As true as the sky is blue, technology evolves.
If you’re a developer, that means you have to be on your toes, constantly learning and sharpening your skills. You won’t be expected to know everything all the time, but you do have to know how and where to look for answers.
It makes for a dynamic job where you’ll never get bored.
Thinking about pursuing a career as a developer? Before you dive into the language of code or do anything rash like drop out of Harvard, you’ll want to make sure the role is right for you.
In this Employee Q&A, three Makeway developers talk about how the evolution of technology shapes their jobs and all of the fun things that come along with that.
We asked our developers this question:
You work in a tech field and things are constantly evolving. How does that affect your job?
Buffy Esslinger, Developer
Personally, I enjoy working in a field that isn’t stagnant. The tech field is both exciting and challenging. There is always something new for me to learn and new challenges to tackle. For this reason, I find it important to be willing to embrace change and adapt quickly to stay relevant. In a sense, your head should be on a swivel, always looking around for ways to improve yourself and your work.
The fast pace of technological change also means there is and will continue to be a high demand for tech talent, making any job in this field competitive and constantly evolving. This is one reason why it’s important to keep up with the latest trends and developments, in order to stand out. Lastly, I’ll address what I think we’re all wondering. No, I don’t believe that AI will be taking over my job anytime soon. At least not until it’s able to code AND have a sparkling personality.
“I find it important to be willing to embrace change and adapt quickly to stay relevant.” – Buffy
Víctor Deras, Developer
There are several ways in which the constantly shifting landscape of tech affects our line of work: the most obvious one is that as a developer, you need to be constantly updating yourself on the latest languages, tools, and updates to what you already know. As a very ubiquitous example: CSS, one of the foundations of the modern web, and used in literally every website you see every day, is constantly updated to add new functionality that allows you to build sites much faster and more efficiently. Being stuck in an old version of the tools you use can make a 5 minute task into an hours long task.
But, on the flip side, projects also need to be constantly updated. Tools and languages are updated because they become faster, because they add new functionality, or because they become more secure. Having an outdated site means you have a slower and less secure site, and opens you up to huge security risks. It’s like having a car that you never take to the shop: it might run fine for a while, until it doesn’t.
“Being stuck in an old version of the tools you use can make a 5 minute task into an hours long task.” – Víctor
Kevin Siebert, Digital Director
I feel the constant evolution of our tech makes it more interesting. Working in the field for over 15 years, it’s rare that I’ve seen things get worse or more convoluted with developers working together and sharing knowledge through open source code. That’s what makes development with web technology rather than closed source software development more appealing to me.
Do worse solutions and options exist? Sure, but it’s not a career field where you can be lazy as you need to know what’s worth incorporating into your toolkit and what should be ignored based on experience and knowledge.
It’s one of the few global communities that I’ve seen that is actively working towards advancement for the benefit of everyone involved.
“It’s one of the few global communities that I’ve seen that is actively working towards advancement for the benefit of everyone involved.” – Kevin
Kevin’s last point is a great one.
The perception that developers are isolated simply isn’t true. Being a developer is NOT a solo job. There’s a global community of developers who share best practices and try to move the field forward for everyone.
Languages, tools, and general programming skills are important, but soft skills like knowing how to communicate are a crucial part of the job and often the difference between a good developer and a great developer.
Are you a qualified developer looking for a new position? Seeking a company to intern with? Check out our careers page or reach out directly to [email protected].
Be sure to check out our previous installments of the Employee Q&A Series:
Developer Q&A: What I Wish I Knew
Designer Q&A: Creative Mindset
Project Manager Q&A: Valuable Skills
