What to keep in mind as a fresh software developer

You’ve wrapped up your four-year degree or intensive bootcamp and secured an entry-level software developer position. Now you’re in the industry you’ve worked so hard to land in—but how do you keep your head above water?

Allen Conway, a technology leader and principal consultant at tech company Xebia, gave software developers some pointers during a November panel at Live! 360 Tech Con in Orlando. Conway said that, 20 to 25 years ago, anyone could effectively be a full-stack developer. However, that’s changed.

“Now, it’s so complex…if you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re a generalist, you can really mess something up,” he said.

The shift has made it essential for developers to not only refine their hard skills, but also soft skills like empathy and communication, which can open up a number of doors in an IT pros’ career, Conway said.

“Sometimes it’s a struggle for us as technologists to grow those. You can’t just read a book in the same way or watch a YouTube video and have soft skills,” Conway said, adding that these skills often are gained with experience on the job.

Should I stay or should I go? There comes a point in a software developer’s career where they question their next career move. Those who jump from one company to another in a very short span of time may need to explain their decision to hiring managers.

“There is a cost with hiring folks and bringing them up to speed and the domain knowledge and the company knowledge,” Conway said. “It’s not nothing to hire somebody.”

But Conway also warned early career software developers to be careful of “golden handcuffs,” which is when a company provides employees with attractive financial incentives to retain them.

“That’s a tough one because…the pay raises or the promotions or whatever are feeling good, but in the back of your head [you’re thinking], ‘This is not where I want to be,’” Conway said.

Other career advice. Conway advised new engineers to not get caught up in titles and prioritize finding a role that matches the responsibilities they wish to hold.

“One company’s software engineer [level] 5 might be just called consultant or senior engineer at another company,” Conway said. “It’s really about what’s behind that that’s important, not the title itself.”

And for software developers who aren’t fully engaged with their current careers, Conway said that doesn’t automatically mean they have to consider alternative paths.

“It could be maybe you want to work on a different platform, or enterprise platform, or a different department, or something like that,” Conway said, adding that he personally embarked on the path to consulting since it provides a dynamic work environment.