Indeed, when an individual decides to build a career in the Software Development field,

there is one thing that always comes in his mind – How the career will progress & What will
be future opportunities? Although, there are various worthwhile career opportunities after
spending an adequate amount in the tech domain. And among all those options, one of the
most considerable and impactful profile is Software Architect!  As per the
reports, Software Architect is one of the most demanding jobs in recent years, and
considering the expansion of the IT industry (particularly the Development domain), the
future of Software Architects seems bright

Before moving further, let’s take a look at the question – Who is a Software
Architect? A Software Architect is an IT professional who has expertise in Software
Development, and he collaborates with various teams for the overall effective
execution of the processes whether it be designing or development or
implementation of software solutions. In general, a Software Architect makes crucial
high-level software design choices and work on various aspects such as determine
required technologies for the development team, carry out technical standards, etc.
to build worthwhile software systems or solutions as per the needs of the client. A
Software Architect can be responsible for various roles & responsibilities in an
organization such as:
 Communicates with clients to identify software requirements and other needs.
 Comes up with optimal technical standards, tools, processes, etc. for the
project.
 Leads the team of developers and distributes the development tasks
accordingly.
 Collaborates with other teams, end-users, etc. to deliver high-quality software
solutions.
 Works on Code Reviewing, Documentation, Troubleshooting, and other
related areas, etc.
As of now, you have already become aware of the Software Architect job profile.
Now let’s get back to the main concern – How to Become a Software
Architect? And with the same concern, let’s go through the complete
roadmap that you need to follow to build a successful & worthwhile career in
Software Architect domain:

1. Start with the Academics

If you’re considering becoming a Software Architect, the first and foremost thing you
need to do – get enrolled yourself for the relevant study program. You can look
forward to possessing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science /
Information Technology or other related domain as it will not only make your
fundamentals stronger but will also make you eligible for many ravishing career
opportunities in various IT giants. Moreover, along with the degree or educational
background, you can opt for several specific training programs, boot camps, etc.
as well to get more proficiency & exposure in the Software Architect domain

2. Get Proficient with Programming Languages

To start your career as a Software Architect, you’re always required to have a

sound knowledge of programming languages & frameworks. As a Software
Architect, you’re not solely responsible to do coding the entire day but you’re
required to lead the team of developers, collaborate with other teams, review
code, etc. hence you must have a thorough understanding of programming concepts
and paradigms. Meanwhile, you can start to learn programming with various
demanding programming languages such as C++, Python, Ruby, Go, etc. Also, you
can opt to build several minor projects and can participate in various coding
challenges to boost your programming skills.

3. Enter the IT world as a Software Developer

As mentioned above, Software Architect is not an entry-level career domain and can
be considered as one of the succeeding positions of a Software Developer, hence
you’re strongly recommended to gain an adequate amount of hands-on experience
on a developer’s profile. Meanwhile, apart from the coding skills, you need to
understand & work upon several other crucial aspects as a developer to become a
Software Architect such as teamwork & task allotment, SDLC phases of the
project, requirement analysis from clients, etc. It will help you to understand the
entire functioning of the development field from designing to deployment that will
further make it easier for you to get into the Software Architect domain.

4. Gain Sound Knowledge of System Design, DevOps, etc.

Once you’ll get entered into the Software Development field and become proficient
with programming languages & frameworks, now it’s time for you to work on your
goal (i.e., to become a Software Architect) and accordingly learn & upgrade your
skills to achieve the target. Needless to say, a Software Architect is responsible for
many tasks hence, you’re required to get familiar with several crucial domains such
as System Design, Development Operations or DevOps, etc. You need to have a
deep understanding of Design Patterns & Architecture, Fundamentals of Data
Modeling, Unified Modeling Language (UML), and other related concepts to start
your career as a Software Architect.