Qualities That Make A Successful Software Developer

Not all software developers are created equal. While some take time to learn and thrive, others find it pretty easy. For most people, however, it requires a lot of effort to be a software developer. It is a pretty challenging career that requires a range of qualities. A good software developer is more than the quantity of the technologies that they have worked with.

Have you ever thought about whether you can consider yourself an ideal software developer? Then, you most likely questioned what is needed to become a great software developer. What are the personality traits of a great software programmer? Is this only a matter of experience? Is this associated with practice and knowledge or rather with some inborn skills?

In this article, we will look at the key personality traits that make an outstanding software developer.

Perseverance

Software development comes with several challenges. You will spend a lot of your time rooted to your computer screen as you write super-complex codes. You must, therefore, have the patience to persevere through challenging situations and provide a solution.

A great developer thrives on finding solutions to make something work, regardless of the odds. Otherwise, you could be hearing the words, "That cannot be done," whenever you suggest an innovative new project.

Open-Mindedness

Open-mindedness is among the most significant traits great programmers must-have. An open-minded software developer is proved to be more efficient.

You should be always ready to accept criticisms and suggestions from others. Furthermore, open-mindedness is essential for a software development job as it enables a developer to listen to the thoughts of his customers. This takes on as an awesome factor in reaching the right end result.

Team Player

Teams are units; they are a whole package. If one team member fails and the others do nothing, a project can quickly become a nightmare. Engineers who are team players are much more likely to be successful in their careers than lone-wolf types. There’s a pop-culture stereotype of the brilliant but emotionally stunted programmer – someone who can pull off heroic feats of code-slinging but can’t connect with the people around them. This doesn’t work in real software development teams.

As a good developer, your job is to solve issues and create a great product, not just to write as many clever lines of code as possible. That means communicating with a lot of people: other developers, quality assurance, PMs, sales, customers, etc.

Eagerness to learn

Concepts of software development cannot be mastered all at once. Even the world’s best coders learn every day. Therefore, you must be open and eager to learn once you choose to be a software engineer. Also, keep in mind that your job as a software developer involves reading thousands of lines of your team’s software and studying tradeoffs of one design to the other. You must, therefore, be in the right shape of mind.

All in all, you will always learn a new thing when handling a different project. You should be interested and adventurous to plow this field well.

Stay curious

Successful developers tend to be naturally curious people who love to learn. Try to stay on top of the latest trends in software engineering, especially in your area of specialty.

Read blogs, listen to podcasts, and go to conferences once in a while. This means that you’ll probably know a little bit about a lot of things that aren’t directly connected to your day-to-day duties, which will make you a stronger and more well-rounded developer.

Attention to detail

Programmers who pay attention to detail usually write high-quality code. If a code does not compile or a program contains a bug, it isn’t really the computer’s fault. Being able to consider corner cases and writing codes that will take care of several use cases enable a way more convenient development process.

As well, detail-oriented developers can find errors in their own code along with others’ code.

Stress Handling

It might not appear like it to the outsider, but coding is usually an incredibly tense profession. When deadlines are restricted and nothing appears to be working, it is convenient to freeze up. The ideal development candidate can deal with even the most stressful conditions comfortably and, most significantly, have the ability to continue working.

Communication Skills

If you wish to be a part of a functional team, you have to communicate. If you are quiet or shy, that is okay.

If you are working remotely, likely, you use email, GitHub, and Slack to assist in discussion and feedback, so try to use a handful of words as possible and get to the point fast. This keeps your fellow workers focused and wanting to read and reply.

By communicating often and for short but detailed messages, your team will look toward talking to and listening to you.

Handling Failures

Programmers don’t usually get everything right on the first try. Actually, failure is actually an assurance. It is essential to find development staff that considers bugs and errors like a challenge instead of a sign of defeat. A determination is necessary, and also the capacity to start over if required, even after hours of work.