Testing Completed programs need to be tested for bugs or mistakes. Is the program working to specification? Testing can be done within the programming team. Testing can in addition be done with the users to ensure it meets specification.

Interaction with users enables you to get feedback on the program's actual performance. And note that insufficient and inadequate testing is a major cause of bad software - software that doesn't work to specification, software that is ridden with bugs.

Documentation Write or review documentation for user and system procedures. This is helpful and is a key requirement for future maintenance.

Maintenance As a programmer, you may need to change an existing program to meet user requirements or to remove bugs. Debugging, tracking errors in a program is in fact a critical programming skill.

Technical assistance You will get enquiries from users regarding programming errors, problems or questions. Training of users could be part of your duties. Such interaction with users again requires first-class interpersonal and business skills.

Depending on their level of experience and the nature of programming environment, programmers can play any of the roles described above. Newcomers may be only involved in some areas of coding, or software testing.

A lot depends on the programming environment. Software developers at small companies may be involved in all of these areas, while Software developers at large organizations may specialize in particular steps of the development cycle. Senior software people usually do less coding and are more involved in the managing the entire software development process.

Success factors in the programming field

Is programming a science or an art? That is a debate for another day. What I know is that it requires a large dose of creativity and is both interesting and challenging. To succeed in software development you need be very detail-oriented. You must love details. If you don't love details, you will find debugging stressful and frustrating.

Your mastery of details must be combined with logical thinking and the ability to focus for long periods. How creative are you? Can you see beyond the surface of problems? Programming knowledge is essential for designing software solutions and for problem-solving.

Though the meat of programming is coding, to be a successful programmer you can't afford to be careless with your business and communications skills. Excellent interpersonal skills assist cooperation and interaction with colleagues and clients. This is essential for understanding a customer's needs (specifications), providing technical assistance to users and for teamwork.

Most importantly, while the ability to program is key, you must have a positive, can-do attitude to enable you complete programming assignments efficiently and effectively. When things don't jell as you expect, attitude helps you become resilient and build your backbone.

The ability to manage programming staff and perform project management is key for senior software engineers. At this level organizational and management skills are essential.

1 | 2 | 3