How to Become a Software Engineer

Computers are the future. No matter how bleak the job market might seem, there are always opportunities for software engineers because it is such a fast-growing field. If you love computers and would like to get paid for what you love, here's a primer on how to become a professional software engineer.

Instructions

1. Get a degree. One mistake budding software engineers make is thinking it isn't as labor-intensive as other forms of engineering. This just isn't the case, and due to the competition from other software engineers, having a degree in software engineering is imperative. Software engineering takes a lot of study in a number of different fields, such as programming, operating systems, data management and math.

2. Find a focus. For any software engineering degree, you're going to be taking general computer science courses, but you should have some idea about what wing of software engineering interests you most--games, business applications or portable media, among others. Again, taking specialized courses can help you get a job in your chosen category. So look to get a specialized software engineering degree as opposed to a general computer science degree.

3. Become an intern. If you're interested in game design, you'll be much more likely to have a career in the field if you initially take a job with no pay. It's not all about securing a good job in the future, but learning about the field and being the best engineer possible. You may find that a certain type of engineering isn't what you want to do, or it may fuel your ambition further.

4. Work on your own side projects. You'll be designing software through lab work in a degree program, but you should also be working on independent projects such as freeware programs. A person with a very impressive independent portfolio can sometimes bypass a degree program.

5. Start at the bottom. Though you can get a better job as an intern, you're probably going to have to do some grunt work when you get your first paying job. You can't expect to jump into full-fledged software design right out of school. Becoming an apprentice to a top-flight designer is a possible dream job.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't judge an entire wing of the software industry by one company. Some companies are fun to work at, and some aren't. So a bad work experience doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't pursue that type of engineering as a career.

• Study up on the latest developments in the software industry. Software engineering can be as much an art form as a scientific discipline, so you should be studying up on great engineers who are currently working. Read tech mags and websites, and take software out for a spin. Displaying this knowledge and passion in job interviews can be very helpful.

• Earning a Master's degree beyond an undergraduate computer science or math degree is highly recommended.