One of the reasons why many software developers get into a rut or struggle to progress their career as far as they would like is that they do not know how to best make themselves stand out. It is important to stand out, as the industry is saturated with software developers with varying degrees of experience and different skill levels.
When the playing field features hundreds of other individuals, who all have similar academic backgrounds and skillsets, employers are more likely to choose those needles in the haystack that look a bit different from the rest.
How Do You Make Yourself Stand Out From the Crowd?
This is a difficult thing and so many people get this wrong because they focus too heavily on the technical aspects of what makes them different from their contemporaries. Why is that a problem? Well, in most cases, your resume will be read by C-level employees, technical managers, or recruiters with non-technical experience. They are not necessarily going to be interested in the fancy things you’ve been doing with open source software, your GitHub profile, or pull request.
You need to think beyond the box and consider starting a side project, something that establishes what your passions and interests are beyond coding and software development.
Why You Should Have a Side Project
As well as showcasing your skill set, interests, passions and making you stand out from the sea of software developers, there are even more reasons why you should consider starting a side project.
It Gives You Freedom
Generally speaking, the work of a software developer involves a lot of strict deadlines and constraints as to the type of technology you work with, the coding language you use, and the expected outcome and goals for projects. It may also be that the projects you are working on for your clients are not things your extremely passionate about – they bring in the bacon, but don’t satisfy your need to create and experiment.
That’s why having a side project is important. It gives you that freedom to call all the shots, to work when you want, on what you want, using the coding language, platforms, and tech you feel comfortable with. You basically have a blank canvas to do with what you please.
You Can Learn Something New
As a software developer, you spend the majority of your time working on projects for clients that require the use of existing skills to solve new problems. There is no real room for learning something new.
With a side project, you can try expanding your skillset, take on new challenges, and experiment. Even more crucially, those skills that you develop through trial and error in your side project, may later come in useful for a paying client.
Great Tool For Networking
When you are working with the same companies, clients, and teams of collaborators day in day out, every week, it doesn’t offer you much chance to reach out and network with anyone new. When you have a side project, however, that is focused on a passion or interest, that is perhaps outside of your normal software development field, you have the chance to interest and network with people and organizations from different communities. As well as finding people with similar interests to your own, you can help get your name and skills out there. More people will become aware of what you are capable of, which could lead to more exciting work and projects in the future.
It’s a Way to Challenge Yourself
It can be a real problem within software development, to find a real challenge. Everything, eventually, becomes routine and a bit dull. Sure, you’re still putting in a stellar performance and producing some fine work, but if you are always doing the thing that you are qualified to do, it can start to feel a bit samey. 
If you are like most software developers, you probably, at times, feel unsatisfied. Having a side project is a way to put you out of your comfort zone and really challenge your skills and capabilities. As you call the shots and are not working to someone else’s specification or timeframe, you can make a side project as challenging and complex as you desire. Is there something that you’ve always wanted to have a go at, but never had the time because you had to concentrate on building your skills for your full-time commitments? A side project gives you that opportunity.
It Stops You From Burning Out
We’ve hinted at the fact that software development work can be quite samey and repetitive. Although that can have its advantages, it can also cause you to burn out. Deadlines, deadlines, and more deadlines can not only be frustrating, but stressful, especially when you have extremely demanding clients that expect Rome to be built in a day.
A side project does not have the same effect. In fact, if you break up the monotony and stress of your day-to-day client work with your own little pet project, you may find it to be a great anxiety beater. There is no pressure, because you are only answerable to you and whether it’s a success or not is only going to ultimately affect you.
Of course, you want to do your best to make it a success, but it’s not like there’s a huge 5-figure sum contract behind it all.
Conclusion
Although the idea of giving yourself more work, may initially sound counterintuitive to enhancing your career as a software developer, we hope you can see the real benefits. It gives you space, time, and motivation to work on something that truly matters to you, to expand your skillset, and be in control of everything from the design and planning through to the programming and finishing touches.
Who knows, you may even hit upon a great idea that makes you a bit of extra money in the process. Even if that doesn’t happen, you’ll still be a better software developer for the experience.