Is an IT degree necessary in order to be a good programmer? Definitely, some employers will appreciate it, but for a long time it is not the only criteria for choosing such professional path. For sure, there are certain qualities which can significantly help to find one's place in the IT environment. In such case, what qualities should a good programmer possess? Read and check which qualities you already have, and what you can still improve.
- Curiosity and consistency in solving problems – these are the basic qualities, whether it relates to writing a new code or looking for bugs in the existing one. If you are impatient and do not like to probe into what is wrong and why something is not working, probably this kind of job would be irritating for you.
- Hunger for knowledge – specialists estimate that a person working in the IT industry needs to update their level of knowledge thoroughly at least every two years. Of course, continuous learning is the most desired trait, i.e. something which seems to be natural for... enthusiast of learning, just for the sake of learning.
- Respect for work-life balance – it is becoming more popular, which is very good. Undoubtedly, a competent programmer knows when to work and when to rest. Thanks to this, the programmer avoids frustrations and is more efficient at work.
- Laziness – yes, yes, I mean precisely that. Laziness is a quality which allows a programmer to find the easiest possible solution to a given problem. Why should one work too hard?
- Communicativeness – some might think that it is trivial and useless, because many programmers value individuality. However, the truth is that more and more projects require team work. And then communication with others will be necessary and its strongest manifestation is the effectiveness. It's better not to stay behind in this matter.
- Imagination – in other words, something that will help you to figure out how something should look like before you start working on it. Although probably, the educational system does not favour it, it is worth to exercise one's imagination since early years, among others, by reading books.
- Passion for programming – the last and the most important. It is hard to be very good at something, if one does not like it. Passion helps to overcome difficulties, gain knowledge and contacts. If you are passionate about something, the rest is a piece of cake :)
The above points may not be the only right recipe for a programmer, but for sure such qualities can help one to be more effective at work and the job can become more satisfying