subject: What To Know When Hiring A Software Developer [print this page] Almost every company requires at least some level of personalised software specifically written to meet their needs. Bespoke software can be written by programmers inside the company or by an outside software developer, but in either case, there are some vital questions every customer and project manager must ask them.
1. What are your qualifications and certifications?
Computer code is relatively easy to learn. However, writing good, professional code that is suitable for business is rather complicated. Even simple errors in coding can make the software useless, and newspapers are filled with instances where computer failure has led to massive profit losses. Therefore, a software programmer's training and official certifications are vital to ensuring they are up to the task at hand.
2. Can you provide good references or example of work?
Writing good software is something which requires a lot of practice, and sometimes even a highly qualified programmer is prone to mistakes simply because he or she has not been doing it for very long. Any good programmer will be able to point to references and provide examples of software they have produced. References can also provide information about how efficient and friendly the programmer is.
3. Have you written anything like this before?
Every type of software is different, and even two programs written in the same sort of computer code will be very functionally different. As such, a single programmer cannot be expected to be equally competent in all areas, as they may not know about the essential coding, structure and commands necessary for vastly different sorts of programs.
4. What computer languages are you trained in?
Different types of applications and machines will require different code, not all computer programs are the same, in fact most are vastly different from one another both in scope and command structure. A programmer who knows JavaScript, which is used for Internet applications, may not know enough about C# to write a bespoke software program for a Microsoft Windows based PC.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of questions, but it should give most potential customers enough information to work with when searching for custom software development. The difference between good custom software development and poor development may mean the loss of time, profits and customers due to computer issues, as well as getting stuck with software that is either useless or ineffective. As such, it is important that all potential customers get to know their programmers well and understand their strengths and limitations.
