Explore the different ways to get into this role.How to become

You can get into this job through:a university coursea college courseUniversity

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or a degree in:computer scienceinformation technologysoftware engineeringmathsEntry requirements

You''ll usually need:1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degreeYou could do a college course to learn some of the skills needed to get a trainee position, or to move onto further study. Courses include:computingcomputer scienceprogrammingprinciples of codingT Level in Digital Production, Design and DevelopmentEntry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T LevelYou could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:Software Development Technician Level 3 Advanced ApprenticeshipSoftware Developer Level 4 Higher ApprenticeshipDevOps Engineer Level 4 Higher ApprenticeshipDigital and Technology Solutions Professional L6 Degree ApprenticeshipGame Programmer Level 7 Degree ApprenticeshipThese can take between 2 and 4 years to complete. They combine on-the-job training with time spent at a college or other learning provider.Entry requirements

You''ll usually need:5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeshipYou may be able to apply for a place on a graduate training scheme with an IT company, if you have a degree.These are often open to graduates of any subject, not just people with a degree in a computing.Real career story

Working in healthcare

“My professional background is rooted in the healthcare field. My journey began at the age of 18 when I took on the role of an ambulance technician in Italy. After I finished my BSc in adult nursing, I made the decision to relocate to the UK, where I worked as an intensive care nurse within the NHS.”Decision to change careers

“After a total of 19 years in healthcare and a lot more to work before retirement, I started to realise that I fancied a career change. I came across web development by chance as I wanted to create a website for a side project I was working on. I got instantly hooked and I really wanted web development to become my career.”“I took an 8-month full time course through a tech academy that gave me a good foundation to start my new career as a software developer.”“I currently work as a software developer. It''s a challenging role but it''s definitely worth it. I work with amazing people that support me and encourage me to constantly improve. In the future I would like to move to a more senior role and to be able to support other developers at the start of their career.”More Information

You could build up your skills and knowledge using online learning resources for:programming languagesproject managementFurther information

You can find out more about working and training in computing from:Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You''ll need:analytical thinking skillsto be thorough and pay attention to detailmaths knowledge for understanding programmingthe ability to come up with new ways of doing thingscomplex problem-solving skillsexcellent verbal communication skills for sharing ideasknowledge of systems analysis and developmentthe ability to write computer programsto have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applicationsWhat you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.What you''ll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a software developer, you could:discuss client requirements and potential development ideaswork with a technical team to form design plans and timescaleswrite or update computer codetest software at each stage or iteration to find and fix problemsmake sure software meets industry quality standardsrecord changes made, with reasons, at each stage of developmentcomplete final checks before a product is released for usemaintain and support systems once they''re up and runningWorking environment

You could work in an office, from home, remotely or at a client''s business.Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.Career path and progression

With experience, you could:become a senior developer, leading a teammove into related areas, such as systems design, IT architecture and business systems analysisset up your own company and work as a consultantFind apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you. The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.We''re closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year''s Day.Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you''d like to let us know how we can improve the service.

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