Is Software Development Fun?

When considering earning a degree it’s natural to want to choose a field you find exciting, challenging, and fun. As essential as it is to earn a living, no one wants to be miserable or bored for 40 hours every week. If you’re considering software development as a degree choice, the good news is that it can be a great deal of fun for those who love puzzles, problem solving, and technology. Here’s a brief look at what a software developer does and the type of person who would be most enjoy working in this profession.

Having Fun with Coding

You might be under the common impression that coding is reserved for geniuses only--but nothing could be further from the truth. Learning to code is no more different than learning any other skill. All it takes is patience and hard work, but more importantly, a genuine love for the subject and the desire to excel in the field.

That's the part about software development that most people who are unfamiliar with the profession fail to appreciate: that writing code can actually be a fun and enjoyable process. Think of all your favorite novels, whether a best seller like Game of Thrones or classics like To Kill a Mockingbird. All those books were written by people who enjoyed their work, and who enjoyed creating entire new worlds of interesting characters and placing those characters in unique places and situations.

In the same manner, it is the job of a software developer to create entirely new streams of software from scratch that can be used to create colorful animation, immersive video games, or any other variety of digital systems. Once you have grasped the fundamentals, it can be fun to discover what you're capable of coding.

Exciting Challenges

Creating new software can oftentimes seem like trying to solve a puzzle. Every new piece of software uses one of the same set of established languages that can be manipulated in a limited number of ways. It is now up to the software developer to take the vision for the software and combine it with the realities of the computer language, to produce a product that is able to perform all the tasks it is expected to. Some of the challenges include:

• Not just creating the required piece of software, but implementing it in such a manner that it can be used easily by non-technical people without compromising on its quality.
• Integrating a new piece of software across existing platforms and systems without causing problems in the existing software or the application's function.
• Keeping in mind the various hardware, legal, performance criteria, etc. types of constraints under which the software will have to function.
• Successfully replicating software testing conditions under real-life conditions.

Skills of a Developer

Of course, not every person is fit for a life of creating software. There are certain skills and qualities you must possess in order to do well in this field, including:

Patience

Writing code takes a long time. The more complex the software, the more time it will take to create. You must be prepared to spend long hours on a single project before it comes to fruition. A great amount of discipline is needed to complete a project before a deadline by breaking up the work into manageable chunks that can be completed on a daily basis.

Imagination

As a software developer, you will often work with clients who know nothing about software, but who love demanding impossible things from you. It will then be up to you to explain the limitations of software development to the client and then create something which, if not capable of the miracles the client initially expected, can nevertheless perform its functions in a manner similar to how the client wanted.

This is also applicable to scope--oftentimes clients request additional features after the price of the project has been agreed upon. In these situations, it is simplest to remind them of the initial project outline, and explain how these additional features are out of scope. You can also offer them a change order or monthly retainer, to avoid being roped into free labor.

Focus

A lot of the work done by software developers involves checking and double checking the code to make sure it does not contain an error. This activity alone can take several hours at a time, and during that time it is important to keep your wits about you and have absolute focus on the task at hand, so no mistakes slip through the inspection.

Good Communication

Developers often work within teams, with each member responsible for creating a part of the software. You need to have good communication skills in order to work in harmony with your team members, to make sure there are no clashes between your individual parts of the whole project. This also applies to documentation. Developers are often required to document any and all changes made to code, for the next developer who may need to make a change or revert back to a previous version. 

Language Fluency

You need to know as many coding languages as possible. While one or two coding languages manage to remain the favorite among developers for some time before being replaced by the newest player in the market, several companies prefer to stick to a particular language and require their developers to work only in that language.

Awareness of New Technologies

Software development is a rapidly evolving field, and new languages and software tools are constantly being created. You need to stay ahead of the curve and up-to-date on all the latest technologies. Follow reputed software blogs and join online forums for software developers to keep your ear to the ground.

Does this work sound like the challenge you’ve been looking for? Do you enjoy working with computers, writing code, and solving problems? If so, work as a software developer could be for you! Your first step on this exciting journey could be to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Information Science with a Major in Software Development from ECPI University. For more information about this degree program, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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