Best qualities of a software developer
In the vacancy description for software developers, employers indicate only technical requirements, but it often remains unclear whether other qualities are required and which ones are generally necessary. Let’s figure out what they are!
It would seem that to write code, you do not need any personality traits – you just need to be a technically trained specialist. But without certain qualities, you will not be able to develop and work in a team.
Therefore, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the qualities of a software developer’s personality that will help you self-develop and feel at ease in the workplace.
Logical thinking
It is hardly possible to program without logic, but not everyone is equally good at finding solutions to complex problems. Therefore, you need to maintain your analytical thinking regularly. For example, play logic games, solve logic puzzles, tests, crosswords.
Mindfulness and the ability to focus
Since the software developers are constantly looking at the monitor while working with the code, they cannot do without attentiveness and the ability to concentrate. You need to be able to keep your attention on one task for a long time, without being distracted by extraneous conversations, notifications, and letters, as well as thoughts and experiences in your head while doing your job. Of course, you must not forget about the breaks, but keeping your attention for a couple of hours is very useful.
We mistakenly think that in the morning, we need time to tune in to work. In fact, your body is in good shape in the morning, rested and ready to tackle the most difficult tasks. So, put off your news feed, check your mail (if you can postpone it) for the afternoon, and tackle the most difficult tasks. Your concentration level will be the highest. You will be surprised how pleasant and simple it is to work in the morning.
Perseverance
A programmer’s job is stationary. Logically, perseverance in one place will come in handy if you want to stay in this area. Working hard over a long time can lead to success pretty quickly.
Curiosity
We mean professional curiosity, not the desire to know “who invented the air conditioner?” You need to be curious to learn more if you understand that your knowledge is limited to a particular technology, language, and so on.
A responsibility
A developer’s job involves a lot of responsibility for the code they create. Responsibility, first of all, to yourself, and then to the client, the customer.
Striving for self-improvement
The desire to develop, always learn new things, be better every day than yesterday, and only go up is an atypical trait of programmers. But, if you have it, you can be sure that the vacancy will be for you. A software developer’s personality trait leads him throughout his career, leading him to managerial positions or making him a first-class specialist in his technology. Remember to learn the latest frameworks, and communicate with your peers.
Interests
Only write your interests in case if they are relevant to the job you are applyng for. Do not write about religious or political preferences; make sure that your interests do not conflict with the position and corporate policy of the company you want to work for.
Imagination
If someone told you that programming is not a creative profession, then they never wrote code. A good imagination, coupled with the rest of a developer’s qualities, will allow finding non-trivial solutions and simplifying the code so much that others will simply wonder how the developer could have thought of this. On the other hand, imagination is a great way to visualize code in your mind. When a programmer creates code, he must understand what he is doing in the plane of real life.
Sociability
Most developers now work as a team in one way or another. Therefore, if you learn to communicate effectively, don’t be afraid to ask for help or ask a colleague’s opinion. You will only benefit from this. Sociability refers to soft skills, which will help to become an integral part of the team.
Sociability can be understood as the ability to write code that any developer can understand. Communication between developers often happens through code. If the computer understands you even with “dirty” writing, then the person may not understand what you wanted to do here and would have not idea how to fix an error in such a code.
Persistence
Persistence is a personal quality that allows you to pursue long-term goals and not give up on them. It also comes in handy when defending your solution to a problem or introducing a new feature. This quality often saves time and resources on a project.
Conclusion
We are sure that you can add to this list of personality traits of a software developer, especially if you have experience in IT. Of course, some personality traits are pushed forward, pushing others into the background, depending on the IT sphere’s specialty. So, a business analyst needs the ability to communicate with people much more than an ordinary developer. As a developer, perseverance is needed more than BA. But we know for sure that if you can develop at least 50% of these qualities, you will pass interviews more successfully, do your job better, solve problems easier and find the right solutions faster.
