Thanks to Python’s simplicity and versatility as a programming language, it quickly became one of the most popular languages in the development community. Python is already a highly sought-after skill set and is one of the fastest-growing languages currently. This popularity means that companies of all sizes need these skills and they must hire Python developers as a part of their dev teams.
Finding the right developers with the necessary skills and experience of any kind is a daunting task for hiring managers and recruiters. As the world is currently in a global talent shortage, finding Python experts is even more challenging—and companies have to have a game plan ready when it comes to a hiring strategy. While some companies choose to hire through the traditional in-house method, many choose to work with a third-party outsourcing provider like BairesDev to take care of all their Python development needs.
How To Hire a Python Developer: Considerations, Skills, and Questions
Whether a large existing enterprise company or a startup, hiring a Python developer or development team is sometimes a challenging task for hiring managers or recruiters. Finding candidates that have not only the necessary technical abilities but also soft skills and team-working abilities makes it a difficult task to simply find the right applicants, let alone the perfect fit.
However, with a structured approach and the right considerations, companies empower themselves with the necessary checks to ensure that their potential candidates turn into solid long-term hires or partnerships, depending on the hiring method chosen for Python development services.
Before You Hire a Python Development Team
Before hiring a Python developer or development team, companies must make several decisions and take into account some considerations to ensure that they find the right fit for their project. First, it’s vital that teams sit down and determine the scope and objectives if this is a project-based hiring endeavor. If it’s a more permanent team addition, the team should decide job responsibilities and qualification requirements. This includes identifying any specific skill sets or experience with features and functionalities anticipated as part of the project or future project.
Once teams have a clear understanding of the role or project requirements, it’s crucial that they decide which type of Python developer they require. There are various types of Python developers out there, each with their own specialties and areas of expertise. For example, web developers may have experience with web frameworks based on Python, such as Django or Flask. Data scientists, on the other hand, may specialize in Python but for data visualization and analysis. Hiring managers must also make sure that the developer’s soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork abilities, are adequate enough to find success in a team-driven environment.
The final consideration before starting the search for the perfect Python developer is to decide if hiring for a traditional in-house role is the best fit for the company or project, or whether partnering with an outsourcing provider such as BairesDev is the better fit. Outsourcing means that companies get to choose from 3 ways to outsource: staff augmentation, software outsourcing, and dedicated teams.
Skills To Look for in a Python Developer
There are many technical skills that Python developers require in order to successfully complete their jobs. Some hiring managers aren’t aware of the specific skill sets required for Python developers, so they should make themselves aware before they begin any kind of recruiting and hiring process.
Core Python
It should go without saying, however, that expertise in Core Python is absolutely vital for Python developers to have. A strong grasp of the fundamental concepts and aspects of Core Python, at a minimum, is absolutely crucial in creating effective and efficient Python code and projects.
One area that developers should have fairly extensive experience in is iterators. Iterators are objects that allow programmers to traverse through the elements of a sequence or collection one at a time in Python. Generators, another type of iterator, are also vital in Python coding, as they generate sequences of values on the fly instead of storing them all at the same time.
In addition to iterators and generators, exception handling is another area essential to good Core Python development. Exception handling is the processing of detecting and then responding appropriately to errors in code. To work with Core Python, developers must know how to handle various types of exceptions. This helps ensure that the code handles errors as gracefully as possible.
File handling concepts are also important for Core Python developers, which include opening, reading, writing, and closing files in Python. Devs should have experience with manipulating the data stored in files, as well as how to work best with other file formats. Core Python also involves quite a bit of understanding about data types and variables. Devs should know the uses for various data types in Python, such as strings, integers, and lists.
Developers must have a solid level of familiarity with the different data structures in Core Python as well, including tuples, sets, lists, and dictionaries, as knowing how to not only use but also manipulate these data structures helps improve overall efficiency and optimizes code.
Experience With Web Frameworks
Skilled Python developers must have a sound knowledge base of web frameworks. Two of the most popular Python web frameworks currently include Django and Flask. Flask is a micro web framework that’s widely popular thanks to its simplicity and flexibility for developers. Its ease of use makes it a very popular choice for small- and medium-size web applications. Deemed a “micro web framework,” Flash takes a minimalist approach, which makes setup quick and it’s easy to use. Flask also allows developers to customize application structure and components to suit a project’s needs.
Django, on the other hand, is a more high-level Python web framework. It encourages clean, practical, and functional design. It’s also ideal for developing complex and larger web applications, as it provides a full-stack solution. Django encourages developers to avoid repeating code by providing reusable components and a comprehensive set of tools for web app development. This includes built-in administration panels, object-relational mapping (ORM), and authentication systems. Its high-level approach helps developers focus on building app features instead of focusing on the smaller details.
A sound knowledge of web frameworks like Django and Flask is an essential tool to have in a Python developer’s toolbox. They help developers build web applications with more simplicity and efficiency, which are important factors when it comes to budgets in a company setting.
Object-Relational Mappers
Object-relational mappers (ORMs) remain essential tools of the trade in modern software development work, especially when dealing with Python. ORMs allow developers to convert data between incompatible systems in a process called object-relational mapping. An example of this is a database and an object-oriented programming language working together.
ORMs are incredibly valuable tools, as they give developers a way to interact with databases more intuitively. Instead of needing to write low-level SQL queries, developers gain the ability to interact with data as objects instead. This is a much more natural way to understand and manipulate data. ORMs also offer a layer of abstraction, which means devs have the ability to work with multiple database systems without concern for the specifics of each of the individual systems.
ORMs improve application performance as well by caching data in memory and optimizing queries. This allows them to reduce database access times by quite a bit, thus leading to faster application response times.
Understanding of Multiprocess Architecture
A good understanding of multiprocess architecture is an essential skill for every Python developer. This type of architecture requires knowing the codes used in release and deployment and understanding the model-view-template (MVT) and model-view-controller (MVC) architecture.
MVC and MVT are regularly and widely used as software design patterns to help devs keep their code organized in manageable components. This helps by creating patterns that separate the application’s presentation, logic, and data to make it easier to develop the application initially and maintain it over time.
Understanding multiprocess architecture helps developers problem-solve in a core framework more effectively as well. It also assists in the optimization of code for scalability and performance, thus ensuring that applications have the ability to handle varying and increasing amounts of data and/or traffic.
Multiprocess architecture is a must-have understanding for Python developers, but it’s also a complex topic to comprehend. Good Python developers invest their time in learning the relevant and necessary concepts and tools required to have expertise in this area.
Effective Communication Skills
Although not specific to Python developers exclusively, any and all developers must have effective communication skills in order to achieve success in their careers. Clear and concise communication helps prevent gaps and misunderstandings, which then create inefficiencies among co-workers and errors in work. In software development of any kind, communication skills are incredibly important in peer code review and when collaborating with teams in the development department or beyond.
Effective communication helps to ensure that every developer, whether on an in-house team or spread across the world via virtual teams or an outsourcing partner, knows and understands the responsibilities of their role, project deadlines, and milestones, and helps with problem-solving. Without these skills, teams don’t have the ability to collaborate well together, which creates major problems in the work environment.
Communication helps developers not only provide feedback and information to their internal dev team members but also collaborate with teams across the company. This leads to improved processes and workflows, and constructive feedback helps teams identify where there’s room for improvement.
Experience With Frontend Technologies
Having knowledge of frontend technologies is important for Python developers, as they have to work closely with frontend teams to ensure that the client-side matches the server-side. This collaboration requires a solid understanding of frontend technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These technologies are responsible for the appearance and functionality of web applications.
Understanding frontend technologies allows a Python developer to appreciate the possibilities and limitations of the frontend while developing server-side code that integrates seamlessly with the client-side. This knowledge is particularly important for projects where the frontend and backend are closely integrated, such as single-page applications (SPAs) and web applications that use AJAX.
Moreover, having experience and knowledge of frontend technologies enhances a Python developer’s ability to contribute to cross-functional projects and collaborate with frontend developers. This collaboration then leads to more efficient and effective software development, with both the frontend and backend continually optimized for performance and scalability. Frontend programming languages and technologies include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Knowledge of Python Libraries
One of the most significant advantages of Python is its extensive collection of libraries available for developers. They have access to over 267,000 projects on the Python Package Index, which offers a variety of libraries with comprehensive documentation and guidance.
Python developers must have experience with a variety of libraries, as they are invaluable tools that allow them to learn about things like machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, and other trending topics. A few examples of Python libraries include Matplotlib for data visualization, Scikit-learn for machine learning, and Pandas for data analysis.
Top Interview Questions To Ask When Hiring Python Developers
What Is Namespace in Python?
In Python, namespace is a naming convention that assists developers in avoiding duplicate names in their programming. It acts like a dictionary of Python in which object names serve as keys and object contents act as values. By utilizing namespaces, developers help guarantee that each object in their code features a unique identifier, which prevents naming collisions while also enhancing the readability of code.
What Are Python Functions and How Are They Used?
Python functions are blocks of code and/or instructions executed after being called by a developer. In Python programming, they’re defined using the “def” keyword and developers call them by typing their name followed by a parenthesis. Should a function require input parameters, they must enclose the parameters within the parenthesis. Functions help developers modularize their code, which then allows them to write code that’s reusable and concise with code snippets that make debugging easy.
Python functions also give developers the flexibility to create and define their own custom logic for a specific operation or task. This is invokable whenever required and helps reduce the need for repetitive coding. This saves developers time and companies money.
What Is inheritance in Python and What Are the Main Types?
As a fundamental concept of object-oriented programming, inheritance enables classes to pass on their attributes and methods to a new class. The original class of data is then known as the super-class, and the new class with inherited data is then called the child, or derived, class.
In Python, there are four types of inheritance: single, multiple, multilevel, and hierarchical. Single inheritance happens when a child class inherits its data from a single super-class. Multiple inheritances enable a child class to inherit data from multiple super-classes. This occurs when a derived class inherits from a base class, which inherits from another base class.
Hierarchical inheritance allows one super-class to have numerous child classes that inherit attributes and methods. Inheritance allows Python developers to create more maintainable, efficient, and reusable code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Python developers in demand?
Yes, Python developers are already in high demand and the trend of programming language choice is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. It’s a super popular language with a variety of applications, including data analysis, machine learning, web development, and artificial intelligence. The versatility and ease of use associated with Python make it an attractive language for developers of all skill levels. Because of this and the rise of data science fields, Python’s popularity has increased dramatically in recent years.
How do you write a Python developer job description?
To write a compelling Python developer job description, companies should start by clearly defining the role’s responsibilities and required qualifications, and remain specific about the programming tasks that the developer will need to undertake, such as web development, data analysis, or machine learning. Companies should mention the required skills, including proficiency in Python, experience with relevant frameworks and libraries, and knowledge of software development best practices. They should also highlight the company’s culture and values, and mention any additional benefits or perks offered to employees.
How does BairesDev vet a developer’s Python skills?
BairesDev puts potential applicants through a rigorous vetting process to assess developers’ skills of all specialties, including Python. Candidates wanting to work with BairesDev go through rounds of technical interviews specific to the important areas of Python, followed by thorough soft skills assessments.
