A software engineer is one of the top jobs in Sri Lanka right now. It pays well, it is highly rewarding, and the opportunities available are incredible. For someone in Sri Lanka, getting into the field is not that difficult, if you meet the requirements and put your heart and soul into it. Numerous options exist for anyone who wants to enter the field. To do this, though, you need to learn the steps and necessities. Let me breakdown what you need to know.
Any job in the IT field will carry certain requirements. For a software engineer it’s best to earn a degree relating to Information Technology. You have to build a solid educational background to realize your dream to become a professional software engineer. The demand for qualified professionals is always high, and you can find exceptional job opportunities that pay well. This article is targeted towards anyone who is considering to learn software engineering for a future career in Information Technology.
Who is a Software Engineer?
Software engineers, are also called software developers/programmers and they design and develop software applications or computer systems. Some develop the software applications that allow people to do specific tasks on computers or other devices. Others develop the underlying systems that run applications. This act of writing software programs is also called as programming.
There are two functions of a software engineer: development of new applications and maintenance.
It doesn’t matter what sort of tools are programming languages you use, as long as you are fulfilling these roles and writing code, you are a software engineer.
Key Skills Required
Educational qualifications you need would be a Bachelor’s degree in Computer science, Information Technology, software engineering or related field. Some employers may prefer a master’s degree for senior positions. There are several options in Sri Lanka that have accredited, trusted courses that can help you to stay on top of the field. They specialize in building successful, capable software engineers that can work all across the globe, getting in major corporations and starting their own businesses.
You will also need to develop analytical, problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills. Creativity and attention to detail, familiarity with database management, development environment, program testing and other related software are also areas you will need to work on. There are plenty of content online to learn various programming languages such as .Net, PHP, Java to name a few. There are vendor certifications related to each of these languages too.
Start Early
You could start to write your “Hello World” code even if you only know the very basics of operating a computer. There are lot of free and paid websites where you can cover a lot, starting from basics and going into advanced topics. CodeAcademy, Coursera, Pluralsight, edX are some great websites for you to commence your learning and even take it further.
Software Engineering as a career
First, you should understand the job in general. Do your research to know if it is a good fit for you. For software engineering, the basic knowledge comes from coursework and degrees. But then you would have to pick up One or multiple technology stacks to work on. IT industry is a constantly evolving and ever changing landscape. Being a software engineer, you would have to update your knowledge every few years as the programming languages, frameworks etc. change very rapidly.
What to look for in a Software Engineer job
Just as much as the hard-work you put into becoming a Software Engineer, should be the reward once you are a professional. It took you effort, time, money and passion to get to where you are. Don’t find a job that will not highlight and nature that passion in you.
The job market in Sri Lanka for software engineering is quite large. But only a handful of companies offer you a rewarding career worth your qualification and skills. And CMS (Pvt) Ltd one of them.
Since 1997, CMS has been one of the best established IT companies in Sri Lanka. CMS, is an ISO/IEC-27001 company with over 20 years of experience providing IT services to clients in Europe & US. The company offers an exceptional working culture with challenging assignments, opportunities for overseas travel and on-the-job training at client site. Find out more about life at CMS.
Steps to become a Software Engineer:
So you want to enter the high profile – high paying field of Software Engineering? Well here are the steps you need to follow today!
- Earn a degree in software engineering or a related field. Most software engineer positions require a bachelor’s degree. …
- Begin programming in any language. Programming is fun when you get into it…
- Build small software projects. …
- Seek an internship. …
- Find good job opportunities. …
- Consider your career goals.
If you are already a Software Engineer we have some exciting opportunities for you.
