As a Software Engineer, how do you go the extra mile at a job?

Posted on January 20, 2023 | by TeresaPenafiel | 8 Comments

Are you seeking to boost your career as a software engineer? Do you want to know the skills tech recruiters are looking for? We’ve got you covered.

There is some exciting news. Demand for software developers is growing fast, and programming skills are required for business in all industries. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in software development is going to increase by 25% between 2021 and 2031. When compared to all other IT occupations, this one is most likely to experience the fastest growth rate.

So, you are right now anticipating consistent job opportunities to advance your tech career. New doors are opening as you gain experience and develop your technical talents. You are able to choose and keep writing code or use your knowledge of the software development lifecycle to manage teams. It’s completely up to you the path you take, but here are some tips to really go that extra mile at a job:

5 keys to go the extra mile in your software development career

1. Continuous learning

To become a great software engineer, first, become a consistent learner. This industry specifically is the one where you have to invest in your education the most; and we are not talking about money here. The more knowledge and firsthand experience you have, the more valuable you’re going to be. Therefore, your career path is flexible and easily scalable.

Enroll in new classes: Be curious and keep signing up in classes that catch your attention, even if you consider yourself an expert. Relearning the fundamentals or learning something new forces you to step outside of your comfort zone and question some preconceived notions you have had about software development.
Learn new programming languages: While it’s possible to be successful as a specialist in just one programming language, the majority of very successful software developers are fluent in several. Not only does it make you a more versatile developer, it also helps you think and solve problems in more creative ways. There are several well-liked programming languages available, so there is always something fresh and intriguing to learn.
Stay updated: The standards for many programming languages are frequently changing. To stay current on the most recent best practices, make sure you continue to subscribe to the most recent industry news and communicate with your colleagues. In this industry, knowledge quickly becomes outdated.

2. Strengthen your soft skills

No software engineer is an island. Technical proficiency alone is no longer a strict requirement for success in the sector. Employers are increasingly looking for that blend of technical and soft abilities.

Take every chance you get to sharpen those talents. Invest in effective stress management, public speaking, teamwork, work ethics, a positive attitude, time management, self-confidence, and a host of other skills you need to have a hold on. Furthermore, strong social and interpersonal skills are essential as you are going to be interacting with people on a daily basis. To become a better software engineer, master these crucial soft skills:

Critical thinking: You are able to evaluate a topic from all angles and come up with multiple solutions if you have strong critical thinking abilities.
Problem solving: Whether it’s faulty code or a faulty communication channel, a software engineer’s existence is fraught with challenges. The more adept you grow at identifying such issues and coming up with practical solutions, the more in demand you’ll be.
Communication: Software developers frequently communicate with others. Strong communication abilities are therefore crucial.
Flexibility: Open-minded and adaptable engineers are eager to accept new notions and ideas. This way you realize that even if a new strategy doesn’t work, you still learn from the experience. Additionally, it improves your ability to collaborate with others, making you a better colleague, and open up more job prospects for you.

3. Collaboration and networking

It takes more than just developing your technical expertise or gaining additional experience to advance your career. You also need to be aware of the social dynamic:

Find a mentor: Think about asking a mentor for assistance. A more seasoned, professional programmer is able to assist you, offer you career guidance, and perhaps even put you in touch with influential individuals in the business.
Attend social meetings: Join groups and frequent meetups to become active in your community. Simply by going, you enhance your own brand, and you’ll probably pick up something new in the process.
Join forces with others to work on side projects: Consider reaching out to nearby software engineers and working together on a few side projects. In addition to enhancing your own creativity, it’s a great opportunity to see how other people work.

4. Set goals

Maybe one of the most important keys for succeeding. Setting goals for yourself and developing a future work vision are vital first steps. How does one “improve their career”? What particularly are you looking for?

You need to visualize the route and map it out. Establish short-term objectives, dates, and a clear path of reachable benchmarks. Moreover, making a chart outlining your current situation and three future stages of your life is extremely useful.

It’s easier to keep the process grounded if you remain realistic within the limits of your capabilities. Setting realistic, doable goals that are supported by a timetable that holds you accountable gives you something to fight for. Furthermore, you still have a ton of room in your strategy once you’ve established your bigger objectives. Break down those bigger concepts into smaller objectives that are achievable by carrying out particular tasks. Consequently, the addition of these new checkpoints to your plan encourages action and builds momentum.

5. Develop your brand

It’s hard to make any career progress unless you’re actively marketing yourself, the same way you market a product or a business.

The most effective methods to get you there include:

Invest in your professional portfolio: Put your mind to it. The majority of hiring managers for software developers are interested in your actual skills; a degree or certification alone does not mean that you are qualified for the position. Therefore, display the software you’ve developed in the past, and keep your portfolio updated with your most recent projects.
Develop your differentiators: There are countless numbers of software developers worldwide. So what makes you the better candidate for a job at a company? Find your distinctive qualities. Do you wish to focus on developing AI, for instance? Do you possess a unique ability to solve challenges that others lack? Do you have expertise that few others can match?
Create your own personal brand: Create and sell your personal brand, which is the brief, packaged image of you that you wish to use to stand out in the job market. On social media and a personal website, you need to showcase your abilities, knowledge, expertise, and even personality. This way, you get more visibility and status the more you network and participate in software development groups.

The career path of a software engineer can take many different turns and typically takes time to complete. You have plenty of time to develop your abilities, widen your contact base, and finally land the job you want. It’s simply a matter of time if you work hard.

To achieve the success you want, you must put effort into it, make plans for it, and try to become a better version of yourself in every way. Your perseverance will pay off, and you’ll find that both your profession and your personal development are advancing.

Are you currently seeking to amp your tech career? We’ve got the opportunity for you! Check out our open positions.

About ITJ

ITJ is devoted to serving fast-growing and high-value market sectors, particularly the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), working with innovative medical device companies looking to improve people’s lives. With a unique BOT (build, operate, and transfer) model that sources only the best digital talent available, ITJ enables companies in the US to create technology centers of excellence in Mexico. For more information, visit www.itj.com.

Flexibility: The key to curating tech talent

Posted on January 12, 2023 | by TeresaPenafiel | 9 Comments

Organizations are still searching for advanced scientific knowledge in the form of academic degrees and years of engineering experience when it comes to tech talent.

Workers with this kind of knowledge have been in greater demand than ever in the recent year, as more than half of IT executives had trouble filling open positions. There are numerous articles on the Great Resignation, and it frequently seems like businesses are bidding fiercely for top tech talent. However, hiring locally for current needs is not a winning long-term strategy.

Leaders would be wise to think about an abundant strategy where technological talent can be curated, generated, and cultivated rather than competing for the limited pool of available tech talent. In other words, look out instead of competing.

Flexibility: Why is it the best ability?

In the US, the shortage of tech skills continues to have an effect on the bottom line during the following two years. Organizations that want to safeguard and advance their transformation initiatives need to hire employees using a differentiated, strategy-driven approach.

Therefore, due to its flexibility and cost-effectiveness, nearshoring may be required in addition to a team’s move from on-site to remote working. Especially when a company discovers they are significantly behind schedule in their digital transformation process but still need to move forward.

Nearshoring is a flexible solution that can be adjusted to a company’s specific needs and enables enterprises to grow very efficiently (without incurring pointless investments).

5 concrete examples of nearshoring flexibility

1. You are more agile

Effective, iterative, and collaborative programming approaches and principles are referred to as agile software development. As it implies a more flexible and customer-focused procedure, it is growing in popularity today. Agile nearshoring is the practice of assigning programming duties to specialized teams in a neighboring nation to boost business success and accelerate project delivery.

2. You become adaptive to changing market conditions

Due to the ease of quickly scaling up or down with nearshore partners, nearshoring enables your company to be more adaptable and responsive to shifting market conditions. Moreover, it shortens your time to market.

Organizations need to concentrate on reducing their time to market in a competitive landscape. This entails shortening the time between product development and commercial launch as much as possible. Therefore, businesses that become faster and more responsive to customers’ needs and demands quickly evolve to top leaders.

3. You don’t need to worry about communication issues

It’s essential to be available anytime you need your team throughout the workday so that any potential problems or unexpected changes are handled right away.

For instance, there is a significant time zone difference if your staff is headquartered in India and you are in Germany. This will affect communication, timetables, and team productivity. On the other hand, let’s say a US company nearshores software development to Mexico, the communication is seamless as you share the same time zone and are close to one another.

4. You gain access to a bigger talent pool

By becoming more flexible and implementing nearshoring, you have unlimited access to a much wider talent pool. Furthermore, you learn about the prior work and accomplishments of a nearshore development team when you recruit them. By connecting with them, you forge a link that expands your network globally.

It either directly or indirectly enables you and your business to view things differently and come up with fresh, original solutions to your difficulties.

5. You become more efficient

The entire hiring process requires time, effort, and money. You may hire a highly skilled software engineer in about 40 days. If we’re talking about a unique tech stack or an entire team, it can take even longer. However, when you work with a nearshore partner, you automatically speed up your hiring times and enroll employees more quickly.

To sum up, everything’s about overcoming the fear factor in hiring tech talent. Flexibility is a frequently repeated solution to the shortage of tech talent and, even though it could mean to take a risk, it is like everything else when you are upgrading a business plan or heading towards digital transformation.

Looking for tech talent? We can become your nearshore trusted partner. Get in touch!

About ITJ

Innovations in Software Engineering 2023

Posted on January 5, 2023 | by TeresaPenafiel | 9 Comments

More people are jumping on the software engineering wagon to meet the increased demand. Nowadays, every job out there requires at least a little bit of coding experience. What was once a highly specialized skill is becoming the new literacy.

Software engineering is the new “doctoring” or “lawyering”. It’s now the kind of clever career with stable predicted growth and high wages. And as software shapes our daily lives more and more, the demand for skilled individuals to design our future has only increased.

Main Software Engineering Innovations for 2023

The course that software engineering development followed in 2022 will be continued in 2023.

1. Cloud computing as a top tech skill

In 2022, governmental agencies and organizations as well as startups and established companies all adopted cloud computing. The importance of the technology is acknowledged by hospitals, security agencies, legal authorities, and even the Pentagon. By the end of 2024, it’s possible that a sizable number of organizations and institutions will have switched to the cloud globally.

New technologies are becoming more widely accepted across a range of industries, requiring the training of software engineers to work with them. In 2020, when the epidemic was at its worst, computing solutions stood out amid other digital transformation efforts. According to Gartner, global spending on cloud services will climb from $313 billion in 2020 to $482 billion in 2023. Additionally, this pattern is anticipated to continue: cloud spending is anticipated to increase by 20% annually.

Thus, one of the most in-demand technical talents in 2023 will be cloud computing. As we have seen since the 2000s, this technology is revolutionizing how software functions, including how experts create and develop products.

2. Programming languages are becoming more abstract

The use of more abstract programming languages is one of the most glaring trends in software engineering. Software engineers are engineers for a reason. Surely, more abstract programming languages are ideal for the work since it calls for creative problem-solving and unconventional thinking.

Python is now used for more than just data science. Due to its open source nature and large pre-built library that supports machine learning, big data, and cloud computing, Python is quickly becoming the most popular language for computer programming. Therefore, nearly any external dependencies are unnecessary because of the extensive library and strong support.

Besides for web development, Java is also a very helpful language in general. The cloud computing industry uses Java more than any other language. In fact, development of cloud software has skyrocketed over the past several years as a result of the rise in remote work.

It’s a fantastic time to study high level programming languages like Python and Java since IT startups and companies need engineers who are adept in those languages.

3. It’s wise to move towards AI

Despite the fact that artificial intelligence has been listed as one of the “future trends of software engineering” for a while, it is obvious that the time has come. Artificial intelligence applications range from chatbots and voice assistants to machine learning, and they are becoming more prevalent.

The ability to manage large amounts of data effectively has risen thanks to machine learning, which has also revolutionized speech recognition. Moreover, the Internet of Things is one of the main users of artificial intelligence development. IoT technology is now dominated by Amazon and Google, but as IoT expands to more devices, such as home appliances, expect to see new players emerge. Since the IoT industry is expanding quickly, learning AI abilities to power IoT devices is a wise investment for the future.

4. No-code engineering?

Yes, no-code engineering. It’s understandable that many platforms are causing some concern among software engineers because they enable users with little to no coding skills to create apps and experiment with new products.

You might be worried about the state of coding as a necessary skill as a software developer. We have good news: The introduction of no-code and low-code platforms allows software professionals to do what they do best, which is to drive innovation.

Low-code platforms are excellent tools for creating prototypes and testing concepts, but they frequently run into functional bottlenecks and are unlikely to ever have robust integration capabilities. For example applications, they eventually outgrow their low-code platforms, and software professionals are required to advance the program. That’s why these platforms have a long way to go before the majority of software solutions can be created without the use of code, thus it’s unlikely that they will severely challenge the demand for software engineers.

5. Not DevOps, but DevSecOps

Development, security, and operations, or DevSecOps, is a methodology for creating software that integrates security into each step of the DevOps pipeline.

Organizations continue to place a high premium on security in the face of expanding threats and the most expensive data breaches in history, costing over $4.24 million on average. As a result, it puts pressure on developers to provide safe software that is both internally utilized and used by end users.

Choosing DevSecOps in software development is the idea that security needs to be included into each step of development rather than being put off until the very end. Moreover, it indicates that the code is created with security in mind rather than being made secure. Therefore, involves changing one’s mindset as well as acquiring the tools necessary to identify security flaws and vulnerabilities in software, dependencies, the runtime environment, database, or APIs.

There are many exciting career paths for software engineers, but in order to take advantage of these lucrative positions, you must acquire the necessary abilities. We can help! Check out our trainee program.

About ITJ
ITJ is devoted to serving fast-growing and high-value market sectors, particularly the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), working with innovative medical device companies looking to improve people’s lives. With a unique BOT (build, operate, and transfer) model that sources only the best digital talent available, ITJ enables companies in the US to create technology centers of excellence in Mexico. For more information, visit www.itj.com.

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