth the money. [19] X Expert Source Stephen Cognetta, MBATech Interviewing Coach Expert Interview. 21 July 2020.
Even hobbies and side interests can open up networking opportunities, or at least add passion to your job. Game apps, digital music suites, or business software are all examples If possible, automate portions of your job. Build tools to speed up tasks and make things easier. Software engineering at its core is problem solving. Writing software is just a software engineer’s chosen method of solving problems. There are problems all around you already! There’s no reason you can’t start now.
Be aware that this is an incredibly expensive option. However, if you have difficulty being self-motivated and joining a community or trying a hobby doesn’t stick, this could be the most effective option.
