Software developer businesses improve and provide better services by creating and integrating software systems

Woman in software may face certain challenges. They might get paid less than men, told what to wear and how to behave, feel isolated, and have your career end as the result of leaving a job to raise a family. But can be a great field if they have a creative streak. The profession involves seamlessly putting many components into code, including client requirements, market demands, and language limitations. Figuring out how to do it takes a combination of smarts and intuition to arrive at the best solution.

This kind of expertise can stem from rigorous education or be self-taught. Because of the high demand for software developers, more employers are no longer requiring specific degrees. With the many online resources available, you can teach yourself many of the necessary skills to excel in this field.

Women in software development have plenty of role models, including Visual Studio contributor Julia Liuson, high-tech star Natalia Burina, and former Yahoo! CEO and early female engineer at Google Marissa Mayer.

We’re going to give you three reasons why it is a good choice for women in software development (and men too):

Reason 1: Software development is a fast-growing field with a lot of career potential: 

Why consider a career as a women in software developer? For one thing, it’s a great job, report have named software developer the best job of 2018. For another, it’s a rapidly growing field. It has been predicted the number of software developer jobs in the world will grow by 24 percent by 2026. Already about 250,000 software developer jobs are unfilled around the world. And we can expect that number to grow as the demand for software developers continues to outpace the supply. Then there’s the near future, that will see the nature of work as we know it change. More than half of U.S workers will be freelancers by 2027, and software developers will be among them. USA Today includes software developers on their list of 20 in-demand freelance skills.

Software development jobs also pay well. The average developer salary is $103,000 approx. In general, tech careers tend to pay better because of supply and demand: Women working in IT make 33 percent more than women working in traditional roles.

Reason 2: You can get into software development without a college degree: 

If plenty of job opportunities and high pay aren’t enough, the low barrier to entry is another reason to consider software development. Although it depends on the situation, you don’t necessarily need a degree in computer science to get a job as a software developer. One survey discovered 56 percent of software developers don’t have a computer science degree, and 69.1 percent consider themselves self-taught. In a report on software development trends for 2018, you’ll find “willingness to learn” is the most important criteria when hiring software developers, with cultural fit second in importance. Work experience and technical skill are tied for third. A college degree is near the bottom of the list, making “willingness to learn” 8.4 times more important than a degree.

In addition, it’s easier to get educated without the cost of college, because software developers have multiple ways to learn on their own, including studying online, programming on their own, doing boot camps and earning certifications.

Reason 3: Software development is a flexible career: 

Although some might assume that a career in software development will require moving to Silicon Valley and getting entrenched in the “boys only” environment, fighting against gender bias for the next few years, that’s definitely not required. Software developers are needed at all types of companies, big and small. In addition, software developers can work remotely, so you don’t have to move to a tech hub like Silicon Valley to find work. In fact, 89 percent of software developers in the world work somewhere other than Silicon Valley.

Which brings us to the next point: Software developers can work remotely. In 2015, about 300,000 full-time employees in computer science jobs in the U.S. worked from home at least part of the time. And that’s a job perk they insist upon: A 2017 survey found 53 percent of programmers ranked remote work as one of the most important benefits, ranking it higher than health care, work hours and professional development.

It’s also a flexible career path. Women in software developing can climb the career ladder to become a senior developer or architect. They can specialize in one skill or language. Or they can start their own companies. In addition, the field is constantly changing, with dozens of programming languages being used, and emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, progressive web apps (PWAs), low-code development and cybersecurity all poised to create more jobs. Start a career in software development, and you won’t be bored—you’ll be constantly keeping up…which probably explains why “willingness to learn” is the number one criterion when hiring developers.