Never has software engineering been more sought after as it is now during our current digital age. With many companies looking for software engineers to develop applications and programs to keep up with the times, software engineering positions open up left and right. From being experts in data science to developing websites, the opportunities become endless with the advent of better technologies and better knowledge of the field.
This being said, jobs taken up by software engineers give them ample responsibilities. In learning how to become a software engineer have learned the intricacies of coding and data science for their performance in their respective workplaces. This is because being a software engineer also requires you to be knowledgeable in related fields with whomever you may work once becoming a part of the workforce.
Knowing this diversity of places wherein software engineers are needed during this day and age, here are 5 entry-level positions that you might want to consider as you start working in 2021:
1. Back-end engineering position
In this entry-level position, software engineers are paid to essentially write code and program algorithms that the user cannot see. Therefore, software engineers in this type of job work on the scenes behind the curtain, ensuring that whatever they are designing will function properly and as intended by those commissioning them to perform the job.
This position, therefore, requires software engineers to have fluent understanding of coding languages and have an extensive amount of experience in programming. This is because they will be spending most of their time writing thousands and thousands of lines of code for the program to work. This is still excluding the time they will spend in debugging and looking for errors in their extensively written code to make it work.
Making the program work means that the back-end engineer must also create and apply an API for their applications. This is necessary for any software using any interactions nowadays. With such responsibilities, back-end engineers, therefore, need to continuously understand different solutions by which they can circumvent problems that may arise in their work.
2. UI Design and Front-End Developing
While these two are different jobs, they are related to the fact that software engineers can look for entry-level jobs in both positions and the fact that they work in similar areas of the development process. Front-end engineers make sense of the programs written by back-end engineers and essentially integrate them into sensible designs for a better user interface. This means that the front-end engineer must be knowledgeable about concepts regarding user experience and user interfaces to properly develop their necessary application or software for the consumer.
With this in mind, we can, therefore, see why UI Design is a related field that front-end engineers can accept as an entry-level position. Essentially, front-end engineers are also trained or will also have learned about UI. Therefore, taking a position as a UI Design engineer means that the software engineer will integrate programming knowledge with their know-how about designing what the users interact with. Essentially, the engineer will be providing the company with a designer that is also experienced in programming, therefore, being a valuable addition to any organization.
3. Operations engineer
Software engineers can also consider applying for an operational position. This means that their responsibilities revolve around keeping the software operational throughout its lifetime. This includes constantly checking up on infrastructure within the program to ensure that the software will continue being reliable as it depends on said infrastructure.
Operational engineering also requires the software engineer to maintain and assess the performance of the software to ensure that it stays functional. This means that any bugs or errors that users might be experiencing will require the operations engineer to quickly identify the problem and find an applicable solution in a very timely manner to get the software running back up in the quickest amount of time possible.
Finally, operations engineers are also responsible for the upkeep of the software by ensuring that it is scalable and the system it is built on is adaptable to change. This means having the correct knowledge on expanding systems to accommodate more users or functions for the program.
4. Data Analyst
The software engineer can also look towards taking up an analyst position as an entry-level job. This is fitting for a software engineer as data analysis will need someone knowledgeable in running programs, especially when analyzing tremendous amounts of data which requires complicated analyses to be performed. Because software engineers can be knowledgeable about data science, one could perform well in this position as they will be able to design programs or figure out algorithms for data that must be analyzed. Considering this job, software engineers can provide their expertise in the analysis as they can create the necessary methods by which these data are analyzed.
5. Full-stack engineer
Finally, a full-stack engineer is a software engineer that performs the functions of front-end, back-end, and operations all in one job. While this position is not always available and will most definitely provide higher pay for the engineer, one can apply for this entry-level position in start-up companies or in small-scale businesses that may require an engineer in their ranks. As such, it is a worthwhile position to inquire about as it will provide the engineer with extensive amounts of experience throughout their time working in that position. Furthermore, they will be able to use that experience in other areas as well, should they decide to move on from the position.
With these in mind, we can see the diverse needs for software engineers at the current moment. While these 5 seem to be very interesting entry-level jobs, these are not the only ones you can consider as a software engineer. As you, therefore, continue on your job hunt to become a part of the workforce, keep an eye out for opportunities that will truly improve you as a software engineer!
