How does a computer programmer do their job? What are the most important computer programmer skills… those that will totally transform what you’re capable of?
Think about watching a sensational television series dedicated to these folks. Computer wiz-kids who easily hack into the FBI’s computer network. Or into the country’s energy supply systems. Looking at them from the outside, it seems that the most important skills for a programmer are the ability to quickly type on the keyboard. Or crack the password to top secret archives of the special services in one minute.
Preferably, all this would be done while sitting in a secret room in a dramatically-lit abandoned building.
Programmer Skill Groups
In fact, the profession of a programmer is, of course, a little more complicated. And it includes a whole range of professional and human qualities that ensure the effective implementation of the tasks assigned to the developer. The most important computer programmer skills can be divided into the following groups:
- technical
- creative
- communicative
- educational
- managerial
Each of these groups complements the others. And knowing these allows the programmer to be competitive and successful among his colleagues, and in the market as a whole. To dig a little deeper, let’s take a closer look at each of these skill groups.
Technical Skills
In comparison to the 90s and 2000s, modern information technologies have become dramatically more diverse. Not only that though. Powerful Internet technologies, programming languages, libraries, and frameworks have appeared. And these provide support for high-quality and relatively fast software development. In addition – and just as important – modern information technologies become simpler and more accessible.
Indeed, there are no less than ten actively used programming languages, dozens or hundreds of database servers, libraries and frameworks. But the best part is that their use has become easier, documentation is more accessible, and the developer communities will always give the necessary and accurate answer to any question. One of the most important skills of a computer programmer are technical, but learning them now is easier and more fun than ever.
This group also includes logical thinking, which is certainly useful in any engineering activity, including programming.
Creative Skills
Modern programming is definitely a creative and exciting profession. Computer graphics, advertising business, interior and exterior design, and multimedia applications. This is just a small list where creative abilities and skills can be successfully implemented in various areas of programming.
Even in the development of Web sites or mobile applications, your creativity will be in demand. I’d say that the main reason software development is a creative process is that there are many ways to solve the same programming problem. And finding the best one is ultimately through creative activities. Which design strategy to implement? What programming language to choose? Which library or framework to apply? These are just only few issues that the developer faces.
Communication Skills
A modern programmer working alone is almost impossible to imagine in today’s environment. Even if you work remotely, daily remote meetings (stand-up, daily meetings) are something you cannot do without. Most often, programs are developed by teams of professionals in various fields: managers, developers, designers, etc. All of them need constant contact. The need to exchange information takes verbal, visual, and textual form. Therefore, the so-called soft skills – such as the ability to adapt in a team, the ability to listen to the interlocutor, teamwork and emotional intelligence – are important computer programmer skills.
Educational Skills
The path to professionalism and competence begins with curiosity. It is curiosity that allows you to learn any technology, programming language, new framework, or library. Nothing is impossible. The community of enthusiasts along with the IT giants are constantly improving their software development tools, providing increasingly flexible and easy-to-use approaches to building programs.
In recent decades, the concept of lifelong education has become even more popular. It is this approach that allows you to learn faster, which is indispensable in the modern working environment of a programmer. For learning to be interesting, on the one hand, it is necessary that programming is enjoyable. And on the other hand, work and learning are as closely interconnected as possible, so that learning is fun and useful.
Managerial Skills
Managing yourself, your time, and the team of people under your leadership are, without a doubt, important computer programmer skills. Indeed, a programmer, having received a task, must estimate the time to complete it, the need for communication with other team members, and also complete the task on time. This is only possible through skillful time management and managerial competence.
Conclusion
The computer programming profession is multifaceted. It allows you to realize all the engineering, creative, and communicative potential of your personality. Even better, you get to constantly grow your abilities, and that growth is reflected in the growth of your career.
Andrii Petrashenko