From zero to become a Software Engineer ?

From zero to become a Software Engineer ?

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” is a common saying that originated from a Chinese proverb. Common question is where I should I start and how can I become expert and easily find a job. In these episode I will share my idea and experience. Let’s begin.

Becoming a software engineer typically encompasses by key steps:

• Planning your career path
• Obtaining an education
• Gaining experience and Getting certified
• Applying for jobs

Planning your career path is the key point of to this journey. Main paths aspiring software engineers can take to pursue their education: College, Coding Bootcamps and Self-directed learning. Each route comes with its own set of pros and cons, so consider them carefully before enrolling in an academic course. Whether you have received training or want to learn it yourself, there are main concepts that you must learn ;

• A broad and robust understanding of computer science and programming
• How to think algorithmically and solve programming problems efficiently
• Concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development
• How to engage with a vibrant community of like-minded learners from all levels of experience

For example “Harvard CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science” program is free and good start to understand of Computer Science mind set(Other free course https://matcha.fyi/free-coding-courses/). Also you can access video, tutorials ,books , free code from internet. For example ChatGPT and AI tools easily understand your question give nearly perfect answers.

Gaining experience is the golden rule for any job but how ? The best part of our sector you can easily start developing via online tools. Even you can do it by your mobile phone. If you dedicate yourself you don’t need a strong laptop or pc to starting to become a software engineer. I really recommend some key points to gain experience,

• Don’t limit yourself to your environment and life cycle. Software development is one of the jobs that require imagination.
• Open source projects is so important. You can easily access projects and give contribution and show your skill efficiently.
• Software Engineer key power is software language and software concepts. So that reason try to learn more than programming language at lease become expert as possible as one of them.
• Read code as much as possible. GitHub is treasure from this area. There is thousand repositories written best practice just try to understand an professional software mindset.
• Reading books and articles.(https://books.goalkicker.com/)
• Improve your EQ(Emotional intelligence).As important technical knowledge also you must improve your soft skill too.
• Getting certified is important. Certificates are valuable in today’s professional climate, as they quickly confirm your experience to employers seeking top-level candidates.

Finding a job and developing your self is parallel process your life cycle. Update your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other relevant application materials to ensure that potential employers have an up-to-date snapshot of your skills and capabilities. You must solve HackerRank or Leetcode problems to prepare interview. There are multiple websites here, I only mentioned the 2 most preferred ones. I will detail these part next episodes.