My day is typically spent doing a lot of prototyping and experimenting with new hardware devices, product designs, and apps. I develop and manage Android/iPhone/Windows 7 Phone Applications that blend with our proprietary hardware to create a real-world interface to your smartphone. I work to make sure that all products and marketing are in line with the Sphero brand and mission.
CAREER
Software Developers
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$110,140
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+21.5% (much faster than the average)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Software Developers Do
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
Other Job Titles Software Developers May Have
Application Developer, Application Integration Engineer, Developer, Infrastructure Engineer, Network Engineer, Software Architect, Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, Software Engineer, Systems Engineer
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
My day starts with "Standup", where the team and everyone else gives an update of what we did the day before and what we’re doing next. There are some meetings scheduled to discuss current projects, blockers, and make design plans. I allocate part of my day to coding, answering emails, and reading documentation from other projects I can learn from.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
- Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- Confer with data processing or project managers to obtain information on limitations or capabilities for data processing projects.
- Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- Consult with customers or other departments on project status, proposals, or technical issues, such as software system design or maintenance.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Software Developers
No data currently available.
Stay tuned! We’ll update this section as soon as data is available.Majors Related to Career
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
I learned how to code and program from family members. Learn from people doing the job you want. Hands-on experience is a great teacher.
Communication skills! Learning how to effectively communicate your ideas, provide feedback, receive feedback, and acting like a team player goes a long way.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
Middle School Students
Start early. Start now. Don't wait for school to teach you. There are full tutorials online and when you've passed them, Google can literally answer 99.9% of issues that you come across. If Google can't answer your question, then you are probably getting paid a lot of money to figure out how.
Learn as much as you can. Work on as many personal project as you can. Find out what you really like about the field and start working towards that. Create. Create! CREATE!
The most amazing people I've met didn't really know what they wanted to be when they grew up. I still don't know it myself. Yet, I've found success in the understanding of what I enjoy doing, and what the world needs more of. Like everything in life, I wasn't good at it when I first started; I didn't even know where it would lead me, but I enjoyed doing it. I'm also multidimensional in that my skills aren't only about computers. Success comes when you bring your full person into what you do.
Understand the growth mindset and apply it at every possible turn. This means that people should be bold and fearless. Try things as if you couldn't fail. If you do fail, don't think of it as a setback or black mark to be hidden away. Be proud of your failures and broadcast your learned lessons. Effort is what should be rewarded. Results should be secondary.
High School Students
College Students
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
