How to become a Software Developer – Experience Matters

My real programming career didn’t begin until I got into a job where we were re-writing a system, going from C/C++ on Unix to .NET and Windows servers with SQL Server running as the central database.  Once I got to see my work in action, I was hooked and knew that I’d found my niche in technology. One of the major factors as well is .NET/C# development. I had done mostly C and C++ in my early career but .NET opened up so many possibilities to do things quickly and made it possible to provide a better solution.  In the early 2000 ’s .NET was new as well so it was exciting to be working on something that was ‘cutting edge’ or at least close to it.

We’ve covered your why and gained a better understanding of what it takes to be a successful Software Developer.  Today, I’m going to briefly talk about your past experiences and how they matter a lot to your development career.  I want you to be intentional so that you can have a meaningful career and avoid some of the pitfalls.  Think about how you can apply the things you’ve done to Software Development.  It doesn’t have to be things you’ve done in your career or work history but also your hobbies and things you enjoy doing otherwise.

This post and exercise is to help you relate past experiences to your future to help you move forward with confidence.  What has happened and who has helped you get to where you are? Did you take a class that sparked your interest in technology or programming? 

For me, the closest thing to a computer class that I had in high school was typewriting and then word processing.  I had computers growing up, but this was in the mid to late 90’s when the internet was in its infancy and software careers weren’t as prominent.  I mainly played games like Doom and performed web searches (pre-Google) for a few things for school research. I wasn’t introduced to programming until my college years and honestly wasn’t that into it.  I ended up going with a Information Systems major in college thinking that I wanted to work in technology in general and a lot of that was because the job market was strong.

If you haven’t had any technology experience yet then what is it that you’ve enjoyed doing?  Do you like creating things in general? Do you help people out when they have a phone (pocket computer) question?  How have you helped others?  Writing software is about enabling people and giving it your best when doing so. If you’re into helping and enabling people to live better lives then this career opens you up to do so.  Life is about helping others and the more people you help, the better off you’ll be.

I’ve met people with degrees and early background that don’t directly relate to Software Development or even technology at all.  For example, if your degree or experience is in English but you still have a knack for writing code then it will work.  Writing code does align with writing in general.  Software Development is an art and requires creativity.

You can even couple your background with it.  Let’s say that you work in Finance.  Financial institutions need software and could use your background to make a better solution for them.  It could be that your current employer is where you start your transition.  Before you make any big career moves, let’s make sure that development is your calling and then commit to it.  Once you’ve committed then start making it known to people, at least family and friends to start with, and you’ll start seeing doors open, possibly even at your current employer.

You’re creating your story and legacy right now.   What do you want your future to look like and how will your past help you?  Write down (or add to your favorite note app) at least 3 of your past experiences along with why they matter to your future in Software Development.