What Makes a Good Software Engineer?
You might think that the most important thing when becoming a software engineer is your coding skills. Those certainly make a difference. But to really stand out in the field, you have to focus on your soft skills, too. App Academy’s programs do not just train you to be a good software engineer, but rather a great one!
How to Be a Good Software Engineer
A good software engineer practices and hones their craft in a myriad of ways, and some of those methods don’t include programming at all. Successful software engineers must be able to demonstrate that they are:
Logically minded problem solvers
Strong time-managers
Innovative and solutions-oriented
Effective interpersonal communicators
Proficient at coding
Eloquent at interviewing
The Soft Skills You’ll Need to Succeed
Software engineers should be able to create solid code and work with a variety of languages, but they should also excel at the soft skills we discuss in detail below.
Problem Solver
Strong Time-Management Skills
Logically Minded
Innovative and Solutions-Oriented
Strong Interpersonal Skills
Technical Skills for Software Engineering
Now that we’ve discussed the soft skills, we can move onto the hard skills, some of which you might be more familiar with. A good software engineer should know how to code! This comes down to the fact that a good software engineer should understand the fundamentals of coding so they’re able to learn and transition to unfamiliar languages if necessary.
Mastery of Coding Languages
Some programming languages to know include Python, Ruby, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. These are widely used, common programming languages that you will encounter in the industry. They’re not the only hard skills to have under your belt, though.
Object-Oriented Programming
Also called OOP, object-oriented programming uses classes and objects. The point is to structure programs into small, simple, and reusable pieces of code.
Software Testing and Debugging
To ensure your code works as intended, you’ll need to thoroughly delve into every feature and make sure there are no bugs.
Software Development Tactics
With the right tactics, you can create quality code quickly. You can deliver a superior product by using strategies such as breaking up deliverables, prioritizing user experience, and planning for mistakes in advance. The goal is to be able to jump into any situation with varied programming languages and hardware but still be able to deliver a solid product.
Demonstrating Traits in
an Interview
At App Academy, our admissions processes includes a Non-Technical Interview, which provides a great opportunity to practice.
We look for our applicant's to be able to demonstrate the following:
Coachability
Love of problem-solving and taking on challenges
Capacity to learn well under pressure
Willingness to accept and implement feedback
A deeper “why” for a career in software engineering than just a higher salary
An understanding of the day-to-day job
Proven resiliency
Then, once you’ve graduated, we offer career support to help you practice how to showcase these traits in your interviews with potential future employers!
Learn How to Code with App Academy
Regardless of which program you choose, you’ll learn everything you need to know in order to become a successful software engineer.
