Java is one of the most popular programming languages getting widely used across all major industries. It is the most in-demand programming language among employers, seeking developers with Java skills than any other language. It is getting widely used in large-scale banking systems to powerful android phone apps.
Some of the key skills make a great Java developer stand out are given below:
1. Object-Oriented Programming: A good Java developer is skilled in the implementation of the object-oriented design patterns and can architect the code effectively in an object-oriented way. You should know how to apply OO principles in designing a solution using object modeling, inheritance, polymorphism, design patterns, etc.
2. DevOps Tools: A good Java Developer should have knowledge of using DevOps tools like Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes. At present, it is essential for Java developers to have good knowledge of DevOps, continuous integration, continuous deployment, and how Jenkins helps to achieve that.
3. Spring Framework (Spring Boot): Nowadays a good Java Developer should have knowledge of Spring framework as most of the companies prefer to do development using Spring Framework like Spring MVC, Spring Boot, and Spring Cloud for developing a web application, REST APIs Microservices, etc.
4. Unit Testing: A good Java Developer should have good unit testing skills using tools like JUnit and Mockito.
5. Java Ecosystem and APIs: Being a good Java Professional you should have an overall knowledge of the Java ecosystem and APIs are available. It is essential to be familiar with some key APIs like JSON Processing APIs like Jackson and Gson, XML processing APIs like JAXB and Xerces, Unit Testing libraries like JUnit and Mockito.
6. JVM and Memory Management: For becoming a good Java Developer you must spend time learning JVM internals like what are different parts of JVM, how it works, JIT, JVM options, Garbage collections, collectors, how to profile your Java application and how to find performance bottlenecks.
7. Good Knowledge of using Design Patterns: Incorporating design patterns into your code will make your application more flexible and easier to change in the future. It improves overall code quality and keeps things easy to understand with design patterns among other java developers.
8. Concurrency: You should have good knowledge of concurrency and multithreading as it is widely used in many scenarios while building Web Applications or APIs.
9. Databases: For becoming a good Java Developer, you should have a good grip on Database concepts and SQL Queries, basic CRUD operations, and things like Joins, aggregations, Indexing, Performance Tuning, Query Optimizations are an essential part of it.
10.Use of IDE: Good knowledge of using IDEs like Eclipse, NetBeans, and IntelliJ IDEA are the most important tool for a Java Developer.
11. Use of Microservices: Companies are upgrading the architecture and moving from a monolithic application to microservices, so it is important for a good Java Developer to learn Microservice architecture and how to create Microservices in Java to take advantage of this technology shift in recent times. For your knowledge, Spring the framework provides Spring Cloud and Spring Boot which greatly simplify microservice development in Java.
12. Knowledge of Kotlin / Scala / Groovy: We encourage Java developers to learn a new JVM language like Kotlin. It is the official language for Android development announced by Google. It will help you to improve your productivity and take you into Android App development area.
We hope this information will help you to become a proficient Java developer and open doors of opportunities to take your career to the next level.