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Software engineering can be a lucrative and challenging field to work in. It offers a unique way to solve problems and create products and services that can revolutionize industries or push the envelope for the technology world as a whole. But it’s not the easiest of career paths. We’ll walk you through the challenges.
What Are the Hardest Software Engineering Skills to Learn?
Software engineering involves a unique set of technical skills that can be tough to acquire at the start of your education. However, mastering these skill sets can effortlessly cement your place as a great software engineer. Let’s cover some of the most important ones.
Data Structures and Algorithms
Probably the most essential skill for a software engineer. Understanding data structures within your programming language of choice is immensely valuable. This doesn’t just apply to your own learning; this understanding is also something that employers highly value. The same applies to creating and understanding algorithms, as they are a massive part of many modern software products.
Object-Oriented Programming
Object-oriented programming is a unique feature that’s shared among select programming languages. Essentially, this coding structure revolves around “objects,” a mix of data and code manipulated by the rest of the code. Many modern programming languages, such as Python, JavaScript, and C++, are object-oriented.
The Command Line
While not all developers use it, the command line is an important skill to master for those who want to do more than front-end development. It is a powerful tool for file management, automation, running code, and more. It also helps with leaning into using the Linux operating system and tools like Docker.
Communication
Naturally, soft skills will play a massive part in your career. Communication is vital for software engineers for a myriad of reasons. Software developers must be able to hold their own in team meetings and code reviews, as well as demonstrate new ideas.
How Hard Is the Training—Whether Degree Programs, Bootcamps, or Professional Certifications?
There are a lot of paths that can lead to your becoming a software engineer, each one with its own unique challenges.
- University Education: A college degree is probably the safest bet, as you have clear guidelines to earning your qualification. However, this also can come at a steep cost. Many programs will often end up with the practice of coding taking a back seat to how and why it works. You will also have to deal with other obligations and general education courses to meet the criteria for graduation.
- Self-Taught: Self-instruction is a mixed bag. Some people need the rigidity of a class environment, while some prefer to figure it out for themselves. There are a myriad of online resources to learn any programming language out there, but you have to truly spend time studying and practicing to grasp the overall concepts.
- Professional Certifications: Certifications can be an excellent way to pad your knowledge, but they aren’t an all-access pass to a career. These certifications are generally easy with enough studying, but they’re only good for learning new skills once you have the basics down.
Regardless of your path, the best advice we can give you is to be patient. Programming is difficult; software engineering is no different. Utilize resources like Reddit’s r/learnprogramming or Stack Overflow to clear roadblocks when you’re stumped and get some real answers.
What Do Real Software Engineers Say?
Everyone’s got an opinion on their job as a software engineer. Let’s take a look at some quotes from actual developers:
“Software engineering is so damn hard. I’m not saying it’s rocket science but you have to keep yourself up to date because sometimes technologies deprecate a few times in a decade, you should have a great overview of how computers work . . . you need to be great at problem-solving, you must be 100% comfortable in English. you can hardly find a more complex and abstract (in a technical sense) job. Know your worth, overcome your Impostor syndrome and have a nice day.” —u/fiveMop
“For those who are new to software engineering, the road to competency is long and hard. It requires years of practice and experience.” —Richard Kenneth Eng
“Being a Software Engineer is like having the floor constantly collapsing beneath your feet, everything moves fast, you are never in a position where you have a complete knowledge of anything, you need to learn new stuff every day.” —Ivo Jesus
How Hard is it to Land a Job in Software?
You’ve probably heard that there is always a demand for new software developers, and it’s true. Developer jobs have been in demand for the last decade, and there isn’t an end in sight. However, that doesn’t mean acquiring a degree and a job will be easy.
Getting your foot in the door is the most significant step to finding success, which can be an arduous task.
- Junior developers often struggle with securing an interview, and when they land one, they’re faced with any number of potential tests just to land a job.
- These tests are no joke, either. Take a look at this list of some of the tests you might be asked to complete during the interview process.
However, once you manage to get your first job, the floodgates are open. With experience, you can pretty much navigate to any position you want in the tech world. With the job market upended by the pandemic and the rise of new companies in the tech world since then, there really isn’t much of a lack of opportunity once you’ve got some time under your belt.
Software Engineering Can Be Difficult—Should You Pursue It?
At the end of the day, the choice to be a software engineer is really up to you. You need to be aware of the uphill climb at the start of your journey. While a small number of people fall in love with the field immediately, or things just “click” for them, others have to work hard to master concepts.
Persevere and you’ll find a rewarding career that constantly challenges you in exciting ways. Problem-solving is one of the most significant skills you’ll need, and overcoming problems can sometimes be incredibly satisfying. However, the path to get there can often be stressful and arduous, so having a strong will is also necessary.
In our eyes, software engineering is a fantastic choice of career. At the end of the day, you will need to weigh the pros & cons and decide if you’re likely to surmount the initial obstacles.
