In September, which certainly was a far different time, demand for software developers was forecast to grow 21% through 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Despite the devastating effects of the pandemic and the shuttered economy on the job market, new job postings for IT occupations still totaled more than 220,000 nationwide in May, according to CompTIA. Software developers and application developers are still in highest demand, with an
estimated 69,300 job postings. Companies are also seeking IT support specialists, systems engineers and architects, systems analysts and web developers. Industries with the most job postings for IT professionals include professional, scientific and technical services, finance and insurance and manufacturing.
With a still rosy jobs outlook, the role of software developer is a promising career choice for recent STEM graduates who are now looking for just the right opportunity.
Experience Needed—How Do I Get It?
As a recruiter, I work with recent college graduates, and often hear of the struggle of needing a job to get experience, but not being able to get experience without a job. At the same time, the technology field is growing, but employers who are willing to hire junior talent look for graduates with specific experience, like Java training. In 2018, Genesis10 decided to do something to give college graduates an edge in the market, and our clients the talent they seek, by providing software developer training and client project experience in one program – Dev10.
Genesis10’s Dev10 program is built for college graduates with a STEM degree interested in launching a Software Developer career. Most candidates I speak to for Dev10 do not have a degree in computer science or experience in the field. They have backgrounds in chemistry, biology, engineering, math, physics, accounting or finance.
They all have a story about how they first got interested in software development. Take Natalie, a Dev10 Associate, for example. She has a degree in Nutritional Sciences and Biochemistry with a Health Informatics internship. “I worked in research but not the technical aspects like software development," she says. "I was always interested, but never had the opportunity.” Our goal with Dev10 is to give consultants that opportunity--to participate in a Java bootcamp, grow their skills and apply them in a corporate setting.
Many candidates for Dev10 tell me that they learned too late in their college degree program that they should have picked computer science as a major. At that point, it’s often too costly in both time and money to change programs. I understand the need to get into the workforce and start making money. Most recent graduates have student loans and bills to pay. We considered this when creating Dev10, and to remove any cost barriers, we cover the cost of training and pay the consultants during this time.
When I talk about Dev10, people often tell me that while they code as a hobby, they do not think of it as a career. One of our goals is to help them do just that by giving our Dev10 consultants the chance to apply what they learn in training in our software development bootcamp in a corporate setting. It is one thing to know how to code, but coders also have to know how to code for a company. The Dev10 program includes at least two years of onsite project work for our clients, allowing the consultants to really use their software developer skills.
Overall with Dev10, we are changing how recent STEM graduates think about launching a career as a software developer. We hire passion and potential, not experience.
Not sure if becoming a software developer is the right career move for you? Our application process is designed to help you figure out if this career path is a fit. We’ll give you an aptitude test and the chance to learn and practice some coding skills. We think it is valuable to take this time to figure out if you really want to launch a career as a software developer. If the answer is yes, then Dev10 could be the right choice to break into the field of software development--even with no experience.
