What are the most important skills for a software engineer in 2024?
In the modern business landscape, computers are involved in almost every organisation across all industries. Consequently, software engineers are some of the most highly sought-after professionals in the world in 2023.
Many experts in this niche are attracted by higher-than-average salaries, a wealth of job opportunities and the chance to work on exciting projects in tech. However, this means more people than ever before are hoping to land a software engineer job and the competition for places is high.
Programming is the skill most associated with these professionals, but that alone won’t cut it in 2024. Here are some of the best proficiencies you can develop to ensure your chances of landing your dream job are as high as possible.
Cloud computing
With the proliferation of hybrid and remote working patterns in recent years, many organisations have shifted their environments to cloud for both scalability and cost-saving measures.
This means the modern software engineer is most likely going to need to understand cloud-native applications. Additionally, AI and machine learning rely heavily on cloud for modelling, so expertise in this area will only increase your employability.
DevOps
The largest firms around the globe are already adopting DevOps processes because software is demanded at a much faster rate than in previous years. Now, teams collaborate closely to boost efficiency and solve problems faster.
Software engineers who specialise in DevOps (also known as DevOps engineers) boast a comprehensive understanding of build cycles and must be familiar with cloud processes. These experts are in high demand across all industries as more companies begin to embrace DevOps processes.
Programming
Of course, programming is still the ground zero for software engineering. The main difference in today’s landscape is that professionals are often expected to be well-versed in numerous languages and able to work across various disciplines, such as mobile apps and desktop devices.
In its latest Octoverse report, GitHub noted the most popular programming languages to be JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, C++ and C#. Additionally, those such as Kotlin and HCL are rising in popularity, so it pays for software engineers to be aware of current trends in the industry.
Testing
Creating new software is just a fraction of what an engineer is required to do. Each new program, system and application will need to be tested, refined and retested until it meets specific standards.
A solid understanding of this testing process is therefore integral for any software engineer. Despite many companies now leaning on automated processes and AI to assess new software, it’s a skill that almost any organisation will be outlining in job descriptions.
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