How to become a software engineer
Design, develop and produce complex computer software systems.
Pathways to this career
- Complete a undergraduate degree in a related field such as computer sciences or software engineering.
- Boost hands-on experience and ensure your resume pops with internships and work experience in the field.
- Practice makes perfect, so explore your skills and expand your portfolio with side projects.
- Join online communities (or start one) dedicated to software engineering and development.
What does a software engineer do?
Software engineers work on the entire computing system and lifecycle including back-end systems. They play an important role in DevOps practises by collaborating with designers and project managers, research, code reviews, testing and programming.
Tasks and duties
- Provide advice, guidance and expertise in DevOps by creating strategies and proposals for purchases and upgrades.
- Collaborate with with designers, data scientists, and project managers to create user-focused applications.
- Research, design and analyse system programs and clients' needs.
- Write and maintain program code to ensure it meets system requirements and meets industry standards and best practice.
- Write and develop computer programs in order to locate, retrieve, and store specific data, information, or documents.
- Test code and identify bugs to be fixed to ensure programs and applications perform to specification.
- Leverage expertise to provide advice and guidance to implement new software and update existing software.
- Write and maintain technical and end-user documentation and operational procedures.
Industry bodies
- The Australian Computer Society
- Information Technology Professionals Association (ITPA)
- Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA)
- Engineers Australia
- Frontier - Engineers Australia
Related jobs
Software engineers typically have a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Common areas of study are Computer science, ;Information technology, Software development, Information technology and Postgraduate IT.
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