Do you really want to be a software developer?

Writing software is an amazing process, one that is filled with a lot of learning, unlearning and vast opportunities to think about problems.

Do you really want to be a software developer?

Writing software is an amazing process, one that is filled with a lot of learning, unlearning and vast opportunities to think about problems and challenges from a different perspective, more like a "God-mode" side of things.

With the current speed at which technology is moving, its clear that Software is eating up the world but the fundamental question to ask yourself is Do you really want to be a software developer?

The Process

Developing software is more like planning out a war, not against fellow humans but against a human challenge. There are ranks in this process and even though those ranks have several unofficial titles, its clear that there is a very carefully planned out process of creating something that is going to be used by many people as some sort of weapon against a challenge.

The software development process is always mind and time consuming and can lead to burn out if one does not take care of themselves. Its a tiring task that involves the mind, soul and body. You have to understand that all the details have to be laid out and organized to make a meaningful story with all the use-cases well thought out, otherwise, your little digital creation is easily thrown out and there goes all the effort you put in.

The upside of the process is that its fulfilling and is always a great learning experience, never short of moments where you feel like you are on top of the world. The excitement from the first brain storming meeting to the design phase for both the User Interface and logic can feel like one is high on their own supply. If you do not love the process of creating software, ask yourself, Do you really want to be a software developer?

The Great Opportunity

Its no secret that the top most valuable companies are all tech based, you could say Software oriented with a touch of hardware. There are lots of opportunities in Software Development and the industry is still growing at a rate so rapid, its super crazy to even think about sometimes.

You can become a Backend Engineer, Software Engineer, Software Architect, Data Scientist, Machine Learning specialist, Requirements Engineer, Mobile app developer etc. etc. The positions and titles are so many, new ones keep popping up each other day.

Since most of the current systems are computer-based, they need lots of software to run and be maintained as well as interface with humans.

Photo by Erik Mclean / Unsplash
In 2014, the software industry was about $3.83 trillion in size, thats a massive amount of cash!

The Great Challenges

Despite the rapid success of many software companies, the industry has serious challenges that need serious attention if its to keep its momentum. Some steps have been taken to address the challenges faced but there is still more work to be done.

Burn out is a serious challenge as many developers give up on their careers due to mental breakdown from all the incoming stress and less time to rest. In the Gaming industry, burn out is termed as Crunch.

Young man covered in sticky notes, work overload
Photo by Luis Villasmil / Unsplash

Gender-bias continues to be a serious issue in the Software industry where the women in tech are always under-looked as not being cut out for coding activities that require heavy thinking. This is one of the major reasons for the shortage of women in tech-based environments and the Women In Tech are doing a tremendous job in counter-acting this challenge.

Reflections

Its often said that with great wealth comes great responsibility. As a software developer or an aspiring tech enthusiast, take a moment and think about whether you actually want to become a software developer. Whatever your reasons, they should be really good ones since the journey is not as straight as you might have been told.