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Skills Needed For Employment As A Software Engineer
Introduction
Software engineering forms the basis of the field of computer technology. Software engineers develop software that is installed on various hardware such as mobiles and laptops (Fitzgerald, Brian, and Klaas-Jan Stol, pp. 178). The hardware devices can be rendered purposeless should software is not installed on them (Fitzgerald, Brian, and Klaas-Jan Stol, pp. 180). Software engineers employ software design and engineering principles to design develop and deploy a piece of software. As software engineering is a scientific and technically-driven field evolving at a rapid pace, individuals need formal degrees to move into this field (Fitzgerald, Brian, and Klaas-Jan Stol, pp. 179). Once an individual receives a software engineering degree, one has the freedom to embark on any software engineering career based on one's preference. There are multiple fields in which a software engineering graduate can work. Of all the fields in which an individual can work after getting a degree in software engineering, mobile application development, system software development, and web development are of particular interest. A software engineer working in the field of mobile application development is tasked to create applications that are used on mobile devices (Ebert et.al, 105). So of these applications are installed from the factory and some are installed after the purchase of these devices. A software engineer working in a systems development field creates specialized software such as an operating system (Ebert et.al, 105). Different operating systems are Windows and iOS. Lastly, a software engineer working in the field of web development develops software and applications that are run on the web (Ebert et.al, 106). Although a software engineering degree provides a robust foundation for students to embark on a successful career, each field in software engineer requires different skills that would make an individual thrive in that field. These skills set individuals apart from each other. On the basis of hands-on experience of these skills decides the starting salary of a software engineer. This paper would discuss the different skills required to work in a particular area of software engineering. Additionally, a comparison of working hours and salaries would be discussed. Furthermore, growth opportunities in each field would also be discussed.
Discussion
The field of software engineering has become the most lucrative occupational field in the United States. Different fields require a different set of skills. Some skills are high in demand and pay quite well. On the contrary, some skills do not pay that much in the software engineering domain. Mobile application development, system software development, and web development are three fields that attract the most software engineers.
Mobile Application Development
No one was familiar with the term of mobile application development a decade ago. However, the field of mobile application development is widely known as the most well paying job. In mobile application development, software engineers, most of the time, work as a team to design and develop different applications. Candy Crush is a popular game among mobile phone users. Although it is a game, from the perspective of a software engineer, it is basically an application. Mobile applications that are created using software engineering principles can run on mobile devices of various types. These mobile devices include iPhone and Android. For a software engineer looking to pursue a career in the iOS applications built specifically for iPhones, one needs multiple skills in order to thrive. The foremost skill an iOS developer would need is proficiency in "Swift" language (Beecham et.al, 9). The language swift has been developed by Apple. Next skill to master is the integrated development environment (IDE) designed to create iOS applications using “Swift” language (Beecham et.al, 9). In order to enter the android development field, one needs to have command over “JAVA” language. Furthermore, a software engineer would need to be skillful using “Android Studio”. Android Studio is an IDE which can be used to create applications for android mobiles.
System Application Development
System application development is widely considered as the core of programming that the software engineers do. These type of applications are the one that is run generally on a desktop operating system. The desktop operating system can be Windows, Mac or Linux. System applications are the one which is operated in the operating system in which they are installed. The system applications are aimed at both an individual user and a business in order to assist them with routine operations. The skills required in order to enter the field of system application development are large in number. It depends upon the nature of the product o the organization. Besides possessing creativity, analytical skills and sharp attention to detail, a software engineer looking to opt for system application development needs an acquaintance with various tools and languages (Beecham et.al, 10). Languages that a software engineer would need to master are C# and JAVA (Beecham et.al, 10). JAVA language is a general-purpose programming language which is considered to be reliable and secure by many experts (Beecham et.al, 10). The tools that a software engineer would need to be proficient in are "Eclipse" and "Netbeans" (Beecham et.al, 10). The IDEs "Eclipse" and "Netbeans" are designed specifically for developing system applications based on JAVA language (Beecham et.al, 10). Similarly, C# is also a general-purpose programming language. However, unlike JAVA, C# is purely an object-oriented language (Beecham et.al, 10). C# language can be mastered using Microsoft Visual Studio.
Web Development
With ever increasing internet users, the number of websites is also burgeoning. Every day millions of people scroll through different web pages without noticing about the amount of effort and skills that go into the creation of these web pages. In order to excel in the field of web development, a software engineer would need numerous skill to master. The foremost skill a website developer needs to acquire is the responsiveness of the websites (Beecham et.al, 11). Responsiveness of web pages is important because of different devices having different screen ratios. Additionally, HTML 5 and JavaScript are needed to master designing web pages that please the eyes of the user (Beecham et.al, 11). PHP and MySQL are another two languages for web developers to master.
Comparison of Salaries
Although the salaries of different software engineers vary with companies. A national average can give an idea about the salaries of software engineers.
Job Title
Salary
Mobile application developer
$122,835
System application developer
$124,635
Web Developer
$ 114,745
The working hours are almost alike of all the companies. A software engineer is required to work 40 hours a week. This means that five days a week and eight hours a day.
Conclusion
There are multiple tools and languages that an individual needs to learn in order to get employed as a software engineer. Mobile developers need to master Swift and Java language. System application developers require to learn C# and Java. Lastly, web developers need to learn HTML 5, Javascript, PHP, and MySQL. Taking into account the discussion above, one can conclude that software engineering jobs are highly paid jobs. Additionally, there are ample opportunities for growth for the job holders. The mobile application developer can go onto becoming a software architect. The system application developer has an opportunity to become a solutions architect. Lastly, a web developer can become a security analyst.
Works Cited
Beecham, Sarah, et al. "Preparing tomorrow's software engineers for work in a global environment." IEEE Software34.1 (2017): 9-12.
Ebert, Christof, Marco Kuhrmann, and Rafael Prikladnicki. "Global software engineering: An industry perspective." IEEE Software 33.1 (2015): 105-108.
Fitzgerald, Brian, and Klaas-Jan Stol. "Continuous software engineering: A roadmap and agenda." Journal of Systems and Software 123 (2017): 176-189.
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