Demonstrating a commitment to personal development is important in any sector – but for software development, it is vital. With the modern marketplace defined by innovation and change, being able to demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and improvement is essential for those that are new to the sector and long-time professionals alike.

So, here are some simple ways to build your knowledge and demonstrate it to future employers or bolster your recruitment power.

Building your portfolio

One of the greatest assets to a professional developer is a strong, diverse portfolio that shows a commitment to tackling contemporary, industry-specific problems. Knowing which projects to add to your portfolio is down to you, but they should always be relevant to the role you currently possess and want to acquire in future. Do not be afraid to show where you ‘fell down’ on a project or made mistakes, as demonstrating the ability to learn from previous errors is a valuable skill.

While this work can be presented through a range of online repositories, your efforts should find a home on a straightforward personal website. Being able to show your approach to problem-solving can also be attractive to employers and linking your portfolio contents to social media posts or blog articles is a great way to publicise your skillset.

Taking advantage of online resources and tutorials

The rise of the internet and open-source development has made it easier than ever to build your skills in a way that works for you. For those starting out, free sites like https://www.codecademy.com and https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming are helpful for refreshing your fundamentals or building awareness of development sectors adjacent to your own.

If you are confident in your base knowledge, sites like https://www.coursera.org https://www.udemy.com carry specialised training delivered by industry professionals. This includes end-to-end training in everything from full stack development, HTML and CSS, to Agile and Scrum practice – helping you round out your CV and add another string to your bow.

For those looking to develop their skill set in a formally recognised way, obtaining accreditations such as a https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/learning/mta-certification.aspx can help shape your career path and increase your earning potential. Or, if you are fully qualified and want to specifically expand your knowledge, sites like https://www.lynda.com/ have over 1000 distinct software development courses that can be taken at your own pace, with most culminating in a practical project that can be added to your portfolio.

Seeking out and delivering critique

No matter your chosen profession, it is impossible to improve your skills without putting your work in front of others and receiving critical feedback. If you plan to present exemplar work to potential employers always ensure that it has been posted to sites like https://github.com/ first or peer-reviewed with specific notes. Additional advice can also be sought from social sites like https://www.reddit.com which has many pages dedicated to code critique, CV review, and interview practice.

Additionally, demonstrating an ability to deliver helpful critique to others is a highly valuable skill. Opening accounts on these sites and delivering succinct, salient notes to others can be attractive to employers and act as a teaching aid to help you firmly understand a topic or issue.

Displaying your capacity for delivery

A major pitfall facing developers new to the sector is a lack of experience working as part of a team and incorporating client and testing notes to your projects. Being able to quantify these ‘soft skills’ can be difficult for some professionals, either because of the nature of their role or a lack of opportunities to hone their collaborative practice.

A quick and effective way to build these skills is by undertaking a game or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_jam with other attendees. These cram the full development cycle of a project – from initial concept to final delivery – into a timeframe of a few days. While these can be stressful, jams are often a fantastic opportunity to access a huge amount of learning in a very restricted period. Once complete, your team’s project can then be brought into your portfolio and the individuals you worked with added to your list of professional contacts.

When you are ready to leverage this experience, we at Time Recruitment recruit extensively for https://time-recruitment.com/jobs-by-industry/software development positions and have comprehensive experience in working alongside professionals to help find the role that’s right for you.

To learn more, you can contact a member of our recruitment team and let us know the sector you’re keen to progress in. Or, if you have any questions or queries about the services we offer, please do not hesitate to contact us at https://time-recruitment.com/contact-us/  and let us know exactly what you need.