How do programmers improve their skills? Acquiring skills in the IT industry

Emilia Szabat – a Senior Business Manager at ITDS. Emilia has worked in IT since 2018. Her main task evolves around the client-side relationship management and searching for candidates who meet the clients’ requirements. Emilia has the opportunity to work with the best IT experts and to follow their careers and self-development.

Due to the fast development of new technologies, IT specialists have to constantly expand and update their knowledge and acquire new skills and qualifications. New developments appear at an amazing rate, and the existing methods quickly become insufficient or even ineffective. From this article, you will learn how programmers improve their skills, and why this process is a vital part of their career!

How to become a programmer?

High salaries, the opportunity to work from home and a good position to negotiate the terms of employment are the reasons why more and more people decide to learn programming. At the moment, it is fairly easy to find employment in this profession, and there is no reason to be concerned about its future.

Naturally, it should be noted that, contrary to some popular myths, the salaries of junior programmers are not sky-high. Although the job market is not yet saturated with IT specialists, the best opportunities are still reserved for qualified specialists, people who have worked in the industry for many years, ambitious developers who create new technologies – in other words: people with the most extensive experience.

Knowledge, skills and suitable qualities are of great importance. Programmers need the ability of logical thinking and have to be able to solve problems quickly as well as be creative and resistant to stress.

Are IT studies enough if you want to work in the IT industry?

Many people wonder how to start to learn programming. Young people often select suitable profiles in high school / technical school and then apply for IT studies. However, employers do not always care about university/college education. Sometimes, students quickly find that the materials prepared for them in their curricula are insufficient, and they can also work on improving their skills on their own.

The No Fluff Jobs website conducted a survey asking if IT studies were useful for learning programming skills. Only 17% of respondents agreed. What was the problem? Some teachers may have had a slightly outdated approach and focused on areas that were not necessarily useful in everyday work. However, the important factor was the selection of a suitable educational establishment – there are many great places to study in Poland, such as, for instance, the Warsaw University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow or the Wrocław University of Technology.

People who have already graduated or are not sure if they want to study at all might want to consider a special programming school. There is an increasing number of such institutions, focusing on practical skills, new technologies and popular topics (e.g., AI, databases). They offer a guarantee of an up-to-date curriculum and a fresh approach.

Regardless of the path you choose, you should be aware even before you start your studies that they are only the beginning. To work as a programmer, you need to constantly grow and develop.

Programming course – for beginners and experts

Programming courses and training programmes are extremely popular. There are courses for amateurs who simply want to start programming and for people who have already worked in the industry – including people who are already quite advanced.

Regardless of the area of expertise, the current trends and requirements of the market change at a very fast rate. It is a good idea to keep learning new programming languages and new technologies. This way, you can establish or maintain your position and expand your horizons – discover new directions for your career path.

A programming course can also have the form of classes organised at a specific location, but online training is a more convenient choice for many reasons. You can attend it from anywhere, working on your own equipment. This way, you also save a lot of time you would otherwise have to spend to get to the training site.

One of the most effective options are programming boot camps, i.e., intensive courses, which normally last several weeks, conducted under the supervision of an experienced mentor. They are a great way of acquiring extensive skills in the shortest possible time. Graduates of IT studies frequently use this opportunity before starting their first job, but such boot camps are also popular with people who are looking for opportunities to reskill.

Improving your skills as part of the programmer’s work

Employers often help employees update their knowledge and develop their skills. Companies fight for the best specialists, and when they employ a person with large potential, they help him grow. This way, they get benefits for themselves and, at the same time, increase the employee’s loyalty to the company.

However, in many cases, to improve your skills in the IT industry, you will have to rely on your own efforts. This area is developing at a very fast rate, and it is necessary to follow new technological developments. Changes take place all the time.

This does not mean that you need a large budget for special courses and training. The important thing is to remain up-to-date and attentive. Valuable materials can be found in various forms, they are often extensively discussed on the Internet, e.g., in:

• blogs,
• podcasts,
• YouTube videos,
• discussions on dedicated forums.

Although the situation in the job market is very favourable for programmers, it is important to remember that you will be facing very strong competition. If you are ambitious, you must keep growing – otherwise, you will soon start to lag behind. Without suitable skills and experience, you will also not be able to achieve the salaries you wanted. A Junior Developer can earn even three times less than a Senior Developer. You have to work on your skills to be promoted.

One of the topics that attracted plenty of attention in the last few years was the question if being a good programmer only requires focusing on “technical” aspects. Soft skills and teamwork become increasingly significant in the job market. An IT specialist must not only have talents relating to the development of programs and applications but must also be communicative, creative, patient and willing to work with others. These skills can also be developed, not just during training but also in everyday work.

Why invest in learning programming and additional training courses?

Programmers who keep developing are more successful in recruitment processes. A professional CV is impressive, which is why they can appear at any job interview with higher demands and expectations. They also have more choices on their career path, pursuing choices that bring them greater benefits after some time, guarantee stability and still offer satisfaction.

Want to become a programmer? Make sure from the get-go that you are ready for constant development and new challenges. Are you creating a project and need the best developers? Choose ambitious specialists who want to improve their skills and are genuinely passionate about their profession.