How to Become a Software Developer Without CS Degree: A Complete Guide

With the increasing demand for software solutions in the digital world, the employment of developers, quality assurance, analysts, and testers is definitely going to increase.

In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has also reported that the employment of developers is projected to grow 25% from 2021 to 2031. This is much faster compared to any other occupation. This means there is surely an opportunity to build a career in software development.

But how to become a software developer?

As a top customized-software development company, we know the complexities of the industry, the evolving tech trends, and the skills to navigate this dynamic field successfully. We also understand the commitment, passion, and continuous learning required to become a software developer. So, we are here to guide you every step of the way.

Here are the points you will learn:

• Step-by-step process to become a software engineer
• How much time does it take to become a software developer?
• FAQs related to software development

Step-by-step Process to Become a Software Developer

1. Get Clear With Basics of Computer Software Programming

   Computer programming is a process of writing code for a specific action that you want to run on a software solution.

   If you want to be a successful software developer, then it is essential that you not only start with the basics but continue to upgrade your programming skills to hold a firm grip over them. Knowing programming skills will help you write code efficiently for your software.

   With programming languages, you are able to communicate with computers. Even if you go for pursuing a computer science degree, without having programming skills, you won’t be able to build software. So, you will need to start with the basics of programming languages.

   However, you need to choose the programming languages based on your career requirements. For example, if you want to make your career in machine learning, then start learning C++, JAVA, and Python. Do you have an idea for developing web-based software? Do you want to create software without getting into the nitty-gritty of technical things? We have a team of experienced software developers to help you succeed.

   Want to Hire Software Developers for Your Project?

   Let’s discuss your requirements. We have a team of experienced and skillful software developers to help you with successful project development.

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2. Learn Fundamentals to Design UI/UX in Software

   Software development is divided into 2 parts that include:

   • UI/UX Design
   • Back-end development

   In this section, you will learn about the user interface that is responsible for developing the graphical user interface of software that a user can see and interact with.

   Not only the visual components but also involves designing and managing the interactive functions of the software, such as navigation, buttons, or any other feature which impacts the functionality of the software.

   To help you with complete details of learning front-end, here is the roadmap of design the UI/UX of your software.

   Note : To view the below graph properly, use the Ctrl key and “+” for Windows and CMD key and “+” for macOS.

   Desktop Applications

   Electron

   Web Assembly

   Keep Learning

   Web Assembly or WASM is the binary instructions generated from
   higher level languages such as Go, C, C++ or Rust. It is faster than
   JavaScript and WASM 1.0 has already shipped in the major browsers.
   take quite some time to go mainstream though.
   W3C accepted it as an official standard at the end of 2019. It will still

   Tauri

   Linters and Formatters

   Prettier

   ESLint

   Gridsome

   yarn

   HTML

   Front-end

   Learn the basics

   Writing Semantic HTML

   Forms and Validations

   Conventions and Best Practices

   CSS

   Floats
   Positioning
   Display
   Box Model
   CSS Grid
   Flex Box

   Learn the basics

   Making Layouts

   Find the detailed version of this roadmap
   along with resources and other roadmaps

   Responsive design and Media Queries

   JavaScript

   Syntax and Basic Constructs

   Learn DOM Manipulation

   Hoisting, Event Bubbling, Scope,
   Prototype, Shadow DOM, strict
   Understand the concepts

   Learn Fetch API / Ajax (XHR)

   ES6+ and modular JavaScript

   roadmap.sh
   http
   :
   /
   /

   Internet

   How does the internet work?

   What is HTTP?

   Browsers and how they work?

   DNS and how it works?

   What is Domain Name?

   What is hosting?

   Accessibility

   SEO Basics

   Basic Usage of Git

   GitHub

   Repo hosting services
   Create account and Learn to use GitHub

   Version Control Systems
   What are they and why you should use one

   Package Managers

   npm

   Bitbucket

   GitLab

   Web Security Knowledge

   Personal Recommendation / Opinion
   I wouldn’t recommend

   Order in roadmap not strict (Learn anytime)

   Alternative Option – Pick this or purple

   CORS

   HTTPS

   Content Security Policy

   OWASP Security Risks

   Get at least a basic knowledge of all of these

   CSS Preprocessors

   CSS Architecture

   BEM

   Build Tools

   Task Runners

   npm scripts

   Webpack

   Webpack

   Rollup

   Rollup

   Parcel

   Parcel

   Module Bundlers

   Pick a Framework

   React

   Angular

   Vue.js

   Modern CSS

   Styled Components

   CSS Modules

   Emotion

   Apollo

   Static Site Generators

   GatsbyJS

   Next.js

   Nuxt.js

   Vuepress

   Jekyll

   CSS Frameworks

   CSS first frameworks
   that don’t come with
   JS framework
   components by default.

   Bootstrap

   Bulma

   JS based and better to use with your
   framework based JavaScript apps.

   Tailwind

   Material UI

   Mantine

   You can fill all your testing
   needs with just these.

   react-testing-library

   Enzyme

   Jest

   Cypress

   Testing your Apps

   and
   Functional
   tests and learn how to write

   them with the tools listed on the right.

   Learn the difference between
   Unit
   ,
   Integration
   ,

   Type Checkers

   TypeScript

   Progressive Web Apps

   Service Workers

   Storage

   Location

   Notifications

   Device Orientation

   Payments

   Credentials

   Web Sockets
   Learn different Web
   APIs used in PWAs

   PRPL Pattern

   RAIL Model

   Performance Metrics

   Using Lighthouse

   Using DevTools
   Calculating, Measuring
   and improving performance

   Server Side Rendering (SSR)

   React

   Next.js

   Angular

   Universal

   Vue.js

   Nuxt.js

   Mobile Applications

   React Native

   NativeScript

   Flutter

   Hugo

   Ionic

   GraphQL

   Relay Modern

   Web Components

   HTML Templates

   Custom Elements

   Shadow DOM

   PostCSS

   Sass

   Styled JSX

   Webpack

   esbuild

   Parcel

   Vite

   Radix UI

   Eleventy

   pnpm

   Svelte

   Solid JS

   Chakra UI

   DaisyUI

   Playwright

   Remix

   Remix

   Image Source: Roadmap.sh

   What are the Skills You Need to Design the UI/UX?

   To successfully design the UI/UX of software, you need to hold a firm grasp of the following skills.

   • Java Swing : Learn about how to create a user interface in desktop and internet-based applications.
   • SwiftUI : Learn about SwiftUI to create great applications and user interfaces for macOS apps.
   • HTML : You need to start with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) as it has good browser compatibility and integration with other programming languages
   • CSS and Javascript : Go ahead with learning new scripting languages like CSS and JavaScript
   • Frameworks: Learn React or Angular, CSS processors, and other development tools will add an advantage to it

   Best Resources to Learn Front-end Development

   Following are the courses to master front-end development.

   No.	Platform Name	Name of the Course	Time	Ratings Out of 5
   1.	Udemy	Java Swing (GUI) Programming: From Beginner to Expert	14 hours	4.5
   2.	Udemy	SwiftUI Masterclass 2023 – iOS App Development & Swift	30.5 hours	4.5
   3.	Coursera	Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML and CSS	33 hours	4.6
   4.	Educative	Become a Front-End Developer	42 hours	4.4
   5.	Simplilearn	Introduction to Front-End Development	12 hours	4.5

   Next, you need to learn about programming languages.

3. Learn Programming Languages for Developing Software

   A back-end developer is responsible for the development of server-side logic, along with writing code for the databases, servers, and software. It is also known as client-side programming. It works behind the scenes that a user doesn’t see but that powers every function.

   To build software, the back-end developer performs database migrations and API integrations and sets up the server-side technologies.

   Here is the complete roadmap for learning the back end.

   Note : To view the below graph properly, use the Ctrl key and “+” for Windows and CMD key and “+” for macOS.

   Keep Learning

   Building with Observability in mind
   Metrics logging and other observable items
   that could help you in debugging and solving
   the issues when things go wrong

   Architectural Patterns

   Monolithic Apps

   Microservices

   CQRS and Event Sourcing

   Search Engines

   Elasticsearch

   Solr

   SOA

   Neo4j

   RabbitMQ

   Kafka

   Message Brokers

   Containerization vs Virtualization

   Web Servers

   Nginx

   Apache

   Caddy

   MS IIS

   Docker

   LXC

   GraphQL

   Apollo

   Relay Modern

   Graph Databases

   WebSockets

   OAuth

   Basic Authentication

   Token Authentication

   JWT

   OpenID

   SAML

   Caching

   Redis

   Memcached

   Server Side

   Client Side

   CDN

   Relational Databases

   PostgreSQL

   MySQL

   MariaDB

   MS SQL

   Oracle

   NoSQL Databases

   Document

   MongoDB
   , CouchDB

   Realtime

   Firebase
   , RethinkDB

   ACID

   More about Databases

   Transactions

   N+1 Problem

   Sharding Strategies

   Database Normalization

   Data Replication

   Indexes and how they work

   Learn about APIs

   REST
   Read Roy Fielding’s Paper

   JSON APIs

   SOAP

   HATEOAS

   Open API Spec and Swagger

   CAP Theorem

   Authentication

   Web Security Knowledge

   CORS

   HTTPS

   Content Security Policy

   OWASP Security Risks

   MD5 and why not to use it

   SHA Family

   scrypt

   bcrypt

   Hashing Algorithms

   Cookie Based

   SSL/TLS

   Testing

   Integration Testing

   Unit Testing

   Functional Testing

   Backend
   Find the detailed version of this roadmap
   along with resources and other roadmaps

   roadmap.sh
   http
   :
   /
   /

   Personal Recommendation / Opinion
   I wouldn’t recommend

   Order in roadmap not strict (Learn anytime)

   Alternative Option – Pick this or purple

   Go

   Java

   Rust

   C#

   Learn a Language
   Make sure to learn its quirks. Core details about its
   runtime e.g. concurrency, memory model etc.

   PHP

   JavaScript

   Python

   Ruby

   Internet

   How does the internet work?

   What is HTTP?

   Browsers and how they work?

   DNS and how it works?

   What is Domain Name?

   What is hosting?

   Basic Frontend Knowledge

   HTML

   CSS

   JavaScript

   Memory Management

   Interprocess Communication

   I/O Management

   POSIX Basics
   stdin, stdout, stderr, pipes

   Basic Networking Concepts

   OS and General Knowledge

   Terminal Usage

   Basic Terminal Commands
   grep, awk, sed, lsof, curl, wget
   tail, head, less, find, ssh, kill

   Process Management

   Threads and Concurrency

   How OSs work in General

   Basic Usage of Git

   GitHub

   Repo hosting services
   Create account and Learn to use GitHub

   Version Control Systems
   What are they and why you should use one

   Bitbucket

   GitLab

   ORMs

   CI / CD

   Design and Development Principles

   SOLID

   KISS

   YAGNI

   DRY

   GOF Design Patterns

   Domain Driven Design

   Test Driven Development

   Serverless

   Building for Scale
   General topics that you should learn
   and care about for the sustainability
   of the product.

   Mitigation Strategies

   Understand the Diff.

   Monitoring
   Throttling
   Backpressure
   Loadshifting
   Graceful
   Telemetry
   Instrumentation
   Circuit Breaker

   Migration Strategies

   Horizontal vs Vertical Scaling

   Degradation

   gRPC

   Column DBs

   Cassandra

   Time series

   InfluxDB
   , TimescaleDB

   Image Source: Roadmap.sh

   Which Skills are Required to Develop Backend of Software?

   To make your career as a back-end developer, you need to have the following skills.

   • Understanding of back-end development, which includes configuration, administration, and management of databases and servers
   • Learn programming languages like PHP, C#, and Java
   • Get to know the database technologies, such as MySQL and SQL
   • Best practices of security and authentication
   • Experience writing RESTful APIs

   Best Online Resources to Learn Backend Software Development

   Learn from the below courses to master backend development.

   No.	Platform Name	Description	Time	Ratings Out of 5
   1.	Codecademy	Back-End Engineer – learn interactively	4 – 8 months	NA
   2.	Udemy	Complete Backend Development 2023 Bundle – Python Roadmap	15.5 hours	4.6
   3.	Coursera	Meta Back-End Developer Professional Certificate	8 months	4.7

   Once you develop the proper understanding of the backend, let’s learn about the database.

4. Learn Database

   Basically, a database helps you store all the essential files related to the software solution. Therefore, having knowledge of databases is needed to build your career in software development.

   The information you will store will surely be sensitive. Therefore, ensure you are focused enough while allowing or manipulating the information in the database. Choose the database based on your project requirements, experience, and ease of usage.

   Which are the Skills Required to Learn Database?

   To master databases for software development, you need to learn the following skills.

   • Get training on the technologies and programming languages, such as SQL programming language
   • Data structure & algorithm for database creation
   • Basic understanding of data science

   Best Online Resources to Learn About Database

   Avail of these online courses to hold a strong grip over your database skills.

   No.	Platform Name	Name of the Course	Time	Ratings Out of 5
   1.	LinkedIn	Database Foundations: Database Management	2 hours	4.8
   2.	Google Digital Garage	Database Management Essentials	29 hours	4.6
   3.	Udemy	Database Management System	1 hour	4.5

   Once you are clear with all three core components of software development, next you should opt for online bootcamps and courses.

5. Purse Online Courses and BootCamps

   Though over 65% of developers hold a computer science degree, it is not always essential to find a job in software development. Either you can choose to learn through free or paid online courses or a coding Bootcamp. We have already mentioned the online courses in the above steps, so now let’s discuss more coding bootcamps.

   Attending bootcamps will simply give you a chance to gain job-ready programming skills. It is specially designed for those students who are not able to be a part of a four-year degree program. It lasts for just 6 months and is cheaper than the degree programs covering computer science theory.

   What You Need to Learn

   To make your software development career without a CS degree, you need to learn through bootcamps and online courses. You can focus on the following points.

   • Start with the basics of the software development process and architecture
   • Understand all that is required on how to build a software solution
   • Join bootcamps and pursue online courses based on your career choice options

   Where You Should Learn

   The following are some of the top bootcamps to learn software development.

   1. Flatiron School
   2. Fullstack Academy
   3. Hack Reactor
   4. Lambda School

   Getting a proper understanding of coding to develop software. Then you need to find your specialization whether you want to move into web-based or desktop software development.

6. Find Your Specialization in Software Development

   Software development is like a deep sea. Covering everything beginning itself would be challenging for you. Hence, you would need to focus on a specific niche, such as web development or mobile app development, or either you just want to be a front-end developer or a back-end developer.

   Based on your choices, you will further need to go ahead to learn the software tools and technologies. Therefore, decide on your specialization at the beginning. In case you want to learn more skills later or want to change your specialization because of a lack of interest, you can do it anytime. Next, you need to build a software project to excel in your chosen field and practice real-time development.

7. Start Developing Your Own Software Project

   Just as developing a project is important for your portfolio, consistency is also essential to identify your strengths and weaknesses. And when you find that you are weak in some of the areas, you can focus more with your consistent practice and overcome it within no time.

   So, devote your time to programming languages and try your hand at development. Then, slowly and steadily, you move on to developing more complex software projects to build a strong portfolio.

8. Build Your Portfolio

   As you begin practicing, compile all your projects into a portfolio. Try to add your best work because the portfolio makes the first impression of your work and increases your chances of impressing the interviewer. Here are the following things a portfolio must have.

   • Provide a brief introduction about you, your interests, and your capabilities
   • Include your portfolio and work experience (don’t include simple projects)
   • Highlight your technical skills
   • Link to your resume, include your LinkedIn and GitHub or GitLab profiles
   • Accolades or awards, if received any
   • Mention your contact details

   Follow these best practices for your software development as it helps enhance the performance of software and face fewer issues later on. After having a strong grip on software development, apply for internships.

9. Apply for Internships

   Before you apply for internships, you must create your technical resume.

   Here are the things that you need to consider before you go to create your resume.

   • Customize your resume that matches the skillset aligned with the specific job requirements
   • Include your technical skills and level of proficiency
   • Don’t try to fabricate your qualifications and experience in your resume
   • Stick to a clean format when it comes to designing a resume
   • Don’t add too much personal information and make any typing errors

   So once you are ready with your portfolio and resume, start to apply for internships. Find the company that provides customized software development solutions and which fits your qualifications and skill sets.

   If you are nervous about appearing in the interviews, then it would be best if you could go through some of the most asked interview questions and check the company’s profile to get a clear insight.

10. Apply for Full-time Software Developers Jobs

    Only your consistent practice, hard work, dedication, and positive attitude will help you convert your internship into a full-time job. After completing your internships, it is time for you to apply for a full-time job.

    There are various job search portals that you can leverage to apply for software development jobs, such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed. Or you can also find clients directly through the portals like Fiverr, Upwork, and Clutch and work as a freelance software developer.

    Here are some tips for surviving a cut-throat competition in an organization after getting a job.

    • Be enthusiastic and passionate about learning and helping your co-workers
    • Know your colleagues and team to learn from them and expand your knowledge
    • Do hard work because this will help employers to notice your endeavours
    • Be professional and adhere to all the policies

    These are the core steps that you need to follow for becoming a dedicate software developer. Now, you might want to know about the time duration to become a software developer.

How Much Time Does It Take to Become a Software Developer?

The time duration depends on your technical experience, background, and the path you choose. Either it could be taking professional training from any institute or pursuing a bachelor’s degree, and many go on to earn a master’s degree in Computer Science.

How Much Does a Software Developer Make?

Have a look at the following image to check the average salary of seasoned software engineers.

Image Source: Payscale

The following table illustrates the average pay salary based on the experience level of software developers. Have a look.

Image Source: Payscale

Are you looking to develop web-based software? Do you hire developers instead of getting into technical aspects? You can get in touch with us.

Want to know other related questions on software engineering? Check the following section.

Get Started With Your Dream Job as a Software Developer

Following all the steps mentioned in this blog will help you become a software engineer and lend you a dream job in a multinational company. Along with this, all you will need is your consistent hard work, dedication, and efforts.

As we know that the average salary of software developers is pretty high, a software engineer role will surely turn out to be a rewarding career option for you. In case you want to consult your idea or discuss a project, get in touch with us through the ‘Contact Us’ page.