It should be no surprise that the IT job market is highly competitive. Out of all roles, the Software developer role is the most competitive and highly paid of all. However, there are many career paths a software developer can take.
Software Developer Career Path
A software developer’s job entails conducting research, identifying, designing, installing, and testing software created by or for the company. To be considered for the software developer position, one must be proficient in fundamental programming languages and a variety of technology-related skills.
The same can be said for the alternative jobs we’ll explore. Every job in a firm, as previously stated, is significant to the organisation’s growth. Companies only hire applicants who are knowledgeable in their fields and prepared to contribute innovative ideas.
Now let us look into the different career paths for software developer aspirants. Here, we’ll look at:
- Game Developer
- Data Scientist
- Graphic Designer
- Systems Administrator
- Front End Developer
- Back End Developer
- Full Stack Developer
- Mobile Developer
- IT Technician
- Quality Assurance Engineer
- Technical Consultant
- Information Security Analyst
- Database Administrator
- Technical Writer
- Computer Teacher/Tutor
Game Developer
Are you an avid gamer? Then a career as a game developer is ideal for you. Game developers write programs for games that we often discover on app stores, PCs, and other platforms. The game developer writes code to be user-friendly and run on all platforms.
For gamers who once had a dream of creating their own game, this is the chance for you. In recent years, game development has become one of the fastest-growing IT industries. Most firms seek innate talent and innovative thinking, so if you have one, pursue it.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Game Developer
To become a game developer, the candidate should be well knowledged in
You should be familiar with gaming development platforms such as Unity, AppGameKit, and Unreal Engine, in addition to programming languages.
Data Scientist
Data science has become one of the most popular and touted careers in the past few years. Not only is this a well-paying career, but it’s also a fascinating and unique one. A data scientist’s job is to analyse, organise, and create solutions for a company’s database. Since the databases of large corporations are vast, the data scientist must devise new algorithms or integrate algorithms to develop a solution and resolve any issues that arise.
Because the number of internet users is expanding every day, the amount of data and databases maintained in businesses is also growing, which is why data science is one of the fastest-growing IT areas.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Data Scientist
As complex as a data scientist’s role, so are the concepts. For the role of data scientist, you should have a good grasp of Problem-solving the following:
Aside from programming languages, you should also be familiar with machine learning and some mathematical concepts such as statistics.
Graphic Designer
Judging by the name, you can already tell what the role of a graphic designer is. That’s right. A graphic designer designs software, company-related websites, magazines, social media posts etc. As easy as it may sound, the position of a graphic designer is imminent in a company. This is because they create and spread the company’s reputation to the world.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Graphic Designer
Although, as a graphic designer, you should be largely familiar with applications. Programming languages are also useful. They have the potential to increase your chances of being recruited. You should learn the following skills:
- Be a master of Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator
- Typography
- Colour theory
- Branding
- Web design
- Well versed in front end languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
System Administrator
The system administrator is in charge of software performance monitoring and analysis. They usually lead a team of software engineers who collaborate to fix and maintain software systems and networks systems and networks like local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), network segments, and intranets.
Concepts to Learn to Become a System Administrator
To become a system administrator, you should be familiar with the following concepts and skills:
Front End Developers
Front end developers are the reason behind beautiful websites that captivate us, the viewer’s eyes. They are responsible for the efficient operation and aesthetic appeal of websites. UI/UX designers are also included in this category. Developers should be well-versed in HTML, CSS, and javascript in order to excel at frontend development.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Front End Developer
To become a front end developer, one should be well acquainted with the following programming languages:
Rather than knowing all of the languages mentioned above, you can instead pick three or four and become proficient in them.
Back End Developer
If the front end is about appearance, the back end is about the foundation of the website. Back end developers are responsible for constructing and managing databases, integrating relevant APIs, defining website architecture, and many other tasks.
Back end programming is more complicated than front end programming, and it is one of the highest-paid professions in IT.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Back End Developer
Problem-solving, as well as logical and analytical skills, are important concepts for any aspiring back end developer to master. Along with them, the following are some programming languages you should be familiar with for back end development:
Full Stack Developer
A full stack developer is capable of working on both the front end and back end of a project. To develop a website, a full stack developer should be well-versed in many programming languages, concepts, and frameworks on both the front end and back end.
Nowadays, full stack developers are also freelancing.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Full-Stack Developer
To become a professional full stack developer, you’ll need to know both front end and back end programming:
- Front end languages such as HTML, CSS, Javascript.
- Python
- PHP
- MEAN and its frameworks such as MongoDB, Express.js, NodeJS, AngularJS
- MERN and its frameworks such as MongoDB, Express.js, ReactJS, NodeJS
Mobile Developer
Till now, we looked at developers whose role is to develop websites. The role of mobile developers is also similar, except, instead of websites, mobile developers build android or apple applications.
Mobile developers create apps or applications that we see in app stores to work cross-platform, in various screens and versions, and provide various useful services.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Mobile Developer
An extensive understanding of programming languages is required for mobile development. To work as a professional mobile developer, you should be proficient in some of the following programming languages:
IT Technician
An IT technician’s role is to troubleshoot and resolve computer software or hardware difficulties. IT technicians are generally skilled professionals with a thorough understanding of computers and systems. They are also in charge of improving the system security if any vulnerabilities or flaws cause the system to malfunction.
IT technicians typically conduct tests to diagnose the issue and then design approaches to resolve it.
Concepts to Learn to Become an IT Technician
Companies seek the following qualities in an IT technician:
- Troubleshooting
- Problem-solving
- Hardware maintenance
- Software maintenance
- Privacy and security
- Computer diagnostics
- Analytical thinking skills
Quality Assurance Engineer
Quality assurance (QA) engineers ensure that a piece of software fulfils the necessary criteria and rules. For example, before releasing a product to the market, the corporation must ensure that it provides the specified services and is free of defects and other issues; QA engineers perform this task.
QA engineers develop testing tools and design automated tests to execute and verify functionality and provide us with the outcome of software or a product.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Quality Assurance Engineer
To become a Quality Assurance engineer, the aspirant must have the following skills:
- Understanding of software quality assurance strategies and tools.
- Knowledge of SQL and other scripting languages
- Thorough understanding of software development and quality assurance
- Knowledge of the current trends and latest advancements.
- Understanding of various QA Testing tools
- Practical understanding of test automation tools
Technical Consultant
A technical consultant is a professional who assists clients with software issues. Technical consultants offer a good variety of services, notably debugging and troubleshooting. In addition, they may meet with clients to repair computers, resolve software glitches, optimise computer performance, and install user-friendly operating systems.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Technical Consultant
To become a technical consultant, you should have good knowledge in
- Knowledge in big data
- Considerable experience with IT infrastructure
- Software testing
- Web development expertise
- Well versed in operating systems
- Communication skills
Information Security Analyst
Information security analysts keep tabs on the company’s software and systems to prevent any security breaches or attacks. They test software for potential threats, deploy security tools to secure computer systems and monitor all users that have access to company computers.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Security Analyst
Here are some technical skills one should learn to become an information security analyst:
- Analytical skills
- Installing Firewall and Data Encryption Programs
- Identifying Information System Vulnerabilities
- Performing Security Monitoring
- Knowledge of scripting languages
- Operating systems
Database Administrator
An organisation has databases that store client, employee, and various other information. The role of database administrators is to create systems or programs to store, organise, analyse and manipulate the databases efficiently.
Database administrators execute installation, configuration, database design, migration, performance analysis, encryption, diagnostics, restoration, and data recovery.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Database Administrator
Database administrators play a significant role; hence, they must be well-versed in concepts related to database management. Here are some of the topics you need to understand to become a database administrator.
- SQL
- PHP
- Apache
- HTML
- Java
Technical Writer
There is no better job than being a technical writer for an experienced software developer or an aspirant who loves programming and technology but has lost interest in doing coding-related work. A technical writer creates blogs, articles, and product descriptions for technological devices or software. Nowadays, freelancing technical writing is one of the highest-paying careers.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Technical Writer
As a technical writer, you must be well-versed in technological facts and possess a strong command of English and grammar.
Computer Teacher/Tutor
If you’re not interested in programming, you may attempt teaching. Computer science teachers teach students how to use computer programmes, frameworks, and software. In addition, they produce learning resources such as assignments, tests, and games to aid students in their learning. They also keep track of pupils’ progress to see how well they comprehend computer systems and technologies.
Concepts to Learn to Become a Computer Teacher
To become a computer teacher, you must have a solid understanding of programming concepts. Aside from that, a computer teacher should have good communication skills and be up to date on the latest concepts and applications.
Wrapping up
Aside from software development, there are a variety of other careers that are not only enjoyable to work but also different. Keep in mind that before you select your career path, it is essential to have a complete understanding of its prerequisites, the demand, and the roles and responsibilities that you would have.
Learn some code for free
If you want to learn some HTML, CSS, and JavaScript basics, try our free 5 Day Coding Challenge. After just one hour a day over five days, you will build your first web page. Register through the form below. Alternatively, Code Institute teaches many languages and technologies referred to in this blog through its Full Stack Development programme.
Try our Free 5 Day Coding Challenge 
Take our full stack course 
