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Is Competitive Programming Must For Software Development Roles?

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Competitive Programming is a mental sport that involves programmers competing against each other within the given time limit. It makes your problem-solving and coding skills better and efficient – also, it provides you with an edge over other candidates during the tech interviews. It makes you an amazing problem solver which is important in software development. Meanwhile, Software Development includes designing, developing, and testing a software system. This is an amazing field that offers ravishing paychecks, growth opportunities, and global exposure. As per the survey, the employment rate of the software development profession is expected to increase by 22% which is much higher as compared to other professions.

Is-Competitive-Programming-a-Must-For-Software-Development-Roles

Competitive Programming for Software Developer is a highly discussed topic. Several individuals say that competitive programming is not very much necessary for being a software developer whereas some of the others say the opposite i.e. competitive programming is necessary for software developers. Software development includes a lot more than what competitive programming can provide. But we cannot deny the fact that competitive programming makes it a bit easy and feasible to land your dream job.  

Through this blog, we will try to end this debate – Is competitive programming a must for software development roles? We will start with the fundamental aspects of competitive programming and then dig deeper into it analyzing its role and impact on the software development process. So let’s get started with what exactly competitive programming is?

What is Competitive Programming?

Competitive programming is a mental sport in which you have to code a given problem under the given constraints. It involves programmers competing with each other for a short period. The people participating in this event are usually called sport programmers. The judgment is made based on the parameters like time spent in coding a particular solution, the number of questions solved, test cases cleared, and execution time of code.

Competitive programming offers several amazing benefits like it enhances your preparation for technical interviews, inculcates problem-solving and programming skills, helps you to gain in-depth knowledge of programming, and many more. It helps to improve the time complexity and find the perfect solution to a given problem.  

What is Software Development?

If you think that software development is just searching for the code on some online communities then you are pretty wrong. Software development is much further ahead. You need to analyze the requirement of the end-user then design and develop the product as per their demands. The most important part is you are not working just for yourself, you are working with the team. So you need to write clean, concise, and easily expandable code.

You will have to spend most of your time learning about the latest tools and libraries. Software development is all about creating the products and services that make a difference in the life of others. Popular apps like LinkedIn, Swiggy, Ola, Flipkart, etc. have brought a significant change in our lives and all these are the result of software development.

Is Competitive Programming Really Necessary To Do Well in Software Development Roles?

Competitive programming can make you a better problem solver. It can help to attain proficiency in coding but software development is much more than just coding. So CP can help you in certain areas of software development but let’s make it clear it is not a necessary requirement to do well in software development roles. Most of the brands require developers who can code as per their requirements. They prefer those who have the basic knowledge of the latest tools, libraries, and frameworks. Most importantly they hire people who can work in teams rather than Competitive programmers who work alone. But when there is a need to think out of the box to solve the issue of scalability or efficiency of code most of the companies prefer competitive programmers. As they have a much better and efficient approach to solving these issues.

How to Prepare for Software Development Roles Then?  

After discussing all the aspects of software development and competitive programming we came to a conclusion that CP can enhance your development skills but it is not necessary to land in software development roles. Now it is really important to understand how to prepare for software development roles then.  

  • Start with researching the company. It is a really crucial step that will enhance your confidence to lay an everlasting impact on the interviewer.
  • Prepare yourself with all the required tech skills including programming, data structures & algorithms, other subjects like operating systems, computer networks, etc.
  • Build projects and earn relevant certifications.
  • Tailor your resume as per the job requirements and ensure to make a separate section of your technical skills.
  • Practice Practice and Practice to enhance your coding skills. You can visit GeeksforGeeks to learn and practice coding skills.
  • Practice general interview questions like introducing yourself, why you want this job, why we should hire you etc.

Competitive programming can make your coding interview process flawless. But apart from coding skills, you need to inherit other important skills as well to ace in software development roles

Conclusion

A software developer can surely build amazing software without any knowledge of competitive coding. But with the knowledge of competitive programming, you might make your project more efficient and scalable. If you are just a software developer then you will miss some perks of being a competitive programmer. Further, if you are just a competitive programmer then you will find it difficult to adapt to software development culture. So both of them need and complement each other. In the end, you can excel and grow in any field if you are willing to completely devote yourself. So there are a lot of opportunities in both fields. Just stay determined and work hard to achieve your goals!


Last Updated : 08 Dec, 2021
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