Avinash Singh for Lets Code

Posted on Apr 23 • Edited on Apr 24

How to Become a Software Engineer ?

#softwareengineering #developers #code #webdev

Want to become a software engineer? But why? What is the need? Haven't you decided yet? If not then you need to decide it first!
Maybe you want to become a software engineer because of your curiosity from childhood about how computers work, or because you want to earn lots of money and want to build a good reputation in the tech industry.

If none of the above reasons apply, and you want to become a software engineer because you don't know what to do and someone suggested it to you, then you need to rethink.

Because the journey of software engineering will not be easy, it's important to be clear about your goals. Otherwise, you risk becoming dissatisfied with your 9-to-5 job over time, feeling unhappy with your work and questioning your career choice.

It's not necessary for a software engineer to work a 9-to-5 job. With some experience, you can build your own startup, freelance, or pursue your passion, whether it's something you've been passionate about since childhood or during college days. For instance, I started during my college days, although I wasn't clear on my final goal or the type of startup I wanted to build. However, I knew one thing: I needed a good network and audience to make my startup successful.

So, I started building a network on LinkedIn, growing both my personal profile and my community page. Right now, I have an audience of 45k+ on my personal profile and 30k + on the community page. I shared helpful content with my audience and began inviting them on WhatsApp and Telegram. Now, with just one click, I can reach over 50k + people. I have a tech community on whatsapp where I'm providing a space to people to ask thier doubts and engage with meaninful discussion. I have created numerous helpful resources to assist job seekers. For example, the A to Z Placement Kit provides everything from resumes to cover letters, interview questions to notes, startup lists, project ideas, and many other resources. These days, I'm focusing on making products to solve real-world problems. Let's see where it goes, but I'm committed to growing together with my community.

Coming back to how to become a software engineer!

1. Be Clear About Your End Goal

Starting a new career isn't easy. But having a clear goal helps you overcome obstacles. You should know exactly what you're aiming for.

2. Pursue a degree in Computer Science or a related field

To begin your journey as a software engineer, it's advisable to first pursue a degree in computer science or a related field. Typically, a bachelor’s degree is a minimum requirement.

Choosing to major in computer science provides a solid foundation for software design. During interviews, you can expect questions about topics like data structures and algorithms, which are covered extensively in traditional computer science programs.

Although a degree is not mandatory to become a software engineer, you can achieve this role through your skills, self-learning, and by developing noteworthy products or projects that showcase your abilities. Nowadays, startups are focusing more on skills rather than degrees. If you have the necessary skills and experience, they will hire you!

Startup Companies Hiring Remotely in 2024

3. Learn Programming Languages.

The first thing to learn to become a software engineer is programming languages. Learning programming languages is essential as they form the foundation of software development.

You can pick from languages like Java, Python, C++, C#, and Javascript. You don't need to learn many languages at once when you're starting out. Start with one and become really good at it. Later, when you have more experience, you can try another one. It's easier to learn the next language after the first.

Youtube Tutorials

Java - English , Hindi
JavaScript - English , Hindi
C++ - English , Hindi
Python - English , Hindi

Understand the core concepts like variables, control structures, data types, and syntax.

After learning the basics, you can start learning DSA.

DSA with Java
DSA with C++
DSA with Python
DSA with JavaScript

Complete DSA material curated by Let's Code

Read this blog - How to start your coding Journey ?

4. Design and Build Software or Projects

One of the best ways to learn software engineering is by getting your hands dirty. Start by designing and building your own software projects. Whether it's a simple web application, a mobile app, or a game, the key is to start coding and gaining practical experience.

Below is a list of programming tutorials in which aspiring software developers learn how to build an application from scratch.

practical-tutorials / project-based-learning

Curated list of project-based tutorials

Project Based Learning

A list of programming tutorials in which aspiring software developers learn how to build an application from scratch. These tutorials are divided into different primary programming languages. Tutorials may involve multiple technologies and languages.

To get started, simply fork this repo. Please refer to CONTRIBUTING.md for contribution guidelines.

C/C++:

View on GitHub

Below repository is a compilation of well-written, step-by-step guides for re-creating our favorite technologies from scratch.

codecrafters-io / build-your-own-x

Master programming by recreating your favorite technologies from scratch.

Table of Contents: Build your own X

This repository is a compilation of well-written, step-by-step guides for re-creating our favorite technologies from scratch.

What I cannot create, I do not understand — Richard Feynman.

It's a great way to learn.

Tutorials

Build your own `3D Renderer`

View on GitHub

5. Resume & Online profile Building

Your resume and online presence are crucial when applying for software engineering roles. Make sure to highlight your projects, skills, and experiences in your resume, and create an impressive online portfolio or GitHub profile to showcase your work.

In the drive below, you will find resume templates, cover letter templates, cold email templates, and guides, which will be very helpful for resume creation.

Resume , Cover letter & Cold email templates - Google Docs

docs.google.com

Optimize your GitHub Profile

For those in technical fields, a GitHub profile can be a valuable asset to showcase your coding skills and contributions to projects.
Keep your GitHub profile updated with your latest projects, contributions to open-source projects, and any other relevant code samples.
Provide clear documentation and explanations for your projects to demonstrate your understanding and communication skills.

In this repository, I have attached some good profile readme templates which you can use to optimize your GitHub profile

avinash201199 / profile-readme-templates

collection of Profile readme templates

Profile-readme-templates

This repository contains the collection of some good profile readme . With the help of these you can make your own attractive profile readme.You can contribute to this repository by adding your's or any other's profile readme.

How to contribute

Star this repository
create an issue and wait for approval.
Fork this repo after approval.
Add your profile readme file in Profile Readme Template folder
We will add your profile readme details on this main readme by ourself(If we find it attractive or compelling)
To capture larger screen you can minimize the screen by pressing ctrl "+" -
create pull request and wait for approval.

LinkedIn Profile Optimization

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for networking and showcasing your professional profile.
Ensure your LinkedIn profile is complete and up-to-date, including a professional photo, headline, summary, and detailed descriptions of your education, experience, and skills.
Connect with professionals in your field of interest, join relevant groups, and engage with content to expand your network.
Ask for recommendations from professors, mentors, or previous employers to add credibility to your profile.

You can read the article below to optimize your LinkedIn profile.

The Complete LinkedIn Marketing and Job Search Workshop -

Elevate your game on LinkedIn! Our transformative workshop empowers you to craft a magnetic personal brand, unleash captivating content marketing, ace the job hunt, and skyrocket lead generation. Leverage pro tips, unlock LinkedIn's full potential for explosive career growth and business wins. Seize this opportunity today!

apnajourney.com

6. Do Internships

Internships are a fantastic way to gain real-world experience and learn from seasoned professionals. Look for internships at tech companies or startups, and make the most out of the opportunity to expand your skills and network with industry professionals.

Join Telegram channel for internships & jobs updates.

If you're not able to secure paid internships, you can opt for virtual internships from top companies on Forage. Explore careers and prepare for the job with hundreds of free job simulations designed by the world's top employers.

Read this blog for more details - How to get an Internship?

7. Join Community of Software Engineers

Surround yourself with like-minded individuals by joining communities of software engineers. Whether it's online forums, meetups, or tech events, connecting with others in the field can provide valuable insights, support, and networking opportunities.

You can join Lets Code Tech communities in various fields, where you can ask questions, engage in meaningful conversations, and clear your doubts.

Some platforms that software engineers should use.

Stack Overflow: An online community for programmers to ask and answer questions on various programming topics. It's a valuable resource for troubleshooting, learning, and sharing knowledge.
GitHub: A web-based platform for version control using Git. It's widely used for hosting open-source projects and collaborating on code.
Dev.to is a community-driven platform specifically tailored for software developers, engineers, and other tech professionals. It serves as a space for sharing knowledge, insights, and experiences related to software development and technology in general
freeCodeCamp is a non-profit educational organization that consists of an interactive learning web platform, an online community forum, chat rooms, online publications and local organizations that intend to make learning software development accessible to anyone.

8. Master Your Pre-Interview Skills

Technical interviews are a common part of the software engineering hiring process. Prepare yourself by mastering coding problems, algorithms, and data structures. Practice coding challenges regularly and refine your problem-solving skills.

Curated coding interview preparation materials for busy software engineers

yangshun / tech-interview-handbook

💯 Curated coding interview preparation materials for busy software engineers

Tech Interview Handbook

Read on the website

Join/follow us on Discord | 𝕏 (Twitter) | Telegram | Facebook

What is this?

Not everyone has the time to do a few hundred LeetCode questions. Here are free and curated technical interview preparation materials for busy engineers, brought to you by me, the author of Blind 75. Over 500,000 people have benefitted from this handbook!

Besides the usual algorithm questions, other awesome stuff includes:

Best practice questions for coding interviews
Grind 75 - the next evolution of Blind 75, bigger and better
How to prepare for coding interviews
Coding interview best practices - Straight-to-the-point Do's and Don'ts
Algorithm cheatsheets and tips categorized by topic
Step-by-step Software Engineer resume guide to prepare a FAANG-ready resume
Behavioral questions asked by the top tech companies
Front end interview preparation

Help from you in contributing content would be very much appreciated!

Why would you read

…

View on GitHub

A curated awesome list of lists of interview questions.

DopplerHQ / awesome-interview-questions

:octocat: A curated awesome list of lists of interview questions. Feel free to contribute! 🎓

All your environment variables, in one place

Stop struggling with scattered API keys, hacking together home-brewed tools,

and avoiding access controls. Keep your team and servers in sync with Doppler.

Awesome Interviews

A curated list of lists of technical interview questions.

What makes for an awesome list?

Please read the contribution guidelines or creating a list guide if you want to contribute.

Programming Languages/Frameworks/Platforms
- Android
- AngularJS
- Angular
- BackboneJS
- C++
- C
- C♯
- .NET
- Clojure
- CSS
- Cucumber
- Django
- Docker
- Elastic
- EmberJS
- Erlang
- Golang
- GraphQl
- HTML
- Ionic
- iOS
- Java
- JavaScript
- jQuery
- Front-end build tools
- KnockoutJS
- Less
- Lisp
- NodeJS
- Objective-C
- PHP
- Python
- ReactJS
- Rails
- Ruby
- Rust
- Sass
- Scala
- Shell
- Spark
- Swift
- Vue.js
- Wordpress
- TypeScript
Database technologies
- Cassandra
- Microsoft Access
- MongoDB
- MySQL
- Neo4j
- Oracle
- Postgres
- SQL
- SQL Lite
Caching technologies
- Memcached
- Redis
OS
- Linux
- Windows
Algorithms
Blockchain
Coding exercises
Comprehensive lists
Design patterns
Data structures
Networks
Security
Data Science

Programming Languages/Frameworks/Platforms

Android

…

View on GitHub

9. Apply for jobs

Once you feel confident in your skills and experiences, start applying for software engineering positions. Tailor your applications to each job opportunity, and don't be afraid to showcase your passion and enthusiasm for the field.

LinkedIn has a dedicated job search feature where you can search for jobs by keywords, location, industry, and other criteria. You can also save job listings and set up job alerts to be notified of new opportunities.

10. Resources

Take advantage of online resources such as coding tutorials, courses, and documentation to continue learning and improving your skills. Stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends in software engineering.

I'm going to share some resources which can be very helpful for software engineers.

10. Tips

The journey to becoming a software engineer may have its challenges, but with dedication, hard work, and continuous learning, you can achieve your goals. Network with professionals in the industry, seek mentorship, and never stop honing your craft.

Software engineering is a vast field and has different roles based on requirements and task complexity. So you can choose as per your convenience and go ahead. Some of the prominent roles are listed below:

Full Stack Engineer
Front-End Engineer
DevOps Engineer
Back-End Engineer
Software Engineer in Test
Data Engineer
Embedded Systems Software Engineer
Security Engineer
Cloud Engineer

Obtain the roadmap for the roles mentioned above and begin preparing for them. Learn the basics first, then develop some quality projects. When applying, update your resume, incorporating keywords, skills, and projects relevant to the job description.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know your thoughts on the blog in the comment section. If you have any questions, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

Follow me on Github for more helpful repositories

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How to Become a Software Engineer ?