There is no denying that the tech industry is one that is thriving now. However, with many different technical recruitment options to choose from, it can be difficult to know what direction to take your journey in. If you are struggling to decide between a career in software development and website development, we hope that this post will help you to make up your mind.
Understanding the difference between web and software design
While people employed in these positions do have similar responsibilities and tasks, they work in different areas and their daily tasks can differ in terms of scope and complexity.
Software and web designers will both learn how to write code and study programming. Nevertheless, software engineers will typically have a bachelor’s degree in something like computer science. On the flip side, you will find that web designers can typically get by with an associate degree. In fact, a lot of web developers take quick-fire courses or teach themselves the craft.
Software developers will use their background in computer science to create software products, including software designed for operating systems and web-based software. Web designers will focus solely on creating websites and other web applications.
The main difference certainly lies within the type of projects that each professional works on. As a software developer, you will focus on creating software for the underlying platform, network, or operating system. As a website designer, you will focus on applications for the web, such as websites, mobile development, and eCommerce.
Where do software and website developers work?
Software engineers will usually find themselves based within technical departments, and their work can involve machine learning, data science, and research and development. Software engineers will usually master a number of different programming languages, and know the latest programming trends.
Web designers will typically work in the marketing or IT department. They may need to know the likes of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create websites that are user-friendly and visually appealing. Web developers tend to work on more varied and shorter projects when compared with software engineers, who tend to work on bigger, longer-term assignments. People who tend to enjoy ever-changing work environments will typically prefer web development.
Choosing between a career as a software engineer and a web developer
Now that you have an understanding of both careers, let’s take a look at how to choose between both of them. Considering the skills required is a wise place to start. Software engineers tend to have a mathematical aptitude and enjoy problem-solving. Web developers, on the other hand, prefer creative and technical disciplines.
Web developers will often specialize in either back-end or front-end development, depending on the job title and your specific skill set. Back-end development involves business database and logic development. Front-end development involves creating the client-side of the site, which includes the interactive and visual elements that people see when visiting a website.
The exact languages used for each occupation will depend on the company and the project. Software engineers often know Python, Java, and C++. On the other hand, web developers will typically use JavaScript, JQuery, PHP, CSS, and HTML for their day-to-day work. In addition, you can learn more advanced programming via different tutorial series. This small tutorial on how to “sanitize php user input” is just an example of advanced programming. This will give you a competitive edge over your competitors.
There is demand across both industries
Median salaries show that software developers do tend to earn more over time. However, this all depends on where in the world you work, and there is always more money to be made by branching out on your own and running your own business. The great thing about both software engineering and web development is that there is huge demand. You do not need to move to Silicon Valley to find work. In fact, a lot of people work remotely today.
In this competitive sector, you may find that you are able to locate better employment opportunities if you know a number of different programming languages. This is a good way to set yourself apart from the crowd.
Will a career in web development or software development be right for you?
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the differences between a career in web design and software design so that you can determine the right path for you!
