Software Developer / Software Engineer Roadmap (Start → Job → Growth)
PHASE 0: Mindset & Setup (Week 0–1)
1️⃣ Understand What Software Engineers Do
A software engineer:
Solves problems using code
Builds apps, websites, systems, and APIs
Works with teams, tools, and real users
2️⃣ Set Up Your Environment
Learn and install:
Computer basics (files, folders, OS)
VS Code (code editor)
Git & GitHub (version control)
Command line basics (Terminal / PowerShell)
🎯 Goal: Be comfortable writing, saving, and running code.
PHASE 1: Programming Foundations (Months 1–3)
3️⃣ Learn ONE Programming Language First
Pick one (don’t jump around):
Best beginner choices:
Python → easiest start, versatile
JavaScript → web + backend
Java → enterprise & Android
👉 Recommendation: Python OR JavaScript
Core Concepts (Must Master)
Variables & data types
Conditions (if/else)
Loops
Functions
Arrays / Lists
Dictionaries / Objects
Error handling
Basic OOP (classes, objects)
🛠 Practice:
Simple calculator
Number guessing game
To-do app (CLI)
🎯 Goal: Write logic without copying code blindly.
PHASE 2: Computer Science Basics (Months 3–5)
4️⃣ Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA)
Learn:
Arrays, Linked Lists
Stacks & Queues
Hash Maps
Trees (basics)
Sorting & Searching
Big-O notation
🛠 Practice platforms:
LeetCode
HackerRank
Codeforces
🎯 Goal: Think efficiently, not just make code work.
5️⃣ Git & Collaboration
Git init, commit, push, pull
Branching & merging
Pull requests
Reading others’ code
🎯 Goal: Work like a real developer.
PHASE 3: Choose Your Path (Months 5–9)
You don’t need to learn everything. Choose one specialization first.
🟢 PATH A: Web Developer (Most Popular)
Frontend (UI)
Learn:
HTML (structure)
CSS (layout, Flexbox, Grid)
JavaScript (DOM, events, async)
Framework: React
Build:
Portfolio website
Blog website
Dashboard UI
Backend (Server)
Learn:
Node.js + Express OR Python (Django / Flask)
REST APIs
Authentication (JWT)
File uploads
Environment variables
Databases
SQL (PostgreSQL / MySQL)
NoSQL (MongoDB)
CRUD operations
Indexes & relations
🎯 Goal: Build a full-stack web app
Example:
Travel booking system
Blog CMS
E-commerce app
🟢 PATH B: Backend / API Engineer
Learn:
Advanced Python / Java / Node.js
API design
Microservices basics
Caching (Redis)
Message queues (RabbitMQ / Kafka)
🎯 Goal: Build scalable backend systems.
🟢 PATH C: Mobile App Developer
Learn:
Flutter or React Native
Mobile UI/UX
App state management
Backend integration
Play Store / App Store deployment
🟢 PATH D: Data / AI Engineer
Learn:
Python deeply
Pandas, NumPy
SQL
Machine Learning basics
APIs & data pipelines
PHASE 4: Professional Software Engineering (Months 9–12)
6️⃣ Software Engineering Principles
Learn:
Clean code
SOLID principles
Design patterns
Code reviews
Testing (unit & integration)
7️⃣ System Design (For Mid-Level)
Learn:
How large systems work
Load balancing
Databases at scale
Caching
API gateways
🎯 Goal: Think beyond single apps.
PHASE 5: Real-World Skills (Very Important)
8️⃣ Testing & Debugging
Unit tests
Integration tests
Debugging tools
Logging
9️⃣ DevOps Basics
Linux basics
Docker
CI/CD
Cloud basics (AWS / GCP / Azure)
🎯 Goal: Deploy your app live.
PHASE 6: Portfolio, Job & Freelancing (Months 12–15)
🔟 Build a Strong Portfolio
Include:
3–5 real projects
GitHub links
Live demo links
README files
Project ideas:
Travel booking website (perfect for ghurtecholo.com 😉)
Expense tracker
Chat application
Job portal
1️⃣1️⃣ Interview Preparation
DSA problems
System design basics
Behavioral questions
Mock interviews
1️⃣2️⃣ Career Options
You can work as:
Software Engineer
Web Developer
Backend Engineer
Mobile Developer
Freelancer
Startup founder
Remote developer
PHASE 7: Long-Term Growth (Forever Learning)
Learn new frameworks
Read codebases
Contribute to open source
Improve architecture skills
Mentor juniors
🎯 Software engineering is a marathon, not a sprint.
Recommended Weekly Study Plan
⏱ 2–4 hours/day:
40% coding practice
30% projects
20% learning theory
10% reading others’ code
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Learning too many languages
❌ Watching tutorials without building
❌ Skipping Git & projects
❌ Waiting to be “perfect”
Final Advice
Learn → Build → Break → Fix → Repeat.
If you want, I can:
Create a Python-only roadmap
Make a Web Developer roadmap
Design a 12-month daily study plan
Tailor this roadmap for Bangladesh job market
Create a roadmap for students / non-CS background
Just tell me 👍 Highest Paying Remote Jobs
