Top 5 Soft Skills Every Software Developer Must Have:
Somewhat realistic stereotypes of Software Developers might be someone working in a basement with minimal light, little to no contact with the outside world, while ninja coding. Although, according to research Developers code on average about 10 lines per day, optimistically. Developers are spending the majority of their time communicating on enterprise projects within complex teams, requiring super star soft skills.
“Many competent candidates may have the necessary hard skills for the job, coding and managing software, whereas the soft skills would encompass everything else.”
Having been on the hiring team for many technical interviews, possessing stellar soft skills as a software developer places a candidate in another galaxy comparatively to the competition.
Soft Skills Separate a Coder from a Super Star Software Developer
Tech companies are finding a depressingly large gap in soft skills within interviews. According to this study, 60% of IT Professionals are floundering in the soft skills arena. Software companies must hire quickly for fast moving projects. Later, painstakingly leading to extensive issues with a particular employee or team. There can be holy wars about coding best practices, which IDE to use, the best text editor, iOS or Android, Python or Java, Mac or Windows, basically this can lead to an all out war with zero parties winning.
The Top 5 Soft Skills Every Software Developer Must Have:
1. Curiosity
Maintaining the curiosity and passion in any job is key. Software platforms and technologies are always innovating. It is the Software Developer’s responsibility to explore new technologies. Any hiring team can be pleased to feel the enthusiasm and gunther of a new hire. Curiosity, passion, and enthusiasm are essential. Team members whom always offer new suggestions to be implemented often move up to team-lead or CTO positions.
2. Patience
Coding is challenging, the amount of dispensable patience a Software Developer will need is indescribable. A Developer may have to erase all the code and start over again. Often the Developers are coding while the Sales and Marketing Teams meet to discuss new innovative ideas. Sometimes this entails evolving a project in a new direction. A Developer learns to be patient in these situations because the criteria on projects can be updated.
3. Ego in Check
One may have overheard many techies proclaim to know everything about a certain programming language or out stretch the ease of coding they experience. The best Senior Software Developers, CTO’s, and team-leads have humility and their ego’s in check. If many Senior Software Developers and CTOs require periodic training when entering a new project, everyone else does too. Having one’s ego in check and humility is capable of saving a company millions on a project. One line of code can wreck havoc on a multi-million dollar project. Be proud of making a difference on ones project while still appreciating everyones contribution.
4. Adaptability
There is always the daunting possibility of scratching all the code in a project and needing to start over. Simply, projects evolve and new innovative ideas come into play. If one is aiming to be a Full Stack Developer, at some point one may need to switch teams. Successfulness will lye in the adaptability to hop on new projects with ease.
5. Team Attitude
We are all here to see each other succeed. Taking time to mentor a new hire, or review someone’s code displays team-work. The top Senior Software Developers requests code reviews on their code. Extracting efforts to listen and mentor one another displays a team attitude and leads to more successful teams.
