Some tips for anyone thinking of changing jobs and embarking on a career in software development – from the perspective of a software company owner.
Current market situation
Working in the programming industry, and more specifically with start-ups, I sometimes observe changes and trends occurring in the field. In Poland, there has been a massive increase in the number of people who have decided to retrain and become software developers. The market has never experienced such interest and influx of candidates. At the same time, many companies are willing to employ experienced developers rather than people taking their first steps in the profession.
Their decision is often motivated by a good salary which I fully understand. The problem arises when it’s the only reason for someone to start coding.
Employer’s perspective
At the beginning, the company will have to invest in you a lot of time of their more experienced developers who will train you, explain the rules, introduce you to projects, answer questions and help in case of any problems. Such training takes from 3 months to a year.
Each boss, when deciding to hire an employee with no experience, has to invest his team’s time in them. And this is a considerable investment.
A place for newbies
The IT industry is changing so fast that finding someone truly experienced on the market is becoming more and more difficult. In fact, hiring a junior developer and training them sometimes seems faster than the constant search for a senior developer who just wants to change jobs.
Developer’s first job
When looking for a perfect first employer, remember:
- It shouldn’t be very small. You need people to learn from.
- Larger companies have larger budgets, so it’s easier for them to invest in hiring and training you.
- At the beginning, you may find it easier to navigate through smaller projects.
- Do thorough research on what projects the company deals with.
Competition in the developer market
The company has invited you for an interview? Great! Be aware of:
- You compete with students and graduates who have just left universities.
- A younger employee usually has lower financial expectations.
What you can do:
- Your advantage is experience from previous work.
- Write at least one app – make sure it’s the best code you’ve ever written.
- Be determined.
- Consider starting your own business for tax benefits.
- Make a suggestion that for some time you will be prepared to work for less.
Remote work
While you’re still a junior developer, your boss will probably prefer you to work in the office rather than from home. Face-to-face exchange of information is much quicker, so you learn faster.
To sum up…
The decision to change your profession and start programming is not and probably should not be easy. There are hundreds of hours ahead of you in front of the computer. However, just getting through these stages says a lot about your determination and readiness for hard work. That’s a good start!