How to Get Entry-level Software Developer Jobs in 2022?
Looking for entry-level software developer jobs?
With the growing tech industry, the demand for skilled software developers is also on the rise.
According to studies, the job opportunities for software developers project growth of 22% by 2030.
This growth rate is much higher than the national average for other professionals.
In addition to that, many employers are now looking to hire fresh talent who are willing to grow with the company - a new hiring practice that allows more room for entry-level candidates in the job market.
The bottom line is that now is the best time to start applying for entry-level software jobs and kick-start your career.
And your choice of the industry doesn’t have to be limited to tech. Career opportunities for entry-level software developers can extend to sectors like business, healthcare, finance, retail, and many others.
Read on to learn more about entry-level software developer jobs and other related FAQs like the following:
- What does an entry-level software developer do?
- What are the top 3 entry-level software developer jobs?
- How to get an entry-level software developer job?
- What are the in-demand certificate courses for entry-level software developers?
- What are some entry-level software developer interview questions?
- How much do entry-level software developers make?
Entry-level Software Developer Job Description
The primary role of an entry-level software developer is to assist senior software developers in every phase of software development and coding.
You can expect to be assigned tasks like understanding the company’s codebase, writing basic codes, fixing bugs, and gathering user data.
Given below are some of the other everyday duties of an entry-level software developer:
- Assisting the development team in improving product functionality
- Identifying and fixing software errors and minor bugs
- Observing the technical performance of internal systems
- Running software tests and writing detailed reports
- Gathering customer data to optimize software functionality
- Writing and debugging simple codes
- Attending development meetings and providing valuable input
Also read: How to create a stellar entry-level software developer resume?
Top 3 Entry-level Software Developer Jobs
As an entry-level software developer, you can choose a specific niche to begin your career in software development and gain valuable experience to prepare yourself for senior roles.
Given below are some of the top entry-level software developers roles you can consider applying to:
Test Developer
As a test developer, you will be responsible for formulating test codes for evaluating software features for performance and bugs.
Other responsibilities will include preparing reports, creating automation scripts, and developing solutions for minor bugs.
If you have an eye for detail and have a good grasp of troubleshooting techniques and testing tools, this role is best suited for you.
The average salary of test developers in the US is $70,000 per annum.
Also read: How to draft a compelling software tester resume?
QA Tester
Although the role of a QA tester can seem similar to that of a test developer on the surface, these professionals have different duties.
As a QA tester, your role in the development process will be limited to testing the software or the program for performance, bugs, and efficiency.
They run tests to push the new product to its limit for identifying possible loopholes and reporting it back to the development team.
This role can be a good fit for you if you want a position that is not focused on coding and programming.
QA testers earn a median salary of $47,000 per annum in the US.
Also read: What is the job description of a software tester?
Web Developer
The primary responsibility of a web developer is to design, maintain, and optimize client websites.
They write codes that make the website engaging and user-friendly while ensuring that the design and functionality of the site match the client’s vision.
Apart from having good programming skills, you must also have a fundamental understanding of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques as a website developer.
The average salary of a web developer in the US is $68,009 annually.
Also read: A guide for building a job-winning web developer resume
How do You Become an Entry-level Software Developer?
The minimum qualification required to bag entry-level software development jobs is a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Apart from that, you need to have a good knowledge of coding languages like C++, HTML5, and JavaScript.
But wait, isn’t that the bare minimum? Qualifying for the basic requirements may not be enough to bag good entry-level software developer jobs.
So here are some tips that will help you get ahead of the competition and get hired by your dream company:
Get Certified
One way you can get an edge over other candidates is by getting certified.
There are many in-demand certificate courses you can pursue online that will help you polish and acquire new skills and become job-ready.
Here are some of the popular certificate courses that you can consider taking:
- MTA certification
- Microsoft Azure certification
- Amazon Web Services (AWS Certified Developer – Associate Level)
- Cloudera Certified Developer for Apache Hadoop (CCDH) certification
- Oracle Java certification
- Oracle Application Express Developer Certified Expert (Oracle APEX)
- Red Hat Certified JBoss Developer - RHCJD
- Entry-level Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) certification
Also read: How to list certifications on a resume?
Take up Freelance Projects
Taking up freelance projects is a great way to gain hands-on experience and build a base of clients who can vouch for your work.
Recommendation letters can go a long way when you’re applying for full-time entry-level software developer jobs.
So even if it is a small-scale freelance project with less pay, consider taking it up. It will be a great addition to your resume and online portfolio.
Build an Impressive Online Portfolio
When you apply for entry-level software development jobs, employers would most definitely want to see your online portfolio.
Therefore, it needs to reflect the best of your skills and potential.
You can use online platforms like GitHub and Kaggle to showcase your work.
The bonus is that these platforms also offer ample opportunities for beginners to work on various projects and get hands-on experience.
Also read: How to put GitHub on a resume?
Revamp Your Resume
After doing all the homework - getting certified, taking up freelance work, and building an online portfolio, the one place where you need to showcase all that is your resume.
Your software developer resume is the first thing that recruiters see and that will determine your standing for the vacancy.
Therefore, it needs to be amicable.
If you are considering sending out the same resume to multiple job listings, you can bid farewell to your chances of hearing back from the recruiters.
Gone are the days of universal resumes. You need to tailor your software developer resume according to the job description of the listing.
And although this means extra work, it will double your chances of bagging entry-level software developer jobs.
Also read: How to write a good resume as a beginner?
Look for Software Developer Jobs in the Right Places
As an entry-level software developer, sometimes it can be difficult to find employers who are willing to hire freshers.
However, there are dedicated job listing sites that you can explore to find entry-level software developer jobs with ease.
Listed below are some of the job sites that you can use:
- Authentic Jobs
- Github
- Indeed
- Jobbatical
- Krop
- Mashable
- The Muse
- Smashing Magazine
- Stack Overflow
- Tuts+
- AngelList
- Product Hunt
- Startupers
- StartUpHire
- Y Combinator
Prepare for the Interview
The fact that 47% of the candidates fail interviews because they are not prepared, gives you the chance to get ahead of the competition by preparing well for the interview.
Having done the bit of building an impressive online portfolio and resume, you will be hearing back from the recruiters so it’s good to start your interview preparation early.
Among other things, your preparation must include:
- Researching and gathering information about the company you’re applying to
- Practising common entry-level software developer interview questions
- Framing your interview answers according to the requirements of the employer
Also read: What are the top tips to help ypu ace your first job interview in 2022?
Entry-level Software Developer Interview Questions
To help streamline your interview preparation for entry-level software developer jobs, given below are some of the common interview questions with sample answers:
Tell us about yourself
This is an open-ended question that gives candidates a chance to talk about who they are, what are their qualifications, and why they are here.
Recruiters ask this question to see if you are a cultural fit for the organization and get an understanding of your personality.
Sample Answer: "I was born in New York City and I've lived there ever since. I graduated from NYU with a degree in computer science and have an impressive list of freelance Github projects that has allowed me to gain hands-on experience with every cycle of software development. I'm here because I believe that I'm ready to move on to the next phase of my career and become a part of your stellar team."
If you are a web administrator, and you receive a DDoS attack, where there are "N millions" of hits at the same time, how do you avoid your servers going down?
This is a technical question that asks a candidate to describe the steps they would take to mitigate a DDoS attack.
Recruiters ask this question to see if you have adequate technical knowledge and the ability to solve problems.
Sample Answer: "I would contact first the network team and ask them to increase the bandwidth of our servers. In case that doesn't work, I would ask them to move our servers to a different network with more bandwidth."
How do you differentiate between SOA and MVC, and how can one help you scale your application?
This is another one of the technical questions that interviewers are likely to ask to know if you are familiar with SOA and MVC and whether or not you have good communication skills to explain technical concepts.
Sample Answer: "SOA stands for service-oriented architecture and refers to a loosely coupled system that can be scaled by adding or removing modules. MVC stands for model-view-controller and is a specific implementation of SOA that uses three distinct components to handle requests."
Also read: What are the most common interview questions of 2022?
Entry Level Software Developer Jobs Salary
The salary of an entry-level software developer can vary depending on the location, company, and individual skill set.
With that being said, the national average entry-level software developer salary in the US is $73,508.
Take a look at some of the highest paying companies for entry level software developer jobs:
| COMPANY | AVERAGE SALARY |
|---|---|
| eBay | $150,645 |
| Peraton | $131,666 |
| Zachary Piper Solutions | $114,052 |
| Dynamic Animation Systems, Inc. | $104,881 |
| SOLUTE | $103,945 |
| Connecting People | $100,000 |
| Boeing | $94,425 |
| Lockheed Martin | $91,462 |
| CGI | $88,043 |
Meanwhile, the following table lists entry-level software developer salaries by state:
| US STATE | AVERAGE SALARY |
|---|---|
| Washington | $138,400 |
| California | $137,620 |
| New York | $122,300 |
| Massachusetts | $119,790 |
| District of Columbia | $119,630 |
And lastly, the following skills can help you earn a higher salary as an entry-level software developer:
| SKILL | PERCENTAGE OF SALARY HIKE |
|---|---|
| Machine Learning | +53.77% |
| CI/CD | +45.61% |
| AWS | +26.77% |
| UI | +57.20% |
| REST | +26.83% |
| GO | +57.20 |
| ANGULAR | +16.15% |
| REACT | +19.41% |
| MYSQL | +27.25% |
Key Points from the Blog
- Given the fact that the job opportunities for software developers project growth of 22% by 2030, the career prospects for developers are promising.
- Entry-level software developers can find career opportunities in various sectors like business, healthcare, finance, retail, and many others.
- The primary role of an entry-level software developer is to assist senior software developers in every phase of software development and coding.
- Test developer, QA tester, and web developer are some of the common entry-level software tester roles.
- The minimum qualification required to bag entry-level software development jobs is a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
- Getting certified, taking up freelance work, and building an impressive online portfolio and resume are a few ways you can increase your chances of bagging entry-level software developer jobs.
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