September 3rd, 2019 | Updated on September 24th, 2022
Software development is on its fastest run at the moment, even in comparison with five years back in time.
For now, people have stopped hesitating and accepted the fact the pretty much nothing is impossible, especially having a backpack with a laptop and knowledge of the sphere you like. If you scan the web thoroughly, you will be shocked with how much info is available about software.
Many people wonder how to become a principal software developer and what subjects they should know. Okay, let’s find out. Firstly you should discover what are principal software engineer responsibilities and the difference between an architect and a developer.
So, grab your spade and start digging the way to the software development enlightenment. Nowadays you can enlarge your skills going to offline courses, spice it up with online training topping and voila, you are a well-demanded professional with a fascinating career, respectful position, and amazing prospects. Sounds great, isn’t it?
What Do You Know About The Occupation?
In one sentence – the mentioned position represents a person, whose main responsibility is to cover the delivery of complex software tasks within self-organization which calls up the overall team spirit. It raises in:
- Development process optimization skills;
- Up to date approaches;
- System’s design and integration;
- Psychological approach.
And What About The Subjects?
One of the most important features of a professional is to empty the head from everything except the key point and keep a strong focus. You may call it a gift, skill, habit, inexplicable sort of mind power. Call it whatever you want to. So let us focus on the most principal subjects a developer must know and put them down in the form of rules. Be ready to make friends with these points, your presence is required.
1. Product Acknowledgment
In most cases, a company owns a mono-product and all employees should know it literally from A to Z. Such an essential thing decreases the volume of possible drawbacks during the implementation of new aspects or development of another module.
2. Clear Requirements
Spending hours trying to solve an instance before a burning deadline and then to find out that the task has been set incorrectly is killing. One object, clear plan, and small steps are more reasonable.
3. Nail That Code
As long as a technical lead or principal software developer check what has been written, the code will look good. Sometimes a messy structure or some spelling mistakes break down the strongest belief that the code will pass testing.
4. Analyze As Much As You Can
This is a crucial phase to personal and professional growth because one step backward is not always bad, it is just a chance to grab some space for a boost. Sometimes people struggle to define the owner of this task – principal software engineer vs development manager. Nevertheless, we learn faster when analyzing processes and completed tasks so both parties are in charge of it.
5. Object-Oriented Analysis And Design (OOAD)
This approach helps specialists in the analysis and design of a system, application, business or a platform, which is on the same level with visual modeling through development life cycles. OOAD technique is the most effective iteratively and incrementally.
6. Find Out What Quality Is For You
It may sound strange, however, the definition should be set at the earliest stages, particularly if you work with a remote development team. Don’t forget, that quality reflects in: Reliability, Efficiency, Security, Maintainability, and Size.
7. Systematization
When previously completed processes arise again, this is a great chance to save time. Of course, if your workflow is well systematized.
8. Patterns And Rules
It is closely related to the previous point because regardless of the objective difficulty, any task can be decomposed on patterns and rules. This method is a real game-changer.
9. Computer And OS
If a principal software engineer is a warrior, then computer and OS is his weapon and a shield. Take care of efficient hardware and software beforehand.
10. Powerful Testing
This is an extremely important process because the product shows how it is going to work in real life. Therefore, try to dive deeper and check all ins and outs, look into predictable and erratic corners.
11. Architectural Patterns
This statement is among other important development process optimization skills. There are many patterns such as MVC, MVP, MVVM, etc. and all of them reflect leading lines towards the stunning user interface.
12. Multiple Language Usag
Internationalization and localization (AmE or BrE) defines adaptation of software for different languages, countries, regions. Yes, software engineering has some sort of a universal language, but even now such adaptation is a key.
13. Metrics And Processes
Metrics represent a standardized form of measuring of a degree, to which a software system or process relates some property. In its turn, Software development life cycle (SDLC) helps to divide software development into visible phases and fasten improvement of design, product and project management.
14. Network’s Framework
It is a basic playground, among the first steps of a newborn technical lead or principal software developer. The computer network is a digital telecommunications network, thanks to which nodes can spread resources worldwide. Devices exchange data using so-called data links, connections, established via wired or wireless means.
15. Continuous Integration During Development
You will face way more issues during implementation than you expected. The ability to deal with it and not to delay the date is on top places of any principal developer skills list.
Professional Prospects
Should be mentioned that technical knowledge is nothing without a couple of psychological aspects of being a software developer. There is a common thought that knowing how to code and a couple of days of hard work will lead you to the great product which can, completely or at least partially, change the world. It doesn’t work this way, unfortunately.
You have probably heard that persistence and devotion make successful people successful. Combination of professional knowledge, skills and individual’s traits of character/outlook is a decisive statement to principal software developer salary value. In the US, the average number is about 150 thousand a year – imagine how it will grow in the future.
Now the question who would win in a battle of principle software developer vs architect is a bit easier. However, do not hurry to place all your educational stuff and gained knowledge on the most visible shelf, because it may appear not as useful as you considered it to be. Do you know why? Experience and abrasion tested skills are the other side of the moon, the ladder to an ambitious career.
