In today’s computer-driven world, individuals and corporations alike are extremely dependent on computer technology and software. From the chat room to the board room, trained professionals are needed to design and develop computer programs to meet the ever-changing needs of the users. This is the job of the computer software engineer.
No matter how unwelcoming the job market might seem, there are always opportunities for software engineers because it is such a fast-growing field in the world especially in developing countries such as Pakistan. Computer is the future!
If you love computers and would like to get paid for what you love, here's a primer on how to become a professional software engineer.
1. Get a Degree. One mistake potential software engineers making is, thinking it isn't as labor-intensive as other forms of engineering. This just isn't the case, and due to the competition from other software engineers, having a degree in software engineering/CS is very important. Software engineering takes a lot of study in a number of different fields, such as programming, operating systems, data management and math etc. Therefore one should be a computer science graduate.
2. Find a Focus. For any software engineering degree, you're going to be taking general computer science courses, but you should have some idea about what wing of software engineering interests you most--business applications, portable media or games development, among others. Again, taking specialized courses/workshops can help you get a job in your chosen category. So look to get a specialized software engineering degree as opposed to a general computer science degree.
3. Work on your own side projects. You'll be designing software through lab work in a degree program, but you should also be working on independent projects such as freeware programs.
4. Become an Intern. If you're interested in Programming or Web designing, you'll be much more likely to have a career in the field if you initially take a job with no pay. It's not all about securing a good job in the future, but learning about the field and being the best engineer possible. You can't expect to jump into full-fledged software engineering right out of school. Becoming an apprentice to a top-flight software engineer is a possible dream job.
