Non-majors, Surviving as Developers

#2. What is a developer? Prospects of developers

Generally, developers are perceived as people who create programs and are proficient in computer knowledge. Saying that they are people who create programs accurately describes developers, but when we go into more detail, we can see how specialized the profession of developer is. Personally, I think it is more accurate to say software developers when describing developers.

Types of software include utility programs such as Microsoft Word and Power Point, which we know well, web applications, mobile applications, games, and many other areas. Developers usually develop in one or a few areas. For example, a web developer is someone who mainly develops web applications.

Therefore, when referring to developers, they are often called web developers, mobile developers, game developers, etc., depending on the field of development.

It is better to start by determining what fields of development exist and what fields you are interested in or are good at, rather than just thinking vaguely about becoming a developer. Let's understand it better through the example below.

Hong Gil-dong, who majored in business administration at university and was preparing for employment, became interested in developers after hearing that his classmates had found jobs as developers. As he vaguely learned about developers, Hong Gil-dong realized that there are various fields of development. He thought that mobile developers and web developers, who develop applications that are familiar to him, might be a good fit for his personality and that he would be interested, and he began to think about it.

So, what is my perspective on the prospects of developers?

Before the era of COVID-19, the prospects of developers were not very good.

There were rumors, jokingly, that they worked late and came to work on weekends, and that they would open a fried chicken restaurant when they turned 40.

However, the situation has changed 180 degrees since the COVID-19 era. Due to the explosive demand for non-face-to-face infrastructure due to social distancing, many companies have launched IT services, and as a result, the demand for developers has also exploded.

IT companies have been trying to recruit even one developer, and the phrase "luring developers" has become a trend. Some large companies have offered a whopping 60 million won for the starting salary of developers, making many people aware of the existence of developers. Also, due to the 52-hour workweek system implemented by the government, the poor working conditions that existed in the past, such as excessive overtime and weekend work, are being improved. I, the writer of this article, also feel that the working conditions are improving as the treatment of developers is getting better.

The prospects of developers are expected to continue to improve in the future compared to other professions.

Along with the increase in non-face-to-face services due to COVID-19, AI, artificial intelligence, big data, cloud, etc., which are the keywords of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, can be easily found in many parts of our lives. IT services are constantly developing and new fields are emerging. Therefore, if you have the will to continuously develop yourself and learn the latest trends, as long as you have the strength to type on the keyboard, I believe a world will come where you can continue to work as a developer.