Five computer programming jobs to look at right now

While programming jobs are not as easy to land as they previously were, the industry is still flourishing with opportunity. However, not all coding jobs are equal. Let’s take a look at five computer programming jobs in demand right now:

Software development

Programming job titles are often ambiguous. “Software developer,” “software engineer,” “computer programmer,” and “application developer” can lead to the same job duties, while one company’s “software developer” could be extremely different from the same title at another company.

In this case, it doesn’t help to pay attention to job title particulars. They typically involve a similar process of gathering feature requirements for the software, coming up with a solution, and implementing that. When navigating for a software developer job, it may be more worthwhile to look at industries, including:

Finance — Financial systems are rather advanced and require complex algorithms, algebraic analyses, and data being processed nearly every day. Of the highest concerns, speed and security are a top priority. While it’s intense pressure and can often lead to people burning out fast, smart programmers are always desired.

Government — The government is an area in which programmers are needed at all levels, including any type of work from basic to the design of large systems. Those proficient in computer and network security could even apply for clearance-restricted positions. While government work may not be the most exciting, it does offer stellar benefits.

Legacy — Technology continues to advance, and many programmers rely on keeping up with new trends, but several long-running businesses operate using older tech. The two types of careers that use this involve maintaining and expanding legacy systems or porting legacy systems to newer tech stacks.

Mobile development

As of 2015, 72% of Americans own an internet-connected smartphone, according to Pew Research. Canada reported 67%; the United Kingdom said that 68% own a smartphone; in Australia, that figure reached 77%; and South Korea weighed in at 88%. It’s important to note that those numbers continue to rise.

With smartphones come mobile apps, and the future for mobile app developers will be in demand for a while. Here are ways to take advantage of this opportunity:

Startups — Many of us think that joining a startup is rather risky, especially considering that approximately half of all startups fail within the first five years. For those that are ambitious and persistent, it may be worth looking into.

Games — Similar to startups, games are also risky. Developers can spend years or months creating a new project, release it, and end up selling zero copies. Or you can work on a side project for a few weeks and end up with a hit like “Angry Birds.” A safer option would be to work for established mobile games, such as King, Zynga, or EA Mobile.

Via MakeUseOf