How to Become a Python Developer

BrainStation’s Python Developer career guide can help you take the first steps toward a lucrative career in Python programming. The guide provides an in-depth overview of the Python programming skills you should learn, the best training options, career paths in Python, how to become a Python Developer, and more.

As there is no specific background or experience required for you to become a Python Developer, there are a number of ways you can enter the field. It all starts, however, with a specific set of skills, and more specifically, a mastery of the Python programming language.

Many Developers find that the Python programming language has a lot of features that give it an edge over other programming languages. For instance, easy syntax and readability makes learning Python a lot easier, which should help you boost your skills with Python relatively quickly. And based on Stack Overflow question views in World Bank high-income countries, Python is only rising in popularity among programming languages.

How to become a Python Developer in three steps:

Learn to Read and Write in Python

Since Python is relatively easy and intuitive for newcomers to learn, a Python Programming course could help you quickly learn how to read and write in the language and leave you feeling like a Python pro in a very short period of time.

Because Python is a versatile, general-purpose, and extremely popular programming language, it’s often considered the best first language for newcomers to learn. It’s an excellent choice as an introductory language because it is concise and easy to read. And since it’s so widely useful — it can be used for everything from web development to software development or even scientific applications — it’s really a language any programmer should have in his or her stack. It is also one of the most widely used languages for Back-End Developers, Data Scientists, and Machine Learning Engineers.

Work on Projects With Python to Develop Your Skills

One surefire way to develop your skills with the Python programming language is to work on projects.

Getting your hands dirty with a fun project will sharpen your skills and ensure that you’re ready when you face challenges in the future.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started on your first Python project:

Make a website. This one might sound a little obvious, but coming up with an idea for a website and using a framework like Django or Flask to build it is an excellent idea to gain experience with Python.
Create a game. This might not be the first thing you think of when you think of Python, but there are actually some amazing libraries out there (including Pyglet, Panda3D and Pygame) to help you create a game using the program. Bonus points if you have kids who can test it out for you!
Build a web service. You’ll want to have some practice creating a web service, and frameworks such as Falcon or, again, Flask, can be a big help.
Collect data from the Internet. Python is a beloved tool for fetching data, with some terrific libraries available to make your life much easier.

Develop a Portfolio of Projects Completed With Python

As you build your experience with the Python programming language, it’s important to develop a portfolio of projects completed with Python to showcase your work, including importing, exporting, and manipulating data sets, as well as visualizations such as graphs, bar charts, and more.

If you’re not actively employed and building your portfolio on a day-to-day basis, take this time to come up with ideas for projects that you can execute and later add to your GitHub. That way, you can later show an employer that you know how to get your hands dirty with code. A few ideas for projects include organizing files on your machine, keeping track of your digital collections, or training a neural network.

What Is Python Programming Used For?

Unlike HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, the “building blocks of the internet,” Python is a general-purpose programming language, which means that it can be used for more than web development, including software development, writing system scripts, and perhaps most importantly for the future – data science.

Created by Guido van Rossum in 1991, the intention behind Python was to help Developers write clear, logical code, and this philosophy has made it one of the most popular programming languages. According to BrainStation’s 2020 Digital Skills Survey, Python is used by 25.4 percent of Developers – a number that’s on the rise.

The introduction of Python 2.0 brought the language into its modern form in the early 2000s. But at its core, it remains the same. Python code uses the “object-oriented” paradigm, so it’s usually the best option both for large-scale projects and smaller programs.

The Python Package Index shows thousands of third-party modules for Python.

Some of Python’s uses include: web and Internet development (using frameworks such as Django and Pyramind); scientific and numeric computing; teaching programming, both at introductory and advanced levels; software development; and building eCommerce platforms.

Is Python Programming a Growing Field?

Yes, the popularity and demand for Python programming – and the demand for Python Developers – continues to grow at a consistent rate. One estimate has over 40,000 jobs currently available for professionals with Python programming skills and experience.

This increase in demand is partly down to the popularity of the Python programming language itself. According to the TIOBE Programming Community index, which tracks the popularity of programming languages around the world, Python is currently the third most popular programming language, and one of the fastest-growing programming languages.

In an independent survey, it was also found that the Python programming language is currently the most popular language for Data Scientists around the globe.

Why Is Python So Popular?

There are a number of reasons for Python’s increasing popularity.

First, Python has relatively easy syntax and readability, which makes learning the language much easier for beginners. This relative ease means that Developers can spend more time on implementation, and less on building complex programs. Second, Python is a general-purpose programming language, with great analytical capabilities and a range of libraries (including Matplotlib, Numpy, and Pandas, among others), which makes it suitable for a number of applications, including back-end development, application development, data science, machine learning, and notably, artificial intelligence, to name a few.

Python features like one-liners and its dynamic type system allow Developers to write far fewer lines of code for tasks that require more lines of code in other languages. This makes Python a very easy-to-learn programming language even for beginners and newbies. For instance, Python programs are slower than Java, but they also take much less time to develop, since Python codes are three to five times shorter than Java codes.

What Is a Python Developer?

In simplest terms, a Python Developer is a Developer who uses the Python programming language to design, code, and debug applications and projects. Because of the versatility of the language, however, a Python Developer may have a number of tasks, including data collection and analytics, automation, web development and design, scripting, and more.

In addition, a Developer’s reliance on Python does not always make them a Python Developer; they may work under a range of different job titles, such as Web Developer, Software Engineer, and Data Analyst, among others.

In these roles, you may create an application for your employer, design the framework for your code, build tools as necessary to get the job done, create websites, or publish new services. Python Developers often work with data collection and analytics to create useful answers to questions and provide insight where it’s most crucially needed.

Like most programming positions, the specifics of this job vary based on the needs of your employer. Some Python Developers work as independent contractors instead of being exclusive to one company.

How Do I Become a Python Developer With No Experience?

You can become a Python Developer with no experience, but as outlined above, the only way to accomplish this is by building the right skills and then being able to demonstrate these skills. Seek out the right training options and Python courses to help accelerate your learning, then start coding in Python as much as possible!

Beginning your career as a freelance Python Developer is another way to get a foot in the door with no experience. That will allow you to begin building your portfolio and making industry contacts that could lead to a job.

Python Developers are in hot demand – BrainStation’s 2020 Digital Skills Survey found that roughly 25 percent of Developers are familiar with it, so Python Developers definitely have a specialized skill set – so it should be easier to break in than other industries.