8 Qualities of a Python Developer

What Does a Developer in Python Do?

Unlike HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Python is a general-purpose programming language. In addition to web development, it may be applied to other kinds of programming (for example, back-end development, software development, data science, etc.).

The focus of Python's design philosophy is on readable code. Developers may produce understandable code for both small- and large-scale projects because to its language constructs and object-oriented methodology.

A Python developer is in charge of coding, developing, designing, integrating, and debugging software products, usually on the server-side logic.

But the work of a Python developer evolves with their level of experience, and it’s important to know exactly what to expect of your developers:

What does a junior Python developer do?  

Entry level Python developers will shadow the more senior developers and learn from them. They will often be tasked with writing unit tests and improving the existing code with supervision from other developers who can mentor them and quickly help them grow.

What does a mid-level Python developer do?  

Mid-level Python developers are expected to be capable of writing and building components to integrate into new or existing systems, or maintaining existing code by providing fixes and other code changes.

What does a senior level Python developer do?  

Besides mentoring the newer developers in the team, senior developers should be capable of designing entire systems and architectures for software solutions with appropriate technologies.

Python Developer Skills

Here are some of the most common Python skills required of developers, based on recent job listings:

• Django
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• APIs
• Docker
• Linux
• Cloud Computing
• Machine Learning
• Git
• Continuous Integration
• React
• Flask
• REST
• PostgreSQL
• DevOps
• Microservices

As for other languages that often get paired up with Python:

• JavaScript
• Java
• SQL
• Go

Python developers are adding new skills to their repertoire as the technology changes and gets adapted into more industries, and this provides benefits to both developers and the companies that hire them.  

Python Developer Roles and Responsibilities

What python developers do will change according to the type of job they should perform:  

Software Engineer:

• Develop and maintain code
• Write unit tests
• Debug software
• Integrate third party code and APIs
• Assess code and feature change requests
• Evaluate and produce technical solutions to proposed problems

Web Developer:

• Write back-end code and logic
• Provide mechanisms to communicate with and update the back-end
• Maintain the back-end updated and optimized
• Integrate web frameworks
• Deploy applications

Data Analyst:

• Create scripts to collate and analyze data
• Work with Python math and utility libraries
• Create data models to use in reports for internal or client use

Machine Learning Engineer:

• Research and implement Machine Learning algorithms
• Make use of Machine Learning environments, platforms and libraries
• Train and fine tune the Machine Learning algorithms to adapt to new variables and realities
• Deploy Machine Learning Models to production environments
• Analyze statistical data

8 Key Skills Python Developers Should Have

Which Python skills are in demand? These are the top 8 skills to look for in Python developers:

1. Solid knowledge of the Python programming language

Having solid knowledge of the language is, of course, essential. But testing this knowledge can sometimes be hard.

If you want to be thorough when interviewing your candidates, it’s important to ask the right questions. Ask about specific Python concepts such as data structures, data types, exception handling, file handling, generations, etc. If they don’t show hesitation when answering these types of questions, you can be certain that they know what they preach.  

2. CSS, HTML and JavaScript

While you might think it’s not a must for Python developers to learn front-end technologies, we firmly believe that knowing front-end technologies is a huge plus.

A Python developer often works with front-end technologies to make sure that the client-side matches the server-side. Working with CSS, HTML and JavaScript allows them to have a full picture of how a website or platform looks and how it works.  

3. Python Frameworks

Another skill to look for in your Python developers is whether he is familiar with Phyton frameworks or not. When a Python developer knows all the frameworks (or the most important ones), you can be confident that they have a fast development process because they stop dealing with low-level stuff such as threads or sockets.  

4. Object Relational Mapper

Object Relational Mappers (ORMs) are a class of libraries that facilitate data transfer from a relational database to Python objects.  

In simple words, an object-relational mapper is a technique that converts data between incompatible types using object-oriented programming languages. ORMs can create a virtual object database that can be used within the Python language (or any other language).

The most significant benefit for developers of using an ORM library is that they save a substantial amount of time by offering them the flexibility to switch to another relational database when required. Using ORMs, Python developers can continue to write in Python code instead of using SQL to create and update data schemas.  

5. Python Libraries

Python has many great advantages, and one of them is its massive collection of libraries. According to the Python Package Index, Python has over 267,000 projects. So, when developers plan to create something or are stuck in the middle of a project, they have all these libraries available for them with the necessary documentation and guidance.

When interviewing a Python developer, ask them about the libraries they have used in the past or why they have to use them. Most of them are great tools for developers to learn more about AI, machine learning, data science, among other trending topics. Besides that, more common libraries allow developers to stay flexible and develop more complex solutions faster.

6. Machine Learning and AI

We’re living in a digital era, making it almost impossible to run away from industries such as Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).  

Even web apps can benefit greatly by using these technologies. Python can be used to work with data science, neural networks, data visualization, data analysis, and data collection, providing a rich overview of your web application’s information. This way, data scientists can acquire, visualize and analyze the information extracted from the data, have a clear picture of where the business application is standing, and even predict customers’ behavior.

When interviewing a Python developer, it’s a huge (gigantic) plus if they are proficient in AI/ML. For this, you need to make sure they have a solid understanding of the Machine Learning Algorithms and even some of the modules Python offers towards implementing these solutions.  

7. Multi-process architecture

When developing a web application, Python developers need a development architecture to separate the app’s internal working from users. Nowadays, there are easier frameworks and architecture models, such as the Model View Controller architecture or the Model View Template architecture.

A Python developer should have a basic understanding of how their code will work in release or deployment environments. After understanding its architecture, they can identify and solve the core framework’s problems (if needed) to achieve optimized and great results. When interviewing about this topic, get to know their past projects and how they are structured to get a good analysis of your candidate’s mind towards the architecture of software.

8. Version Control

Have you ever sent a slack message poorly written? In a matter of seconds, you click on edit and send the message the right way. Easy! Well, version control works similarly to developers.

Version control (also called source control) is the practice of tracking and managing changes to software code. Version control systems are tools that help developers manage changes to source code over time. Developers can iterate their code and keep track of every single change that happens in web applications.

If your Python developers use version control systems such as Git, it means that they keep track of every modification to the code in a special kind of database. If they make a mistake, they can always compare the earlier version of the code to fix the error. When interviewing, it’s a good rule of thumb to check if they provide an online profile for their code, such as GitHub. If not, ask about their methodologies for dealing with code changes over time and how they can recover from costly mistakes. The answer to these problems is usually good version control set up.

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