Web Development

Java Developer Skills You Must Have

By Ronak Patel June 2, 2023 Update on : June 2, 2023

Java has been in the market since 1995, making it one of the oldest yet most reliable, competent, and future-ready programming languages. The recent Stack Over Flow Developer Survey 2022 shows that Java is still the #6^th most popular programming language between all respondents and #4^th among people ‘learning to code.’ Hence you know the market demand for Java and skilled Java developers is not declining anytime soon.

However, with such a surge in demand for Java developers, it can become quite difficult to stand out of the crowd as a valuable asset to a company looking to hire Java developers.

So how do I differentiate myself from the market? What should I do to make myself more valuable as a Java developer in 2023? Don’t worry; we have you covered. Today we will discuss the top skills you should have as a Java Developer in 2023 and some of the best practices, fundamentals, and tool knowledge that will help you up your Java development skills.

Without further ado, let’s dive right into it –

Java Developer Roles and Responsibilities

To better understand the role you would have as a Java developer in a company, it is important to look at what the industry or market is demanding of a Java developer through their hiring posts or job portals. If you look at any Java developer job positing it is most likely to highlight these roles and responsibilities, they expect a Java developer to fulfill –

Ability to participate in all stages of Java SDLC
Writing concise, efficient, and testable code
Assuring that the Java Developers adhere to industry coding standards
Ability to analyze, program, test, and debug any software
Develop robust, scalable, and highly secure Java projects
Have experience working in Agile, SCRUM, and Sprint
Staying up-to-date about the latest Java development tools
Follow Test-Driven Approach
To understand the client requirements and translate them into coding reality

Now let’s decode these roles and responsibilities to understand what they mean –

Ability to participate in all stages of Java SDLC

The recruiter expects you to be proficient in engaging in all phases, like requirement gathering, designing, development, testing, deployment, post-deployment maintenance, bug-fixing, and other aspects of the Java software development life cycle.

Writing concise, efficient, and testable code

Any Java developer needs to be able to write concise, efficient, and testable code since it enhances the code’s readability, makes managing debugging and maintenance easier, and reduces the project’s overall complexity.

Assuring that the Java Developers adhere to industry coding standards

Adhering to Java coding standards set by the industry promotes consistency, maintainability, and readability in code, making it more manageable for all developers working on that project.

Ability to analyze, program, test, and debug any software

As a Java developer, you need to be able to analyze, program, test, and debug any software to resolve any conflicts, errors, security breaches, and other challenges that may occur in the project.

Develop robust, scalable, and highly secure Java projects

Suppose you wish to work on enterprise-grade Java projects. In that case, you need to make resilient, robust, and scalable software products with increasing workloads and set proper security measures to protect the project against vulnerabilities and ensure the project’s long-term stability.

Have experience working in Agile, SCRUM, and Sprint

Having experience working in Agile methodologies and frameworks like Sprint and SCRUM helps with the onboarding and cultural integration process, enabling teams to work better with each other and deliver Java projects on time.

Staying up-to-date about the latest Java development tools

As a Java developer, you should always be up-to-date about the latest Java development tools as relevant Java development tools help ease the coding process to a great extent and help improve overall productivity and ability to leverage new features with ease.

Follow Test-Driven Approach

Following test-driven development approach is very important, and as a Java developer, you are expected to be able to identify the possible risks, challenges, and performance bottlenecks before starting to code. Hence, you should be able to write test cases to ensure code meets quality standards and reduce the risk of running into errors.

To understand the client requirements and translate them into coding reality

Apart from excellent coding skills, it is also important to have interpersonal skills in terms of proficiency in English and the ability to communicate with the team and the client. To understand their requirements and turn them into coding reality, you need first to be able to gather requirements as efficiently as possible.

Java Developer Technical Skills to Have in 2023

Now that we have a basic idea of the roles and responsibilities of Java developers, we should shift our focus to the technical skills you should have/refine to land the best Java job for boosting your career. Here are the top technical skills of a Java developer in 2023 –

Proper understanding of Java Fundamentals – Java Features, Syntax, and APIs
Efficiency in Object-Oriented Programming like Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction
Knowledge of Java frameworks like Spring Boot, Spring MVC, Struts, and more
Ability to work with Database management platforms like JDBC, ORM, and Hibernate
Frontend development skills and proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Debugging and problem-solving skills using tools like IntelliJ IDEA, SLF4J, and Log4j
Knowledge of design patterns like Factory, MVC, and Singleton for improving code organization, improve maintainability, and structure
Expertise in using Version control systems like Git for managing code repositories, tracking changes, and collaborating with other developers
Testing and quality assurance through testing tools like Junit, Mockito, Selenium, and more

Java Developer Non-Technical Skills to Have in 2023

In addition to the above-mentioned technical skills you should have as a Java developer, there are also many non-technical skills you should take care of when looking for a job in Java development. Here are some of the most important interpersonal or non-technical skills you should have as a Java developer in 2023 –

Problem-solving approach and ability to come up with effective solutions for any Java challenges
Paying attention to the smallest detail in the project to ensure coding accuracy and proper documentation
Effective communication skills in verbal and written format for collaborating with team members, discussing ideas, and discussing technical concepts with non-technical stakeholders
Ability to manage time, prioritize tasks and meet deadlines to ensure the timely completion of the project
Adaptability to learn new technologies, try new approaches, and adjust to different methodologies accommodating to any change in project needs
Being able to think analytically to resolve complex Java problems, identify common patterns, and come up with an innovative solution
Willingness to always be ready to learn and stay updated about the latest changes and updates in Java development to improve technical skills and grow in terms of capabilities and skills

Wrapping up! These are the top skills you need to refine and master to be a successful Java developer that stands out of the many talents available in the market. Remember, companies looking to hire dedicated developers willing to put in the extra work, are proactive and think out of the box to come up with innovative solutions to their Java programming challenges.

Author Bio

Ronak Patel is a CEO and Founder of Aglowid IT Solutions, an ever-emerging Top Web and Mobile Development company with a motto of turning clients into successful businesses. He believes that Client’s success is company’s success and so that he always makes sure that Aglowid helps their client’s business to reach to its true potential with the help of his best team with the standard development process he set up for the company.

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