Can anyone become a Software Engineer?
Yes, with enough dedication and learning, anyone can become a software. Anyone can become a professional software engineer as long as they are willing to put in the work and gain software engineering skills.
Software engineering deals with the design, development, testing, and maintenance of software applications.
Software Engineers develop systems that help to make the lives of many people better, but this is not an easy thing to do. It takes years of research and dedication. It involves a lot of calculations, testing, debugging, and more to come up with a great system.
You must be ready to ready to put in the work and the effort to come up with something great. Although anyone can become a software engineer, not everyone can enjoy working as a software engineer.
If you have an aptitude for math, you will find some of the software engineering concepts easy and interesting. But it is worth noting that you can still enjoy being a software engineer without an aptitude for math.
If you want to become a software engineer, there are several paths you can take. You can either go to university to study computer science, software engineering, or related degree programs. You also go for a Bootcamp or become a self-taught software engineer using available online resources.
GOING TO UNIVERSITY FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Anyone can become a software engineer by studying for a degree in software engineering or related fields. This requires 3 to 4 years of study and the advantage is that you will be exposed to many concepts and ideas that can make you a better software engineer.
Some of the concepts you will cover in the process of becoming a software engineer include Operating Systems, Data Structures & Algorithms, Electronics, Math, Management, Graphics, and networks to name a few
This exposure to a lot of courses will help you to have a broader understanding of how computers work. It will also help you improve your non-technical skills such as communication, leadership, and management skills.
In university, you will have access to Professors who are experts in your field to support you through your program, they can help you clear your doubts and provide you with expert knowledge.
You can also be helped by your course mates. This makes it a little bit easy for anyone to become a software engineer.
LEARNING SOFTWARE ENGINEERING ON YOUR OWN
Apart from going to university, anyone can become a software engineer by using thousands of resources available online. There are many amazing lectures and other forms of content that can help you to learn software engineering.
The availability and accessibility of thousands of software engineering resources makes it easy for anyone with enough dedication and drive to become a software engineer.
You will be able to save money and time by teaching yourself software engineering. Some of the best resources include amazing YouTube channels like FreeCodeCamp, The Net Ninja, Traversy Media, Academind, Programming Knowledge, and many others.
You can also join classes on Skillshare (Try one month for free) which helps to learn at your own pace. Some of the courses on these platforms are far much better than those offered at universities.
BECOME A SOFTWARE ENGINEER BOOTCAMPS
Anyone can become a software engineer by enrolling for a software engineering Bootcamp. Bootcamps are mostly fast-tracked, there is a curriculum to follow and coaches to help you through the program. Most Bootcamps programs run anywhere from 3 months to a year.
Bootcamps are highly practical and focus on filling the gaps in the industry. Although Bootcamps are very expensive, they are a great way to learn software engineering quickly. For example, Udacity has many software engineering programs that for 3 to 12 months.
Graduates of Udacity get employment at some of the major companies such as Infosys, Google, Airbus, Toyota, Accenture, Shell, Vodafone, Audible, AT&T, Facebook, Ing Bank, eBay, Nvidia, Amazon, Ford Motors, Cisco, Intel, Mathworks, etc.
CONCLUSION
In light of what we have looked at, it can be seen that anyone can become a software engineer as long as they are dedicated enough to go through the training.
If you have cash and you want to learn software engineering quickly, go for a Bootcamp. If you want to save some money and time, be self-taught. If you want the security and the benefits that come with a degree, go to university.
Ultimately, anyone can become a software engineer.
