Becoming a software developer has always been a good idea, with more and more people coming online and devices being an increasingly important part of our lives and activities. Now, with the insecurities of work and business being made all too clear by the global COVID-19 shutdown, it’s an even better idea. Becoming a software developer has many perks, pays incredibly well, and opens up a whole new world of career opportunities in some of the fastest-growing industries out there.
Here are a few great reasons why you should strongly consider becoming a software developer.
Software developer salaries are among the highest in the world
The incredibly high salaries of workers in the tech industry are by far the biggest attractions to people who want to get into software development. On average, a software developer makes R304,890 per year. Simply put, software developers get paid very handsomely for what they do: junior- and entry-level pay is on average higher than most other careers, and senior-level pay routinely dominates global salary rankings for highest-paying careers.
Software development has a relatively low barrier of entry
Programming is far more accessible to the average person than most other conventional careers. Law, medicine, accounting, engineering: these and the other usual go-to ‘big’ career choices require expensive degrees, years of study, and intensive exams or industry body registrations to accredit you as certified to actually work in that profession.
Anyone can learn to code, regardless of their age, previous coding experience, and career/educational background. Want to switch careers from something totally unrelated to programming? It’s been done many times before. With programming, you have a range of far more accessible education paths open to you, for example specialised mentor-led bootcamps and online courses. Plus, and the ability to write good code and being able to prove your experience in creating highly-functioning programs are far more valued by prospective employers than degrees.
Software developer skills are future-proof
COVID-19 and shutdown showed the importance of tech skills. As brick-and-mortar shops and traditional industries ground to a halt or were put on lockdown, the tech space thrived. Internet use and the popular of online and digital services skyrocketed. These new chatbots, websites, online stores, and new customer platforms need whole teams of trained professionals to keep them running smoothly. In short, the world relies on software developers more than ever, meaning their job security is about as good as it gets.
And it’s not just coronavirus: AI is a real threat to many industries’ job security.
One major element of being a developer in the next 10 or 20 years is that it is a fairly future-proof career in a world that is becoming increasingly automated. As computers and software rapidly advance, they can, and will, replace many current jobs in society – research estimates that 47% of total careers in the USA, which require human labour, are at high risk of being automated in the future. However, these machines and algorithms will always need to be developed and maintained, which will only add to the growing demand for developers.
Software developer skills are highly transferable
If you know how to solve problems logically and can quickly grasp the syntax and structure of a coding language, you can easily switch languages and tech stacks to meet the rapidly-changing tech industry. It’s not like law, where moving to a new law system would require extensive retraining and re-registration.
Plus, an understanding of software, and the high level of tech literacy that requires, is a beneficial tool for almost any career you find yourself in – especially with the increasing reliance that our society has on digital technologies and platforms.
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