Software Engineering is a profession that is dedicated in the modification, implementation and designing of software with a view to arrive at the best software program that is easy to build and maintain, affordable as well. It is a field that primarily lays attention on the application of quantifiable, systematic and disciplined approach for maintenance, operation and even development of software programs. Software Engineering Professionals study the approaches where in engineering principles are applied to software integrating computer science and mathematics.

Nowadays, software engineering is turning out to be a profession taken up by many people and it is also the dream of many candidates at the higher secondary level to take software engineering as their career. For a candidate, who has completed his/her class 12 examination, taking up the following courses can enable them for a career in software engineering in future:

Courses that can pave way for a career in software engineering:

• Bachelor of Technology in

o Computer Science

o Information Technology

• Bachelor of Science (hons.) in Software Engineering

• Master of Computer Applications

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

Apart from these courses, candidates can also take up some private courses in institutions like NIIT, Aptech, etc… to specialize in some programming languages.

Other steps to be taken to become software engineer:

The following steps can enable the candidates to find a suitable career in the field of software engineering:

• Familiarizing with computer programs, internet search engines and word processing programs can enable the candidates to get a fundamental understanding about the work of a software engineer

• Candidates can gain some experience in software companies in the form of part-time internship programs and this facility is being offered by most of the computer science and IT colleges in India. This enables them to familiarize with different systems available in such a way that they can combine their theoretical knowledge with applied practice by doing projects.

• Even though, a PG degree in computer engineering field is not compulsory, earning a PG degree can be helpful for the candidates to get better weightage as compared to the other candidates with UG degree applying for the same job position in a top level company

• It is better to have some recognized certification like Oracle, Microsoft, etc… on specific areas like programming, database, networking and hardware.

• In addition, candidates can focus on developing following skills, which will be of great use to them for a bright career in software engineering:

o Logical skills

o Analytical and Mathematical Skills

o Communication Skills

o Reading and writing comprehension

o Attention to details

o Critical Thinking Skills

o Problem solving abilities

Scope of Software Engineering:

The scope of software engineering is improving and following factors are contributing towards the development:

• Due to the improvement in communication systems, e-mail and internet, the number of IT and IT enabled service companies are increasing every day thereby hiring more and more software engineers throughout the year.

• Not only IT companies, but also engineering firms in other areas like power plant and construction are hiring software engineers for devising and creation of advanced drafting and data systems.

• Further, the rising demand for computer software engineers is contributed by the growth of number of businesses using Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) services.

• Above all, Indian Software Engineers are in great demand in foreign countries and this has also improved the employment opportunities in this field, particularly in foreign countries.

Therefore, candidates planning for a career in software engineering can enjoy lucrative job opportunities at attractive pay scales and even they are offered with on-sight opportunities by many companies.