The shortage of skilled Information Technology professionals has shaped the job market for years. Due to digitization and the associated development of the latest technologies, companies are increasingly forced to recruit and hire suitable software developers and IT specialists.

Even if the number of young academics in computer science is increasing (around 26,000 computer scientists completed their studies in 2017; source: Federal Employment Agency), there is still a large gap.

However, there is a lack of IT professionals and, on the other hand, not all of them are successful.

We have specialized in the recruitment of STEM experts for over ten years and have found that these five competencies characterize successful software developers:

# 1 – Technical competence

In software development, companies need technical experts. This skill means that the developer should master and use his programming language very well.

We also advise software developers to be absolute experts in one programming language – instead of just having a basic knowledge of all languages.

The more expertise in a field, the better. It is not adequate just to be able to use them.

Successful software developers also design the architecture before they start programming. Analytical thinking coupled with programming skills is a plus for successful developers.

# 2 – Creativity

A skill that is not usually immediately associated with IT people is creativity.

In IT, however, it is essential to let your creativity run free because software developers should look for and find unusual solutions to problems. Just like Filestack, a company that provides powerful tools and powerful APIs to help you easily upload, transform and deliver content.

It is also essential to identify possible problems in advance and take appropriate measures.

# 3 – Curiosity

Curiosity and openness to new technologies are an absolute must-have: Technologies are becoming more and more complex, and rapid technological change is shaping the software development industry.

Therefore, software developers are more and more required to think their way into new technologies, try out new ways, and motivate themselves repeatedly for constant further development.

In addition to soft skills such as willingness to learn, adaptability or enthusiasm, this includes a large portion of flexibility, openness, and curiosity.

# 4 – Communication skills

The image of a software developer as a nerd programming in the basement is no longer up-to-date.

Nowadays, high-quality software is developed in interdisciplinary teams, with agile methods such as Scrum and co. Teamwork is practiced at the highest level.

Developers exchange information in their teams daily and are often involved in several projects with different groups. Successful developers should therefore have excellent communication skills.

# 5 – Continuous Learning

Most developers used programming languages ​​like Algol, Cobol, and Fortran in the past.

Nowadays, software developers specializing in Java and Python and the iOS and Android platforms are in demand.

Therefore, the software developers must stay on the ball and continue to develop professionally. In our experience, successful software developers also spend their free time working in their specialist field and are constantly educating themselves.