What are the top software developer skills in 2020 and in high demand in the global job market?
During the past 10 years, the Software Engineering industry has been undergoing significantly rapid changes.
According to EDC, in 2019, 26.4 million people globally were engaged in programming, and by 2023 it is expected that the number of software developers will exceed 27.7 million people.
In this article, we will cover the latest job market news in Software Development and how it affects trends in hard and soft skills that are requested in this industry.
Essential skills types in Software Development career
In general, each software developer needs to have 3 main directions of the skillset:
👉 Some fundamental knowledge related to the professional field. For example, to become a machine learning engineer, you must have strong math skills.
👉 Basic skills in related fields. For example, Design, UX, Back-end development, project management for Front-end Web Developer. This kind of knowledge helps you communicate effectively with colleagues.
👉 Personal qualities (soft skills) in areas such as leadership, emotional intelligence, self-control, mentoring, etc. They are necessary to be able to express your ideas and work results clearly, build trusting relationships with your teammates, managers, and subordinates. Soft skills also help to cope with your own and team failures and build informal relationships.
TOP software engineering jobs that companies are looking for
During the last 3 months, the trends on the job market have changed significantly. But the demand for software engineering job offers remains on a high level.
Among 19 specialties currently available on MeetFrank, Software Engineering roles take 57% of the total.
Besides, some of them lie in the top 10 job offers with the highest number of applicants.
Based on the number of job offers and applicants in the MeetFrank app, the most popular software engineering job opening is .NET Software Engineer followed by Full-Stack Developer and Front-End Developer. 🚀
Looking for a similar position? Check how your salary ranks on the job market.
Most in-demand Software Engineering hard skills in 2020
By looking at the job market changes’ speed now and beyond, it is obvious that if you want to be in a safe place, you need to maximize your marketability via pursuing a mostly demanded skill-set.
What software developer skills should you focus on now?
We analyzed the job market for programmers and prepared a list of most sought hard skills globally.
You can also check per-country data in MeetFrank Job Market Insights.
TOP programming languages to know in 2020
If you want to start your career in software development, one of the most common questions you may ask yourself would be “What is the top best programming language to know?”.
Here is the most up to date list 👇
Despite current trends, there isn’t a right or wrong programming language choice. You need to pick the one or two that suit the specific field you want to work in today. See the examples below:
Soft skills as a secret weapon
Employers and recruiters have long been saying that software development professionals can no longer succeed with technical skills alone.
Today, the classic techie should have “flexible” skills. According to a McKinsey poll, it is high-tech industries that are most in need of them. One-third of the respondents indicated that the most problematic areas in terms of soft skills in 2021 would be data analytics, IT, mobile, web design.
Here are TOP 4 essential soft skills every software professional needs to consider in his career.
📢Communication
It may sound weird to you, but communication is one of the core skills in the software development world.
This skill is highly needed for self-presentation on interviews, writing documentation for libraries and frameworks, teamwork, and writing emails, or slack messages to coworkers. You need to be able to hear, convincingly argue, be customer-oriented, and tuned in to the result.
⏰Self-management
This skill involves the management of emotions, stress, and energy, the ability to reflect and give feedback properly. It also includes time management.
💪Effective thinking
For productive work, it is essential to control the processes in the head. You should learn the systemic, creative, structural, logical, and design types of thinking. The ability to collect and analyze information to correctly conclude will not hinder as well.
🙋♂️Leadership
Leadership is especially important for team managers and senior roles. This skill includes an ability to plan, set tasks for employees correctly, motivate them, control, and give appropriate feedback on time. Managing people is not about making subordinates do what you want. This skill is about the ability to inspire and help others reach their highest potential. Therefore, the manager’s expertise is super crucial for those planning career growth.
Final words
The most important software developer skill is the willingness to learn continually.
This is relevant for all professions. But for programmers, if they want to be in demand, it is crucial to keep abreast of technological development.
Interested in challenging yourself in one of the most popular Software Engineering positions? Check these ones out and apply via the MeetFrank app!
👉.NET Software Engineer for Adroiti
👉Senior Full-Stack Developer for Bolt
👉Front-end Developer for Vello Solutions
👉Senior Software Engineer – Backend for Bolt
👉JAVA/KOTLIN Developer for Mercans