Halfway through a uni course, but still don’t know what you want to do or where you see yourself in five years? Tech consultant Daniel Figucio gives us the top five attributes to look for in people who might have a knack for coding.

The Analytical thinker

Are you the Sherlock Holmes of the group who really shines when faced with a brain teaser? Analytical thinkers thrive on their curiosity. Typically, they enjoy a challenge and hold a unique gift to apply method where there is madness. Motivated by curiosity, they find value in details, precision and accuracy. If you’re one to consider various outcomes to a situation and have a knack for choosing advantageous solutions and avoiding issues, then you already hold a vital quality found in good software developers.

The Problem Solver

We’re all faced with challenges like spilling coffee on your white top to having your phone die in the middle of a night out. Some people deal with them better than others! Good problem solvers have a positive outlook; they don’t freak out when faced with a problem, but see the opportunities it presents them. Software is developed to create solutions to existing problems, big and small. Problem solvers are information addicts who feel the rush when cruising the information highway and solving problems with logic. If you’re the type of person who is constantly asking questions and then continuing to question your own questions, you may want to keep challenging yourself with a career in coding.

The Team Player

Collaboration is more than just a buzzword. A good team player is able to exchange ideas, knowledge and experiences to enable teams to work efficiently towards a shared goal. Coding in particular is a collaborative process involving a mix of people, continuous reviews of code and critiquing one another’s work to eliminate bugs. Efficient and successful coding projects are, more often than not, the result of effective communication within a team, rather than a lone wolf.

Communicator

It’s important to note that coding itself is a form of communication. A good communicator understands that they have two ears and one mouth so they should be used in proportion! They are good at listening and are able to express ideas in a clear and concise manner. Good communication skills correlate with good development skills. A great developer is able to comprehend problems, hypothesis and offer applicable solutions. By understanding concepts quickly or asking the right questions to better understand, good communicators have the ability to create honesty and trust within the developer community, ultimately leading to successful projects. The importance of having strong communication skills should not be underestimated.

Work with passion

Passionate people are exciting, growth oriented and exude positivity. They are self-motivated because they have a genuine interest and love for what they are doing. Building code is limitless and there’s an excitement around being able to create solutions and enable ideas to grow and develop into real solutions. Most developers love what they do and code with passion, which is evident in the type of work they produce.

This article is part of a series of collaborative articles between Chattr and GitHub. Daniel Figucio is a Director of Solutions Engineering, ASEAN and ANZ at GitHub. He has extensive experience in the IT industry, focusing on the accessibility of web-based applications and content.