There are plenty of people graduating out of computer science (CS) courses right now with in-depth knowledge of development and code. However, many of them are quickly discovering a very crowded job market filled with people with the same skills, and realizing how valuable skills outside CS are. Below are just a few of the more helpful ones.
User Experience
It’s a common misconception that back-end and front-end developers are entirely different breeds, working mostly independently of each other. In reality, both sides must cooperate throughout the process, and having a back-end developer with an understanding of UX can help keep things rolling.
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This is all the more true of projects with many moving parts, and on the web development side, one of the biggest examples is with online casino sites. These sites tend to have many different pieces of content across a wide range of categories, including slots, sports, bingo, and more. It’s one thing to get something like Paddy Power real money bingo functional on the site, but knowing how best to navigate their customers there with notifications and pop-up messages means a more holistic approach to development.
Psychology
This ties in somewhat to the UX point, but having a fundamental understanding of psychology, especially anything related to how people interact with technology, can set you apart in development. Too many new developers angle for what they think is the most efficient and straightforward approach from their perspective, without stopping to understand how a customer may see the same process.
There are many applications for psychology in development, whether that’s acquiring new users, driving them to make in-app purchases, or simply retaining existing customers. You’ll find plenty of articles like GojiLab’s user retention guide that go into more detail on the specifics, and if you can weave these concepts into your process from the start, it makes putting them into practice far easier later on.
Finance
It’s particularly an issue for those looking to be self-starting entrepreneurs, but an understanding of income and expenses never goes to waste in any business setting. After all, nothing happens in any kind of development without funding, and having the mindset of being on a budget going in can help you make wise decisions later on about how to divide labor and prioritize features. If you have a team to work with, this is even more critical.
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According to veteran development company Intelivita, they estimate their projects from as low as $10,000 for basic apps to nearly $200,000 for more advanced apps. If you’re providing the programming labor, that number will naturally go down, but even then there are still overheads to consider such as equipment, software licensing, and your own costs. The more understanding you have of each of these costs, as well as how to keep them at a manageable level, the more profitable the outcome will be in the end.
Remember that you’re going to be in a market where supply very often outweighs demand. Take the time to learn and practice other skills, and you’ll reap the rewards in the end.
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