It can be a struggle to find the best and ideal SharePoint developer that has the right technical skills, out-of-box ideas, and perfect personality. These are the prerequisites for any SharePoint developer. Companies are struggling to find the person best suited for this job with a combination of these traits. You may come across many fly-by-night imposters on every corner of the street, but you need the right talent.
SharePoint development requires the right mindset and hard work. So how do you get ahead of your competitors in an era where everyone is trying to outdo and outmaneuver each other? The right guy has the expertise, does not lack anywhere, and uses the knowledge for the company’s best interest. SharePoint developers must build websites and develop applications while imparting knowledge to their subordinates.
In this blog post, we shall discuss the necessary skills that a successful SharePoint developer must have to develop the best sites, apps, and designs. The list includes some personal traits too.
1. Knowledge of SharePoint and Relevant Tools
There is no compromise on this skill and requirement. You want a SharePoint developer who has complete knowledge of SharePoint development and all its associated tools. A solid understanding of the platform and its out-of-box solutions is inevitable. Without these two essentials, it is impossible to get the ongoing projects done. This platform requires mastery, complete knowledge of the tools, and a robust strategy to align the project with business needs. Planning, in addition to the mastery of SharePoint, can only get the most juice out of projects. SharePoint will fail without good governance, proper architecture, planning, strategy, and tools.
SharePoint tools include:
- SharePoint Online: This is the cloud-based version of SharePoint that is part of Microsoft Office 365. It allows users to access SharePoint from any device with an internet connection and provides automatic updates and backups.
- SharePoint Server: This is the on-premises version of SharePoint that runs on a server within an organization’s network. It allows organizations to have more control over their SharePoint environment but requires more IT resources to manage.
- SharePoint Designer: This is a free tool from Microsoft that allows users to customize SharePoint sites and workflows. It can be used to create custom web pages, modify lists and libraries, and create custom workflows.
2. Focus on End-User Experience
This skill is a must-have for a SharePoint developer and any developer or engineer. They should have an in-depth understanding and focus on the end user’s experience. They must develop the apps and write scripts keeping the user experience in mind. The architecture should provide development solutions instead of just fancy features and updates. Consider all the out-of-box elements and features to support and facilitate document management, sharing, accessibility, and collaboration. The developers should be observant and have an eye for detecting user’s problems along with the ability to present meaningful and actionable solutions. Make the user experience your ultimate goal.
3. Aptitude for Programming Languages and Framework
Benefits of SharePoint are not enough on their own. To ace the development, the developer must have proficiency in programming languages, codes, and different frameworks. This means they must have theoretical and practical knowledge of languages and frameworks. Apart from the necessary college degree in programming, software engineering, or computer sciences, a hands-on experience in training and work is also a must-have. Therefore, experience matters a great deal in programming languages. The developer must be theoretically and professionally sound in .NET, JavaScript, C#, CSS, and HTML.
4. Excellent Communication Skills
This particular skill is mainly personal and adds a lot more to the credibility of a developer. Communication is the backbone of any framework, app, or site development. One should take pride in sharing ideas, opinions, and concepts with teammates or stakeholders. They should be able to share and communicate their concerns in different contexts. Collaboration is an integral part of development in any project, and depending on the project and company’s needs, one has to collaborate and effectively voice their ideas. Not only does this facilitate the project, but it also helps stakeholders and team members at different stages of the development lifecycle.
5. Patience
This personal skill is hard to come by but is critical to the success of SharePoint development. A developer must have a certain mindset for the job. And the mindset cannot be whole and complete without patience. Development is a complicated and time-taking task. Only a person who is patient enough to wait for the results can be a good developer. You must wait for good things to happen. Nothing will happen overnight. The tables do not turn in an instant. You design an app or a site and then wait patiently for it to perform according to your needs. You may need to rework it and repeat processes in case of technical glitches or bugs.
If you find someone who possesses these marketing skills, you shouldn’t wait long. Make them a part of your team. You need this person.
