10 Python Skills That Will Make You Irresistible to Potential Employers

Now that you’ve mastered the basics of Python, it’s time to start thinking about what you can do with it. Here are 10 useful Python skills that employers look for when they hire Python developers, and tips on how to get each one down pat so you can wow your potential employer during your next interview.

1) Object Oriented Programming

OOP has become popular in software development and has developed into one of various competing approaches to addressing software design problems. Many large, long-lived programs have been written in an object-oriented language, and many more are being written today. However, OOP languages are not universally accepted as superior to other programming paradigms for all purposes; often when ease of use is considered more important than flexibility or performance, non-OOP languages such as PHP may be preferred over an OOP language like Java or C++.

2) Good Test Cases

Test cases are as important in Python as they are in any other language. Good test cases, however, need more thought than what you may have experienced while writing them for school assignments. This guide provides a little more guidance on how to write good test cases that help ensure your code works right and helps prevent regressions. It’s important to note that unit tests alone do not constitute good testing; there is no substitute for human eyes checking over production code. However, when used in conjunction with human-driven testing, unit tests can be extremely useful. Also, see How To Write A Test Plan For Your Software Project.

3) Code Documentation

The number one way you can win new developer friends and influence your existing ones is by writing clean, well-documented code. If you’re not used to writing documentation for your work, now’s a great time to start: it doesn’t have to be perfect, but a well-crafted README file can save another developer days or weeks of extra work. And if that makes you more marketable as an employee, even better!

4) Debugging

A solid understanding of how code works and how it doesn’t work is crucial for debugging. No matter your level of experience with coding, you should know how to debug in order to make sure that what you create will function properly. Don’t be afraid of bugs—when they appear, look at them as opportunities to learn more about writing code. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it! The best way to get better at something is by asking questions.

5) Clean Code

Clean code is a software development practice that emphasizes clarity, simplicity, and discipline. By writing clean code, developers can spend less time understanding and debugging their programs. Ultimately, clean code helps programmers create high-quality products in less time. The term clean code was coined by Sandi Metz in her book of the same name. In it, she argues that good programming is about much more than just writing efficient code; it’s also about making sure your code is readable and easy to understand. This makes your job easier—and makes you more attractive to potential employers.

6) Leaning from Mistakes

The best way to learn is from your own mistakes. There is no better feeling than looking back at something you’ve written and asking yourself What was I thinking?. Over time, you will learn more and more about how your favorite language works, what it’s good for, and what it isn’t. Your mistakes will be less frequent and fewer in number as you gain experience with a language. But don’t get too cocky; there are always new things to learn! If you find yourself making a mistake repeatedly, consider writing up an example of what not to do and sharing it on GitHub or Reddit. This can help others avoid similar pitfalls when learning your language of choice.

7) Packaging

Python comes with a ton of functionality right out of the box, but sometimes you’ll need something that isn’t included. Packaging your code as a separate library allows other Python programmers to quickly and easily take advantage of your hard work. The only downside is that it adds some extra steps to publishing your code—but those. A great place to start is PyPi, or Python Package Index. Here you can upload your package and publish it for use by others; check out pip-installer if you want a tool that makes packaging even easier.

8) Extending Existing Code vs Re-Writing

Do you need a full understanding of how a system works before modifying it, or can you safely extend existing code without breaking it? Expert developers are constantly making strategic decisions about when to extend and when to start from scratch. For example, if they’re working on an update that modifies only 1% of an existing application, they may choose simply to add on top of what is already there rather than re-write from scratch.

9) Unit Testing

Unit testing is essential for a good development process, as it ensures that individual units of code do what they are supposed to and that developers don’t break other parts of a system while writing new features. If you’re an aspiring developer looking for your first job, you should make sure you know how to unit test, as employers value self-motivated people who can learn on their own and work in teams. While you may not be able to get a job at Google just yet, getting into unit testing early will help give you a leg up when applying for more junior positions later on. The best way to start? Practice—and there are plenty of resources out there (including open source projects) where you can get started. Start with something small and work your way up from there!

10) API Design

Designing an API can be tricky, but it’s something that every developer has to do. Without a solid design in place, you could end up making serious mistakes and costing your employer hundreds or thousands of dollars. Check out our guide for more info on designing robust APIs with minimal bugs! …or check out The Zen of Python: import This, Beautiful is better than ugly: import PySrc… (we just imported a bunch of stuff from somewhere) from BeautifulSoup import * …and so on.