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IT CAREER TRACKS:

Application Developer

An Application Developer, also known as a programmer, software developer, junior to intermediate software engineer, web developer or intermediate systems analyst, is an IT professional who creates programs that run either on the web, on a particular operating system, or on a dedicated device, such as a kiosk, industrial equipment, or a hand held recording unit.


DUTIES

Duties of an application developer typically include specifying a product, designing a system to meet the specifications, coding the product, testing the product and maintaining it. The idea of a techie coding away in the computer room all alone and all day long, is mostly a thing of the past. With the complexity of modern systems as well as with the prevalence of disparate technical teams, top notch interpersonal skills are required. Although actual programming is still the bread and butter of this job role, of significant importance is the ability to deal with phone, electronic and face to face meetings, as well as the skills to efficiently and effectively handle ongoing documentations needs.


application developer; developer career; developer training; pc developer

PREREQUISITES

A person may consider entering this field after attaining a Computer Science or Computer Engineering university degree or a one or two year computer diploma from a local technical institute. However, some application developers are quite proficient without this recommended educational background. In any event, some mathematical savvy, an artistic bent, attention to detail, understanding of basic business needs, and strong problem solving skills are all indications of future success in this job role.


ADVANCEMENT

An application developer, as he or she gains experience, generally achieves more and more importance and prestige in his or her firm. Getting the right mix of training and hands on experience will accelerate the career growth of an application developer. As time passes, the application developer will either continue to specialize in one or a few technical tools and procedures or will move more into a management role, such as a lead developer, systems engineer or project manager. The best application developers usually have a strong say when they reach this fork in their career.


Certification Examples include:

CIW Associate; CIW Professional; CIW Security Analyst; CIW Web Developer; MCAD .NET; MCDBA; MCITP Database Administrator; MCSD .NET; SCP J2SE