{"id":3443,"date":"2020-12-29T10:58:04","date_gmt":"2020-12-29T10:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/?p=3443"},"modified":"2021-04-14T13:52:44","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T13:52:44","slug":"how-to-become-a-software-engineer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/blog\/how-to-become-a-software-engineer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become a software engineer according to Interventure’s all-star teams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019re wondering how to become a software engineer, you\u2019re definitely not alone. The career of a software engineer is attractive to many, and not just because it\u2019s well paid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Sure, the job outlook is amazing, but choosing this profession also allows you to work in many different areas and across various industries. Besides, the technological advancements do not show any signs of slowing down. If you try hard to become a part of this dynamic landscape, you\u2019ll surely encounter opportunities to innovate and make an impact. This is something that\u2019s often perceived as an exciting challenge for those driven to become software engineers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Alas, simply wanting <\/em>to do something is not enough. It can be confusing how to get from A to B when you\u2019re at the beginning of your career path or looking to switch professions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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There\u2019s a Catch-22 when it comes to young people who are just stepping into their working lives: you need experience to get a job, but you can\u2019t get a job without experience. We\u2019ve all been there and it can get very frustrating.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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This is why we wanted to gather useful insights about how to become a software engineer directly from our all-star team members. Meet Predrag Mari\u0107, Milan \u017divi\u0107, Damir Alibegovi\u0107, and Stefan Vrankovi\u0107.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Lesson #1: Education is important<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Have you heard about Julius Yego, the javelin thrower who won gold at the World Championships? Did you know that he learned how to throw by watching YouTube videos<\/a>? It\u2019s true. Yego\u2019s case shows that, when you have iron will and such a strong inner drive to accomplish something, nothing can stand in your way – not even the fact that you don\u2019t have a professional coach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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With today\u2019s plethora of online resources, active communities, MOOCs, and various alternative learning pathways, it\u2019s almost impossible to find a valid excuse for not being able to master some skill or learn something new. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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But does this mean that college education has become obsolete? Absolutely not. It\u2019s not that you cannot succeed at becoming a software engineer without a degree in computer science. Rather it\u2019s about developing your mind and vital skills in a learning environment that keeps you focused and prepares you for the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Predrag Mari\u0107 graduated from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences. He believes that formal education matters because of the depth of knowledge students get by attending university. However, he noticed that there is a shift away from formal to informal education:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Predrag Mari\u0107<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\u201cIt looks like the world is moving away from formal education requirements. I read that Google is preparing to launch 6-month courses that they will treat equally to the formal diploma. I\u2019m really curious to see how that will work out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Milan \u017divi\u0107 has the same educational background as Predrag, but he underlines the importance of taking initiative and being proactive in terms of putting the knowledge to use:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cHigher education will definitely give you a bit of a background and push in the right direction, but that\u2019s mostly it. What it\u2019s really good for is that it tends to change your mindset – you\u2019re not passively soaking up information anymore, you\u2019re actively looking into ways to increase your knowledge of the given subject, and gaining that skill alone will set you lightyears ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Both Stefan Vrankovi\u0107 and Damir Alibegovi\u0107 agree that education is crucial for later professional success. Damir has graduated from School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Applied Studies (VISER) and Faculty of Computer Science (RAF), while Stefan finished the School of Electrical Engineering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Studying any type of scientific field can prepare you for a software engineering career path. It disciplines the mind and helps you develop logical thinking skills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Lesson #2: Being a software engineer requires lifelong learning<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Now that we covered the part about benefits of formal education, it\u2019s a good idea to touch upon the importance of committing to lifelong learning. The software engineering industry is a high-paced one, which means professionals need to be light on their feet and willing to invest an effort to master new skills.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Regardless of the myth about engineers being introverts and working isolated from everyone, they do need to work on both soft and technical skills:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s highly likely that as a software engineer you\u2019ll work in a team and I would always prefer a good cultural fit over a rock star developer with an attitude in my team. On a short-term, you may get great results with the latter, but in the long run the former is a much better choice.\u201d, says Predrag.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Milan thinks the same:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Milan \u017divi\u0107<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\u201cAs a software engineer, your job is to solve real world business problems and you can\u2019t do it alone, so you\u2019ll definitely need to work on your communication skills in order to successfully work with your team members, managers and your stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Beyond soft skills, engineers must continue learning to prevent falling into a skill rot, Predrag explained to us:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cThe IT industry is changing rapidly. Software companies and engineers are required to follow the latest changes so they can be concurrent on the market. On the other hand, the IT industry and also subdomains of it, such as the Backend domain, are very huge and my experience tells me that, the more I learn and improve my knowledge – the less I know. That means that each area and the new skill I learn opens new \u201cpandora boxes\u201d and shows me some new technologies and skills I wasn\u2019t aware of before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Damir pointed out that, in addition to the above-mentioned, engineers also need to develop business awareness, build time management skills, work on confident decision making, and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Lesson #3: Don\u2019t do it for the money<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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It is a well known fact that software engineers have high salaries, which is directly connected to the supply and demand law of the market<\/a>. But should this be your primary motivation for becoming a software engineer? According to Stefan, this is one of the most common misconceptions people have about software engineers:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cPeople think that being a software developer is a straightforward, boring and money-making profession. I say – do not go for the money. Look for the job which is going to provide you knowledge and hard work. Money will come with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The truth is, choosing a profession is a delicate act of balance between finding something that will make you happy while also covering for existential needs. Prioritizing financial incentive without having any genuine interest in computer sciences is likely to result in a disaster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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So, what would be the healthy drives for pursuing the career of a software engineer? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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For Milan, it was the love towards video games:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cMy dad bought our first i486 PC way back when I was 2 years old. When I got a bit older, I couldn\u2019t get enough of various DOS hits like Commander Keen. My gaming interests grew over the years until the point that I\u2019ve actively wanted to become a game developer. As a byproduct of my stint as a game programmer, I\u2019ve developed solid programming chops and a passion for problem solving, so that\u2019s what got me further into the software industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Sometimes, it can be the love towards solving problems, as Stefan shared with us:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cSince I was a kid, I was very attracted to solving interesting mathematical problems. That attraction led me to the beautiful world of algorithms and it was natural to decide to choose this profession.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\"InterVenture
Stefan Vrankovi\u0107<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Of course, there can be a number of reasons. Just like with any other professions, there has to be some level of curiosity for the field you plan to work in for the rest of your life. If you\u2019re not that into computers and electronics, it\u2019s not likely that you\u2019ll be happy or particularly successful in software engineering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Lesson #4: Learn what the profession is about before pursuing it <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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We asked our all-star software engineers to share the common misconceptions people have about software engineering and got some pretty amusing answers. Then we asked them to share what their typical work day actually looks like. See the table below. Are you guilty for believing some of the things from the left column?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Expectations \/ misconceptions<\/strong><\/td>Reality<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Developers sit in the corner for an entire day and write endless lines of code

If you like video games, you will definitely like software engineering

Developers are able to work from beaches or anywhere else because all they need is a laptop

Being a developer is boring

Developers = IT folks who can fix your PC with their eyes closed

It\u2019s easy to become a software engineer and once \u201cyou\u2019re in\u201d, you\u2019re golden<\/td>		Developers attend sprints and other meetings, and participate in cross-team collaboration

Developers don\u2019t just write code, but they also handle debugging, research tools and technologies, read and create documentation

Developers are not robots and they need a stable work environment to focus (just like other professions)

They tend to have a very dynamic day filled with challenging and diverse tasks

Developers support other colleagues during their onboarding<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Lesson #5: The universe cannot deny you forever<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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If you\u2019re determined to become a software engineer, you need to understand that success doesn\u2019t come overnight. The good news is, getting the first job is not as hard as it used to be with different internship programs and junior positions. Keeping an open mind is the key, says Milan:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cYou mustn\u2019t be afraid to ask questions. Prepare yourself for the lifetime of learning new things – if you\u2019re into that sort of thing, it\u2019s going to be a wild ride.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Stefan pointed out that young people can always rely on seniors to guide them through while they invest in personal growth and professional development. He has a pretty good advice for you:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cRead great books, spend time investigating cool new stuff on the internet, ask good programmers for advice, look for the best internship, fight for the knowledge and code as much as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Damir underlined the value of patience:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cIt takes time to learn the important concepts. Remember that getting a degree in CS usually takes 4 years.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\"InterVenture
Damir Alibegovi\u0107<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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To conclude: the universe cannot deny you forever. But, as Predrag says – If you\u2019re forcing it, it probably won\u2019t work out. Enjoy the path to becoming a software engineer and be kind to yourself. Nobody knows everything. In addition, progress doesn\u2019t always feel tangible, but when you stop and look how far you\u2019ve come – it\u2019s a whole different story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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We hope you enjoyed reading about the hands-on experience of InterVenture\u2019s team members.  to discover how you can jumpstart your career. Feel free to snoop around our blog <\/a>to learn more or explore our software engineering community<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re wondering how to become a software engineer, you\u2019re definitely not alone. The career of a software engineer is attractive to many, and not just because it\u2019s well paid. Sure, the job outlook is amazing, but choosing this profession also allows you to work in many different areas and across various industries. Besides, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[97],"class_list":["post-3443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-at-interventure","tag-how-to-become-a-software-developer"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interventure.info\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}