Imagine, if you will, the realm of software engineering as a grand orchestral performance. The stage is set, the spotlight illuminates, and the conductor raises the baton. The symphony begins, and as the musicians pour their heart and soul into their instruments, an extraordinary spectacle unfolds. Yet, amid the crescendos of coding, the harmonies of frameworks, and the rhythms of deadlines, a subtle melody often goes unheard.
It’s the symphony of soft skills, the intricate notes that dance between the lines of code, the subtle harmonies that resonate amid collaboration. Just as a maestro imbues a symphony with emotion and depth, software engineers too require a set of soft skills to elevate their craft from mere coding to a virtuoso performance.
In the current landscape, a discussion about these skills holds even greater significance – they are the orchestrators of success that transcend the boundaries of code, differentiating exceptional software engineers from the rest.
Discover the 10 essential soft skills that every software developer should possess, as shared by Saurabh Saxena, the Chief Operating Officer of Scaler and InterviewBit.
1. COMMUNICATION
Communication is not a one-way tool. Both parties involved are equally important. Sometimes a candidate with good technical skills might need help to explain the approach. Software engineers must be able to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Candidates with the best verbal communication skills cannot convert their thoughts, ideas, and designs into proper demonstrable code. Listening is another essential communication skill; software engineers should be good listeners.
The ones who are good listeners have an edge over the others in terms of understanding the business requirements and needs of the user. Listening carefully, communicating well, and confidently speaking are key metrics to improving your communication. If they work on improving these skills, they can have better growth in their career.
The tech industry evolves rapidly with new methodologies, frameworks, and languages. Software developers and engineers must adapt to these changes for a lifelong learning approach. Being a software developer, you need to be open-minded and adaptive.
In some situations, both might mean different things, but they may rotate in cycles going together, and in some, they might mean the same thing. Open-minded people are also more receptive to others’ feedback and listen to, and appreciate the value of feedback given by others.
As you climb up the ladder of software engineering levels, this skill set will be vital for your professional career.
3. BE PATIENT
Software engineering is a challenging profession. It’s a very complex feat. A typical software engineering cycle starts with the product manager gathering the product requirements, and software engineers reviewing and going through multiple iterations.
Then they go on to high-level and low-level design, getting them checked by their peers, jumping onto the coding plan, coming up with a testing plan, and finally creating the test suite. It involves so many processes and can be pretty tiring.
‘Patience’ will be your longtime friend in the mission of software engineering. Once you are patient and accept everything around you, you will have an unmatchable sharp mental ability.
4. MANAGEMENT
As a software engineer, you will be involved in different levels of management. As a fresher, you will begin with time management. You will be involved in so many subtasks at a time, creating confusion. Then, as you move up the ladder, you will realise that project management is essential.
Scoping projects, setting deadlines, and ensuring you put in all the efforts to meet these deadlines are critical. Another important aspect is to not say ”yes” to everything. If you do, you are bound to disappoint someone. So sometimes, saying no is a beneficial and healthy skill set to possess. Ultimately, prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals and time management will increase productivity.
5. TEAMWORK
Software engineering is a team sport; collaborative teamwork is essential for success. You will be collaborating with many people throughout this project completion journey. You will work with product managers and colleagues to get your design and code review, testing engineers, privacy and security consultants, etc.
So, for you to grow as a software engineer, your team will also need to grow with you. Embrace the collaborative mindset, engage in brainstorming sessions, and be receptive to feedback.
6. PROBLEM-SOLVING
To get into top tech companies or any company, being a good problem solver with critical thinking skills is paramount. Solutions are always meaningful, but the approach towards the problem is even more critical.
As a software engineer, you will be dealing with issues of different levels of complexity. How you break the problem down into simpler subproblems and how you deal with ambiguity will define you as a software engineer. So, having solid problem-solving skills is paramount for any software engineer.
7. ACCOUNTABILITY
If you are accountable for your mistakes and accept them, you can grow as a human being and as a software engineer. In our day-to-day lives, we make a lot of errors. It’s essential to take ownership of the tasks that you are doing and your mistakes.
Being humble in one way or another is in confluence with being accountable. Software engineers with a lot of experience are the most humble. They listen the most, and that’s the reason why they stay as the leaders of their group. Accountability builds trust among your peers and makes you a better professional.
8. EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT
As a software engineer, you will build products for your customers. But a customer sometimes does not use your product the way you intended. For example, suppose there are 10 cases of use for your product. In that case, the customer will come up with an innovative ’11th’ use case and ultimately defy the purpose of your software development.
It’s imperative to understand what emotion is driving your user to behave in a particular way so that you can build better products for your customers. Ultimately, your victory is when the customer is happy. Apart from the customer’s perspective, empathy is another vital tool from the point of view of teamwork and collaboration.
More often, being a software engineer, you will work in a team with people from diverse backgrounds. So make sure you respect their belief systems and accept whatever technical options and variety they bring to the table.
9. BEING APPROACHABLE
A crucial part of people’s skills is being approachable. Software engineers maintain their growth by being approachable and helpful. Quite often, the project’s success depends on the software engineers who are working on the project. The reason is it correlates with the right personality.
Being approachable doesn’t necessarily mean you have to say yes to everyone. As mentioned earlier, if you say yes to everyone, you will likely disappoint many people. A moderate combination of yes and no and being helpful and approachable will help you grow as a software engineer.
10. STAY CURIOUS
Our software industry is growing at a rapid pace. If you’re missing out on self-learning new technologies and languages, you will not progress as a software engineer. Curiosity is a soft skill that will be your companion on the self-learning journey.
You have to go beyond and beyond to find the root cause of the problem, try to find some supporting ways to make the codebase better than the current situation, solve the problem and help the software engineers around you.
The habit of curiosity and being explorative can help software engineers become technically dependable teammates. Be more curious about the problem you are working on, and explore the codebase as to why the customer needs a particular feature and what technical solutions may be more beneficial than the current state-of-the-art technology.
WAY FORWARD
Looking ahead, the future of software engineering hinges on mastering not only the intricacies of code but also the art of soft skills. As technology evolves, the need for adept communicators, adaptable problem solvers, and collaborative team players will intensify.
Embracing these skills is not just a choice; it is a strategic decision to excel in an industry where success is defined by the synergy of technical prowess and human ingenuity. So, the need of the hour for software engineers today is to fine-tune the skillset and navigate the ever-changing landscape with the harmonious blend of coding finesse and soft skill virtuosity.
Courtesy : IndiaToday