The tech industry is regarded as one of the most vibrant and dynamic industries in the world today. Java is an extremely versatile programming language continues to evolve to keep pace with the latest and emerging technologies. In these circumstances it is common for a Java developer frequently wonders how they can stay ahead and speed up their Java career path in order to stay aheadof the curve, what skills they should acquire and what areas should they study to be a better developer.
This article we'll discuss some of the new tools and skills that you can master to boost your Java career as a developer. It should be noted that this content is intended for experienced Java developers with solid foundations such as code, data structures, and algorithms, as well as knowledge of concepts such as object-oriented programming, networking , various protocols, for example.
These fields and skills can certainly differentiate you from other Java programmers and offer the potential to boost the speed of your Java developer career to a large degree.
1. Architecture and software design
Architecture and design of software are possibly the most crucial aspect of the process of developing software. The ability to view the whole system and be able identify the appropriate architecture and technology stack that is required to ensure the successful execution of the project are the most important abilities that differentiate between a Java coder from a more advanced Java developer. You could choose to direct your Java development career towards the design and solution architecture area if you find this area interesting. Begin by exploring tools for designing and architecture in software tools to learn more about the field.
2. Learn about containers and DevOps tools
DevOps was a relatively new technology field just a few years ago, but is now considered an essential requirement for Java developers. Even if you do not have complete knowledge of the subject, at least some experience in continuous integration or continuous deployment demanded of the top Java developers. It is more essential for an experienced Java developer with responsibilities that include developing environments, creating scripts, and establishing guidelines for other Java developers.
It is recommended to begin by understanding DevOps generally and the use of tools such as Docker Chef, Docker, Kubernetes as well as Maven and Jenkins because they are among the most commonly used tools to perform DevOps tasks.
3. Find spring frameworks
Spring frameworks aren't an innovation as the majority of companies and the top Java developers prefer working with Spring frameworks such as Spring MVC, Spring Boot and Spring Cloud to develop the design of web-based application, REST APIs, and Microservices. This is not surprising since these frameworks encourage best practices such as dependency injection. It also helps your application be simpler to test.
If you have gained enough familiarity with the core of Java and Java EE, it is time to begin developing Spring frameworks. Beginning by learning the fundamentals, you will be able to look into Spring Boot along with Spring Cloud to get started on creating contemporary Java applications.
4. Improve your testing skills
You can develop into a top Java developer, but if you're looking for something that will take you to the next level, it's your ability to test. It is among the most commonly recognized skills of a skilled Java developer to create unit tests for their code.
Like other software development methods testing has progressed with the availability of amazing testing tools that are specifically made for various testing of Java applications, such as unit testing as well as integration testing and automated testing.
If you're looking to advance your Java career as a developer towards the area of quality control and testing then you must invest some time in the skills you need to test. JUnit is among the most effective libraries to begin with. Then, you'll be able to look into Mockito which is a well-known framework to test.
5. Java APIs, libraries and APIs
Java is considered to be a advanced programming language. A vast array of APIs and libraries accessible is among the primary reasons why.
It's evident that you don't have to be aware of every library and API, but you should be able to use some of the most important APIs, like JSON processing APIs such as Jackson as well as Gson, XML processing APIs such as JAXB and Xerces as well as the unit-testing libraries we've just talked about.
This doesn't necessarily mean that you need to study all of these areas, but as a Java developer with a basic understanding of these libraries in key areas such as parsing and computation of bytecodes collections, concurrency, etc. is essential to move forward on the course of your Java career.
6. Learn more about JVM internals
JVM internals are a totally different realm from the development of projects. There are a variety of aspects and functions of JVM such as JIT and Garbage Collections, and collectors, which you may have heard of. When you are able to learn the JVM's internal workings thoroughly you will be competent in creating an efficient and extremely efficient Java application. This could be the start of a career the analysis of Java applications as well as performance enhancement for Java applications.
7. Front-end development
It's clear that, as the Java platform continues to grow, front-end technology has also experienced an increase in popularity. Today, almost every company has dedicated teams dedicated to front-end development. You can boost your Java career as a developer with the addition of front-end design your list of skills. With this expertise you will be able to get both application development and front-end development. This is something that employers would want to see in a potential candidate when selecting.
8. Learn to build cloud-based apps.
In the past it was common to migrate existing software to cloud services such as AWS, Google and Azure to store data in the cloud. However, the situation is changing as new applications are being developed direct to cloud storage, a process known as cloud-native. Because of this, companies are looking for Java developers who have experience creating these kinds of products. It is the perfect moment to begin learning how to build cloud-based applications. It's not just a way to increase your value but an excellent way to follow in your Java career as a developer.
9. Learn design patterns
New Java developers begin their development journey using the principles of object-oriented development, but they usually fail to advance to design patterns. Implementing design patterns in codes will help make the app more flexible , but it also makes it simpler to modify your application in the future. This also enhances the overall quality of your code and documentation since other more experienced Java developers are usually proficient in design patterns and are in a position to comprehend your work much faster.
10. Develop your Java knowledge
It is possible that you have an adequate understanding of Java however, as Java is always evolving and has a brand each six-month update it is vital to be up to date. Most Java programmers are not aware of some of the key features of Java 8 like lambdas and streaming API. Additionally, it includes the most skilled Java developers who have five to eight years of experience under their portfolios.
It is well-known that learning slows down at an age in your career , but in order to boost your Java career as a developer then you must begin building your knowledge of Java. Nearly every Java development job needs Java 8 or above proficiency and it's going to be difficult to be with them without these skills in the near time. In the beginning you must select the most recent Java feature and commit to it before making the move to the next.
11. Explore new areas
Java is utilized to code a variety of different kinds of tech-related products. From lifestyle, security and home automation to monitoring systems for the healthcare industry. Since it is an open-source platform and has an enormous community of dedicated users, Java is now used to build a variety of applications like IoT software, AI, blockchain and machine learning. In actual fact, Java developers are encouraged to explore new areas because they do not need to create APIs from scratch, instead, they can find the required libraries from library libraries that are readily available.
While it's an entirely different and different direction If you've worked in one of the emerging areas on an alternative platform, then you can use that experience to create Java applications too.
Conclusion
With all the advances as well as the additions and changes that have been made to this Java platform, it is certain that Java will not be going away at all, not even in the next decade. This may be a radical statement, considering that there have been a variety of technologies that have come out and then faded away, however Java has been able to stand over time and continues to be a favorite among developers. It is evident that the number of Java programmers are growing rapidly suggests that you need to continue to learn in order to advance your career as an Java developer to remain current and be able to take advantage of the future-proof Java developer career track.
