Hire Expert Python Developers

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Nearly three decades have passed since Python emerged on the scene, however, the language continues to command considerable popularity. Its versatility and powerful features make it one of the world’s most popular languages.

You can use Python to achieve a wide range of business objectives. Developers have used it to create popular CMS products like Django CMS and Wagtail CMS. System administrators can use Python as a scripting language to great effect.

Python has powerful libraries that have helped developers to create excellent web frameworks using it. This language has important use cases on the Linux platform as well.

The language lends itself well to scientific computing. You can also use it to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Big Data applications, making it a versatile language indeed.

For many developers, Python has always been a favorite language and it remains that way today. You might think that it will be easy to find Python developers since so many know it. However, don’t be fooled, it can take considerable effort to find competent Python programmers and hire them into your team.

Firstly, you face the dilemma of choosing an appropriate hiring platform. Freelance platforms may appear to be great options. They pose some risks though, and we will talk about them shortly.

You should look for reputed software development companies that can provide full-time developers. Dedicated Python developers with several years of experience are a must. Moreover, you should look for programmers that can work well in a team.

DevTeam.Space can connect you with expert developers who work with us full-time and have been fully trained in our agile development approach.

Analyze your business context and project requirements so that you can choose the right hiring approach. You also need to focus on skills.

1. Python programming skills

You need developers that have the following Python programming skills:

• In-depth knowledge of the Python language.
• Comprehensive knowledge of popular Python frameworks like Django, Flask, Pyramid, TurboGears, Web2py, etc.
• Sufficient experience with the “Object Relational Mapper” (ORM) libraries of Python.
• Knowledge of the strengths and limitations of Python.
• The understanding of event-driven programming works in Python.
• Knowledge of integrating multiple databases and sources of data effectively into one application.
• Robust knowledge of server-side templating languages.
• Sufficient knowledge of front-end development technologies like JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3.
• In-depth knowledge of relational databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.
• Good knowledge of NoSQL databases like MongoDB.
• The knowledge of Python Lambda functions.
• The ability to create database schemas in line with the business requirements.

The programmers you hire need to know the web framework that you plan to use.

Python offers powerful libraries, which is one of its key advantages. Your business requirements will determine which libraries are important in your project. For example, if you are undertaking a machine learning software development project, then the following Python libraries will be useful:

• TensorFlow;
• Scikit-Learn;
• Numpy;
• Keras;
• PyTorch;
• LightGBM;
• Eli5;
• SciPy;
• Theano;
• Pandas.

Developers should have the know-how in the Python libraries that are important to your project.

Note: If you have customized requirements, then you need to look for the skills related to this as well. For example, you would need to look for native Android and iOS development expertise if you plan to launch mobile applications.

2. Other software development skills required for Python development

You need a Python expert with well-rounded software development skills. Some of these skills may not exclusively be linked to Python programming, however, they carry a lot of importance. These are as follows:

A. The knowledge of coding scalable applications

Look for a web developer with Python skills that knows how to develop scalable applications. This requires the following:

• Understanding the scalability requirements of a project and focusing on the right metrics.
• Robust knowledge of databases and frameworks since they impact how an application scales.
• The knowledge of coding performant apps that would work well across various platforms.
• The knowledge of best practices that aid in developing scalable applications.

B. The knowledge and experience to secure web applications

You will rarely develop applications that only deal with aggregate and anonymized information. Some applications might deal with only aggregate Google Analytics or other social media data without any sensitive information. In most cases, you will develop applications that feature more complexities and process sensitive personal information.

The world now treats information security as a high-focus area, and you need to too. You need to secure your Python application, and you need programmers that know how to code secure applications.

You need programmers that know the following:

• How to identify and mitigate key application security vulnerabilities like injection, insufficient security configuration, etc.
• How to use tools and techniques like multi-factor authentication, encryption, etc.
• How to secure 1^st party APIs that you might develop.

C. The knowledge of working with cloud platforms

Cloud computing has enabled organizations to innovate rapidly since it allows them to focus on development. Managed cloud services providers eliminate the time and effort spent on infrastructure management.

You will likely use a “Platform-as-a-Service” (PaaS) platform in this project.

Reputed PaaS platforms like Heroku and AWS Elastic Beanstalk take care of several aspects like servers, operating system, and runtime environment. This enables you to concentrate on development. Look for Python programmers that are familiar with well-known PaaS platforms.

D. The knowledge to develop 1^st party APIs

You might develop your own APIs so that the front-end of your app can get a consistent framework to access the back-end. Look for Python experts with experience developing APIs. Developers need to know the following:

• How to use prominent API development and documentation tools.
• How to host APIs using the cloud computing platform.
• Using databases to develop the backend.
• How to create effective rules for API requests and responses.
• How to secure APIs using techniques like authentication token, encryption, etc.
• Designing API endpoint URLs smartly.

E. The competencies, skills, and necessary experience required for a software development project

While programming language and database skills are very important, effective developers need more than that. Competent Python developers need the following capabilities:

• Collaboration: A software developer needs to collaborate with testers and DevOps engineers. This is crucial for building an effective CI/CD environment, moreover, this helps in security/compliance testing.
• The knowledge of software architecture: Python experts don’t need to be software architects. However, they need to know how to align their code with the architecture decisions made in the project. This helps while developing web services.
• The familiarity with UI design principles: A software engineer with Python skills doesn’t need to be a UI designer. However, they need to know how to code in line with the UI design principles used in the project.
• Code review: Experienced developers can review code, and this makes a big difference. Code review can detect bugs earlier. It plays a key part in unearthing certain types of bugs like security vulnerabilities.

3. How to find the best Python developers?

Now that you know the required skills, you can turn to the hiring process. Take the following steps to hire Python developers:

1. Decide what kind of platform to hire Python developers

Your choice of the hiring platform will have a significant impact on your project.

The wrong choice can result in hiring incompetent developers, which could put your project schedule, budget, and quality objectives at risk. It takes a lot of work to turn troubled projects around, therefore, think carefully before choosing a hiring platform.

You can hire through a general-purpose freelancer site. You can hire Python developers via their transparent contracting process. While this could help you to find a programmer at a low hourly rate, this approach has risks too.

Freelancers mostly work remotely and they might only work part-time on your project. They also have up to 20% of their earnings deducted by the platform, You might find it hard to manage the work of a freelancer in India while you are based in the United States, for example.

The alternative is freelancer sites that focus on software development. Such sites can provide you with experienced Python programmers. The screening process of this platform ensures that only top developers can join this community.

You can get high-quality Python developers with these platforms. However, these platforms don’t provide any management support though and you need to mitigate all risks concerning working with freelance programmers.

The best option is to hire developers or dev teams through software development companies such as DevTeam.Space.

Our community of full-time vetted developers is on hand to help with any kind of project that you might have. We guarantee the quality of work produced by all of our developers so you don’t need to worry. We offer NDAs to give you the peace of mind that all your intellectual property is protected.

2. Interview the shortlisted candidates to find top Python developers

After you choose your hiring platform, you need to interview the shortlisted candidates. You can interview them yourself if you are a Python expert.

If you aren’t an expert, then you can get Interview questions from Stack Overflow or similar sources on the Internet. If you have an associate with expertise in Python, you can ask them to interview the shortlisted candidates.

You need to cover all the technical skills that we have mentioned. Find out about their experience with common source code management tools like Git.

Pay attention to the project experience of the candidates, and ask them to show you apps that they have developed. Check whether they have the experience of working on complex Python projects. Pick complex projects from their portfolio and ask them how they approached various complex problems in those projects.

Explain the business requirements of your project. Ask them for specific suggestions on how they would approach your project. Shortlisted candidates should provide specific responses and high-level statements.

3. Provide all relevant information about your app development project

You need to provide all the key information about your project so that the new developers can succeed. Start with the project documentation such as business requirements, technical solutions, architectural decisions, test plans, etc. Explain your project in detail.

Introduce the developers to your larger team. It’s especially important to introduce them to the people they will work closely with, e.g., testers, UI designers, and DevOps engineers. Establish a communication process. Give access to the technical environment of your project. You will need to point them to the code repository of your project and other such tools.

Explain the project plan and schedule to the developers. Provide details related to the iterations and explain your milestone review process. Explain the payment T&Cs and establish accountability measures.

Submit a Project With Zero Risk

Python lets you do a lot, thanks to its powerful features and excellent libraries. Having said that, Python development projects can be complex. You should look to hire Python developers with years of experience in complex projects so that you ensure they have all the skills your project needs to succeed.

Why not take a few minutes and fill out this DevTeam.Space product specification form. One of our dedicated account managers will soon contact you and explain how our experienced Python developers can help you.