Breaking down the daily role of a Ruby on Rails developer

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The main job of a Ruby on Rails developer is to write efficient and clean code. But it’s not just that. RoR developers can have many roles. They can do a lot of things. In this blog today, we will talk about that. Breaking down the daily role of Ruby on Rails developer.

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We will talk about how to become a RoR developer, what you need to do to become one, and whether that is a good career. We talk about different Ruby on Rails roles and what is the daily role of such developers. Let’s start. 

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How to become a Ruby On Rails developer

You can become a Ruby on Rails developer even if you don’t have any related experience. It will take you around a year. If you do have experience with some other programming languages, you can become a RoR developer in 2 to 4 months.

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You can attend the University of computer science and get a diploma. Or you can learn on your own. Do this by learning through:

• Online educational courses
• RoR books
• RoR community
• YouTube videos and tutorials
• RoR podcasts

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The best thing to do is to mix all these learning methods. Each one of them has advantages in their own way. You want to start with learning the basics of some necessary programming languages. This includes CSS and HTML. 

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Then you want to get to know the Ruby programing language and RoR itself. Learn at your own pace. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make mistakes. It is all part of the learning curve. To get practical tips, check out our blog about how to become a Ruby on Rails developer. 

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What you have to do to be a Ruby on Rails developer?

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Many Ruby on Rails developers have a bachelor's degree in computer science. But many of them also have a degree in a related industry. This is usually a database science and coding ability in object-oriented programming languages like Python. Some have a background in testing, such as software QA or development.

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But you don’t have to have a degree necessarily. You can also be a self-thought developer. These developers have knowledge of Ruby, HTML, and CSS programming languages. 

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They are experienced in the Ruby on Rails framework. These developers can design, write, test, and maintain efficient code. Also, many RoR developers have knowledge of databases like SQL, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.

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Is Ruby on Rails good for a career?

Yes, Ruby on Rails is a great career. To be precise is highly lucrative. According to Stack Overflow, Ruby is the fourth top-paid technology in 2023. Also, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 25% of growth in the job outlook for Ruby on Rails developers. This shows that the Ruby on Rails field has an excellent growth ratio. Such numbers are making it a very attractive career choice.

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What makes Ruby on Rails so popular?

Ruby on Rails is one of the most efficient frameworks. It is also very easy to learn. This is because it uses a development approach that avoids code repetition. This allows developers to save time by focusing on building new code. This results in an efficient code that is simple to manage and maintain.

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Many companies in different industries use Ruby on Rails. Including companies such as Airbnb, GitHub, and Shopify. Developers love the framework because it removes and simplifies repetitive tasks. Thus, programming is less boring and time-consuming.

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Is a career in Ruby on Rails development still in high demand?

Yes, Ruby on Rails developers are in high demand. That speaks its lucrative salaries. Even though RoR is not in the top 10 most popular frameworks, it is still in demand. According to Stack Overflow, Ruby programming is the 16th most popular language. 

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The Ruby on Rails framework was ranked 18th out of the 34 most popular web frameworks and technologies in the same poll. These figures indicate that RoR is still in high demand. A large number of businesses also use this framework. 

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Common Ruby on Rails job titles

If you want to become or hire a Ruby on Rails developer, you need to know what roles such developers can have. These are the most common Ruby on Rails job titles. 

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Web or Software Developers  

Use RoR to create web or software apps. These developers can do the full-stack work, including back-end and front-end. But they are more concentrated on back-end work. They write code that is clean, maintainable, and efficient. They collaborate with front-end developers.

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Back-end developer

You can be a back-end developer if you learn the Ruby on Rails framework. A backend software developer develops the app's databases, libraries, and logic. These developers can use other frameworks and languages alongside RoR. This will increase the scalability of the app you are making.

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Server developer

Ruby on Rails is very versatile. You can become a server developer as well. If you want to work in this position, your job will be to:

• Configure database servers and procedures
• Manage database servers and procedures 
• Monitor system and performance 

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You will do this so your product has the best performance, availability, and security. As a server developer, you will also be responsible for:

• Analyzing;
• Solving and fixing problems;
• Offering efficient solutions.

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Full-stack software engineer

As a RoR full-stack developer, you will do both the back-end and front-end parts of development. You will be able to build a whole website or app on your own. You will do this without the help of other developers or team members. But this doesn’t mean that you won’t collaborate with them. You will be in charge of creating platforms for online and mobile technology apps.

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Project manager

You will track project progress as a RoR project manager. You will also deliver well-planned updates. These updates are in the form of milestones and deliverables. You will collaborate and communicate with all employees and teams. You will also provide:

• Encouragement to your teammates; 
• Identify difficulties;
• Find solutions;
• Effective improvements.

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Once you decide to become a RoR developer, be ready to get very creative. There are many jobs to choose from. Try to find out which one suits the best by exploring the career path of a Ruby on Rails developer.

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Breaking down the daily role of a Ruby on Rails developer

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Ruby developers create server-side web app logic. They do this by using the Rails framework. They also combine the front-end developers' work and connect the apps they work on with other online services. Ruby on Rails developers usually work daily with:

• Front-end developers;
• Quality assurance engineers;
• Back-end developers;
• Project managers;
• And sometimes Scrum master. 

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They provide functional web apps and websites for clients, such as :

• Technology firms;
• Web service;
• Media organizations;
• Merchants and many others.

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Ruby on Rails developers can work as full-time developers or part-time developers. They can work as:

• Freelancers
• Onsite developers
• Remotely 

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Since they can have different titles, they do different tasks. But in general, Ruby on Rails developers:

• Attend team meetings;
• Write clean and maintainable codes;
• Test and debug their code;
• Answer emails;
• Examine bug reports or quality assurance feedback;
• Making changes to or sending pull requests;
• Developing features.

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Now that you are aware of the basic roles and responsibilities let’s see how one work day of Ruby on Rails developers goes. Let’s break down the daily role of a Ruby on Rails developer. 

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Daily responsibilities of a RoR developer

The workday for RoR developers usually starts around 9.00 AM. The first thing they do is check their emails on their laptops. Check if there are any meetings that day and then move on to the QA section. If there are any reports, such as bugs or any constructive feedback, they get onto that. Usually, there are minor bugs that you need to fix. 

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11.00 AM - After about an hour or two of checking emails, fixing bugs, and reading the feedback, developers move on to bigger problems. These are usually the problems that need more time for debugging. 

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12.00 AM - More debugging, pull requests, and working with other developers and team members. This usually implies some bugs that are not that big and can be fixed in a faster time. 

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1.00 PM - Time for lunch. This is the time when you can have lunch, make personal phone calls, and talk to your co-workers. 

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2.00 AM to 5.00 AM - After a break, it’s time to work on:

• New features
• Updates
• Submitting pull requests
• Closing old pull requests
• Developing testing checklists for the QAs
• Collecting snacks at regular intervals.

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Half an hour before you finish your work, plan your agenda for the next day. Check what else you have to do this week. Change some plans if it is better for your workflow. 

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Remember, this timetable and work can vary. For some developers, work days start at 7 AM while others start their workday at 12 PM. This depends on your employment. Also, your workflow will depend on your priorities, tasks, and responsibilities. This is a general timetable and tasks that RoR developers face on a daily basis.

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In conclusion 

If you ever wonder what’s the daily role of a Ruby on Rails developer, now you know. But their tasks and obligations will depend on their role. So their workflow and daily tasks vary and can be different. But in general, they are similar and very connected to one another.