This is the era of technology, where every piece of work is now geared towards online. Whether it be taking a simple note or presenting a high-stakes meeting in front of shareholders, everything is now in the control of these invisible things called Software. Well, is it a bad thing? Maybe! But at least it guarantees a successful life in a software engineer career.
Software engineers are the gods of this realm, where every piece of software is made and managed by them. Even the website you are seeing right now is the creation of such beings, and you can become one of them!
What is a Software Engineer?
Let's go back to the basics; the term “Engineer” refers to those who design, build, and maintain structures like buildings, bridges, skyscrapers, and so on. Meanwhile, the term “Software” means a certain set of instructions that tell a computer or device what to do.
Now let's join both of those terms, and we'll get something like, "A person who designs, builds, and maintains software structures.” The simpler term would be applications.
Have you ever used YouTube? I bet you do, and that's a software or an application. The same goes for Facebook, Instagram, or even WhatsApp. They are all software or apps that were given birth through software engineering. We believe that clears the fundamental definition of Software Engineers. Now let's dive a bit deeper into it.
What should I do to become a software engineer?
The path to becoming a software engineer is a challenging one. Similar to the Internet of Things, or IoT jobs, it requires a strong base in technology. While the study path is almost the same, still the work that software engineers do is much different and more difficult than IoT professionals.
Anyways, if your goal is to become a Software Engineer in the future, then you have to follow these three steps:
Step 1: Get Career Counseling
A software engineer career path isn't a cheap one; it'll require a lot of fees and additional certificate courses. Not all students can dream of affording such luxury; that's why you should make sure to get yourself counseled before your education journey begins.
Take this right after the 12th examination, because the big leap happens there. You can either contact your closest teacher or book a professional career counseling session with us here at Infigon Futures. We provide personalized counseling with the help of AI, making sure that a wide range of career paths are explored before giving you your perfect roadmap.
Step 2: Start your Education
Once your roadmap is clear, start expanding your knowledge with the help of various programs and courses. You'll also be taking part in certificate programs, which would further enhance your ability to understand software engineering as a whole. So, here are all the available software engineer qualifications you can take:
- Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA)
- A three-year-long undergraduate course.
- Aims at providing fundamental knowledge of information technology or the IT field.
- More geared towards computer applications in general.
- Preferred choice for software engineers.
- Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering (BTech CSE)
- A four-year-long undergraduate course.
- Aims to provide fundamental knowledge of computers as a whole.
- It includes software, hardware, and computer systems.
- Provides more value than BCA.
- Master of Computer Applications (MCA)
- A two-year-long postgraduate program.
- Teaches advanced skills and knowledge of computer science and software.
- Preferred choice for software engineers.
- No entrance exams.
- Master of Technology in Computer Science & Technology (MTech CST)
- A two-year-long postgraduate program.
- Merit or Entrance-based admission process. For example, GATE, TANCET, BITSAT, etc.
- Provides advanced knowledge about artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, and so on.
- The preferred choice for serious software engineers.
- Master of Science in Computer Engineering (MSCE)
- A two-year-long postgraduate program.
- Provides extensive knowledge of software development.
- Has the same value as MCA and is a preferred choice too.
- Master of Engineering in Computer Science (MECS)
- A two-year-long postgraduate program.
- Career option for BE students.
- Provides fundamental and advanced knowledge of software development.
- Includes technical training.
- MBA Information Technology (MBA IT)
- A two-year-long postgraduate program.
- Career options for MBA students.
- Aim at providing the use of IT knowledge in business.
- Suitable for entrepreneurs trying to enter into an IT business war.
- Not preferred for software engineers.
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Four to five years.
- For those who want to change the IT sector with new inventions or improve the existing ones through extensive research.
- Only for super serious folks.
- Preferred choice for professors and university-level placements.
Step 3: Explore the Market
Now that your education is done, start looking for job opportunities. Most Indian computer engineers can immediately find a suitable position after their master's degree. If they went the MTech route, their placement is all but guaranteed.
That doesn't mean BCA or MCA is bad. There are the same amount of requirements in both, if not more. As we said, a software engineer career path is a complicated one. We already have at least eight ways to enter into this lineup. Meanwhile, it's also possible that in the future we may see more programs dedicated to new technologies like artificial intelligence.
How to land a job as a Software Engineer?
Once your software engineer degree requirements are set, start looking for possible opportunities in job portals like Naukri.com, LinkedIn, Upwork, Indeed, and so on.
There is only one difficult aspect to it, and it's the steps to become a software engineer. The rest is simple; just learn the required programming languages according to your line of work. For example, web developers with HTML/CSS are an instant pick. Meanwhile, JavaScript, Native, C/C++, and so on will make any HR mouth-watery.
Additional Tips and Tricks for Software Engineers
So, here are some additional tips and tricks that a software engineer should do to achieve their dream job in an instant:
- Always create a GitHub account and make something related to your field. It may be a website, an app, or anything that will boost your image among other software engineers.
- Create your own portfolio, and if you can, self-host it. A portfolio is basically a resume on a webpage. Just go crazy with creativity, and no HR can resist you.
- Be careful about software job qualification. Only apply to ones that match your expertise.
- Learn most, if not all, popular programming languages.
- Overexaggerate in your resume. Showing more or less than you know is a successful tactic in this field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Tell me about the degree needed for a software engineer.
Ans. There are a plethora of degrees for software engineers. For example, BCA, MCA, MTech CST, and so on.
Q2. Is software engineering a good career in India?
Ans. Yes, it's not just a good, but a fantastic career in India.
Q3. How to become a software developer after 12th?
Ans. After the 12th, you can either go for BCA or BTech and pursue their respective master's degrees afterward.
Q4. Are software engineering and software developer the same?
Ans. No, a software developer mainly focuses on codes. While a software engineer manages the entire software development process as a whole. A software engineer is usually the person hiring software developers.
Q5. How to become a software engineer in India?
Ans. The path to becoming a successful software engineer is the same across all countries. Get a bachelor's and master's degree. In most cases, that's enough for a high-paying role.
