Woz U

It is no secret that software development professionals are in short supply and high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developer jobs are set to increase by 17% between 2014 and 2024. Couple this with a field that boasts a current 1,114,000 current jobs and an average salary of $97,990 you have one of the most desirable careers of the next decade.

Are Software Developers Evolving?

Software developers are constantly evolving and changing alongside the tech industry. As the software developer careers evolve, so must the software developers themselves.

Long gone are the days of the developer who comes into their office and buries themselves in the glow of a monitor for 8 hours. Developers must now communicate with a team, adapt to a changing environment, stay consistent with new technology, and be able to convey complex technical ideas to a group of non-technical based associates.

Developers themselves are changing wonderfully with these principals. Communication skills are becoming an essential element to the developer resume and leadership is blossoming in some of the brightest young minds in tech. With such promise in the minds of those in the field, issue of scarcity remains: There are just not enough developers to fill the available jobs.

Fundamental Developer Changes

Developers newly evolving landscape affects more than just the developers and the field they work in. This change forces a paradigm shift in the path to becoming a junior developer. A paradigm shift is defined as a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. In the past, the path to becoming a software developer was a 4-year bachelor ‘s degree, a series of courses involving complex mathematics and thousands upon thousands of dollars in the form of a tuition bill. While the cost was steep this method was well worth every penny.

As the need for developers grew, a select group of people began to realize that college was not the only way to master the software development process. Self-taught developers began to emerge to fill the positions demanded in the current market. These developers were often masters of their own domain. Being self-taught may have hindered their understanding of complex mathematics, but the passion and desire to write code was unrivaled by others in the field. The self-taught developer had a major advantage: They were hungry. Their desire to learn and grow was unprecedented.

It was this battle of two absolutes that brought about the change to the landscape of development training. While the college grad had the in-depth mathematical understand and technical training, the self-taught developer had the understanding of current technology and desire to learn and grow. A world of two absolutes could not exist long without balance, and thus, the Boot Camp developer was born.

Hybrid Boot Camp Developers

The boot camp developer is a special hybrid. The boot camp developer puts aside their life and risks it all for a chance in the tech industry. They are introduced to many of the rigors of study schedules and deadlines of the college developer, while showcasing the drive and desire to earn their skills by giving up everything to attend a roughly 3-month long college degree.

Many have their own perspectives on which of the current developers they prefer. The one factor that remains constant is you cannot teach ‘heart’. The passion for technology, the drive to learn, and the desire to enter and work in a growing market is not a skill that can be learned at a university, nor one that can be summed up in a ‘6 Easy Steps To..” article found on Google.com. That gut feeling to chase a dream no matter the cost is the key factor in what will one day make any software developer great.

A Realistic Path For Developers

The purpose of this revelation is not to undermine the value of the college developer. The purpose is not to defend the boot camp developer. The purpose is to inspire a realization of equality among us. As developers we need to keep that drive. The age of doubting the boot camp program is over. It is that drive that binds all of us. Whether you traverse a traditional college path or look for a career change in a high-quality development boot camp, know one thing: Software Development requires desire, passion, and heart.

As a boot camp graduate myself, I can tell you that it is never too late to start. There is no obstacle too big to overcome. If you truly want to work in this industry, there is nothing on Earth that can stop you. I encourage any and all developers to ask questions. Be inquisitive. Strive to know everything you can about software development and get better each and every day.

Long gone are the days of the software developer alone in their cubical. The developer who sits quietly in the corner is a thing of the past. Developers are shaping tomorrow’s landscape. The software development boom of our era is upon us. Get hungry for knowledge, get trained, and get coding. You will create the future.