So You Think You Can Be a Developer?

One look at Indeed.com will show you the abundance of jobs and the salaries to go with it. Tell me who wouldn’t want that, right? Well, not everyone is cut out to be a developer. There are certain personality traits that can help determine if this field is correct for you. Do you have what it takes?

Check out these 5 traits to help you determine if it’s the right fit.

ANALYTICAL / PROBLEM-SOLVER

You love to solve problems, puzzles, or think logically when it comes to complex situations. This is the majority of your job. You must find many different outcomes to one problem in order to find the one correct solution. It takes time. If this frustrates you easily or you have the lack of patience to search for answers, then coding or web development may not be a good fit.

LIFE – LONG LEARNER

You must love to learn, constantly. This career choice is also a commitment to continuously learn new skills and languages. What happens when developers need answers? They of course turn to Google research or use GitHub and any other collaborative repository for help finding a solution. If you are NOT one take initiative to do things on your own or cannot adapt to constant change, then this field may not be right for you.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR

Communication is essential to this role. You must have effective speaking and writing skills. The ability to break down complex problems into simple terms, then articulate them to an audience so they understand, is vital. This allows you to work well with others on projects, take constructive criticism, and allow for making adjustments to create better products. If you cannot communicate well or talk in generalities most of the time, this may frustrate you more than not

FEARLESS OF FAILURE

Solving complex problems can take several attempts before landing the right one. A lot of patience is necessary with this line of work, and iteration is just as important if not more. As a developer, you must attempt to build something, see it succeed or fail, and figure out what went wrong in order to rework it all before you try something new. Failure is a part of this job. Finding solutions is bigger. Big Egos don’t mix well in a team environment in this field. 

IDEATION / LOVE TO HELP

Developers are creative in their own way. They seek out solutions to complex problems and tackle them with an abundance of determination. The outcome is a combination of their creative and analytical mind. In some sense, they are thrill seekers with an appetite to help build things that users can see and use. It is the end result that brings satisfaction to their jobs. It is a tangible result measured by the impact it brings to others. In short—you must have the ability and desire to help others.