Some of the best jobs are in the technology field where they need tech-savvy people to create and oversee programs and applications. Think about: Every app, every program, every website, and more are powered by software. There’s a whole network of people making sure the apps are fueling success!

A software developer is one of the tech-savvy jobs that’s becoming very high-demand. In our technology-rich world, the need for software developers will grow by 21% worldwide.

This is a great time to get trained and enter the software development field. But what does a day in the life of a software dev look like?

What is a Software Developer?

The job title “software developer” can be a little confusing for many as tech-related jobs are fresh to the world. Most often people consider software developers to be like programmers whose main job is writing code, but the role of a software developer is a little different.

Think of a software developer as an architect who designs and oversees the construction of a building. A software developer is someone who designs applications for a company, helps organise the many different workers who build the application, and oversee to make sure everything is accomplished smoothly.

In most cases, software developers are also called on to fix problems with current applications and suggest upgrades for older applications.

Software developers often work in groups, typically with other software developers, and with the associated teams who lead other aspects of the application development process.

Skills Needed

Because of the multifaceted aspect of their jobs, software developers need to have a variety of skills:

• A strong background in code, as depending on the job duties software developers may or may not program, but they will need a deep understanding of code to evaluate and fix applications
• Great interpersonal skills and clear communication to work with a variety of people
• Problem-solving skills to be able to act quickly and fix any problem that might arise
• Creativity so they can think outside the box to create applications that serve their clients and appeal to customers

Benefits

Being a software developer is often considered a more advanced job that requires great personal and professional skills. Because of this, they enjoy great salaries and job security benefits:

• Starting salary is often higher than £18,000 a year.
• The median salary is around £40,000 a year, and the highest-paid software developers earn more than £70,000.
• Job security is high due to the great demand for software developers.
• Health benefits depend on the company and provider, but they are often very good.

The Day in a Life

We’ll talk about the day of an average software developer working at a relatively large company. Many software developers work for small companies, freelance, or even massive companies and their days can vary wildly. There’s sometimes the option for software developers to work from home depending on the company and current projects.

Morning

A software developer will arrive at work and (often) start their day in a quiet, calm environment. They might grab a coffee and a morning snack as many tech companies want to keep their employees happy with the pleasures of food and comfort.

They approach their computer, log in, and check all their notifications and emails. Many tech companies use applications like Slack, IRC, and regular emails to pass messages and updates. It’s also a great time to get updates on the tech world to stay in the loop on evolving technologies, often called upskilling.

Teams often work in “sprints” which are periods of development of certain parts of an application, whether this is creating a part or upgrading applications. Depending on the sprint or how far along the development process is, the software developer might have different priorities in the morning.

If this is at the start of a new sprint, the morning will be filled with meetings about the current or upcoming sprint and how the team should work together. This is when people organize their duties and ensure everyone is on the same page.

If this is during a sprint where everyone is busy working on their projects, meetings will be more about how people are handling their duties and if there are any challenges they are facing. Software development is highly interconnected, any problem can lead to issues with other departments of the program.

Afternoon

Lunch is a great time to either create better working relationships by having lunch together or a time to order food and continue working on a project.

After lunch, many software developers start to dig into the meat of their jobs. The morning is often dedicated more to organising roles and solving issues; the afternoon is focused on creating solutions, working together, and coming up with ideas.

One duty during the day might be proposing changes or new features. Software developers will draft a document and conclude their findings of the issue and offer a solution to pitch to their managers and the team. This could also involve communicating with other teams to ensure their solution works okay.

Another duty could call for them to write or check code for the application in development. They’d write, troubleshoot, and test the code before pitching it to their team later. This could be how they integrate new developments or knit different sections together.

It’s not uncommon for these sprints to run over their scheduled time. Often near the end of the development of a program, everyone will be in “crunch time” trying to finish everything up to meet deadlines - or even a new deadline. This may call for working overtime to ensure the day’s goal is wrapped up.

Become a Software Developer

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Explore Software Development courses on the Knoma Marketplace here.

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