Of course. Here is a comprehensive, indexed list of every technology and skill mentioned across all 26 job descriptions. This is your roadmap to becoming a competitive, job-ready developer with the equivalent of 2+ years of experience.
1. Foundational Skills: The Bedrock of the Java Developer Roadmap 🗿
These are non-negotiable skills mentioned in almost every job description. Without these, the other technologies are useless.
- Core Java: This is the absolute foundation. You need a deep understanding, not just a superficial one.
- Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Concepts like inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, and abstraction.
- Java 8+ Features: Specifically Lambdas and Streams. These are a modern standard.
- Collections Framework: Know your
List,Set, andMapimplementations and when to use each. - Multithreading & Concurrency: Understanding how to build applications that can handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Roles at BlackRock and KSA INC specifically called this out.
- Exception Handling: Proper techniques for managing errors.
- Data Structures & Algorithms: Mentioned explicitly in senior roles (Ericsson) and fresh graduate roles (Loyalty Juggernaut). This is critical for problem-solving and writing efficient code.
- Design Patterns: Knowledge of common patterns (e.g., Singleton, Factory, Observer) was a “must-have” for the KSA INC role and implied in many others requiring good architecture.
- SOLID Principles: Mentioned in one of the Infosys roles, these are fundamental principles for writing clean, maintainable, and scalable object-oriented code.
2. Backend Frameworks & Technologies (The Engine) ⚙️
This is the core of your backend developer profile.
- Spring Framework: This is the dominant ecosystem.
- Spring Boot: The most critical skill. Almost every single Java job listed it. You need to be able to create applications from scratch, manage configurations, and understand its conventions.
- Spring MVC: The foundation for building web applications and REST APIs within the Spring ecosystem.
- Spring Data JPA / Hibernate: The standard for interacting with relational databases. You need to understand entities, repositories, and transaction management.
- Spring Security: Essential for securing your applications, a key concern in banking/finance roles (Citi, BlackRock).
- Microservices Architecture: This was a required skill in over half the job descriptions.
- REST APIs: You must be able to design, build, and consume RESTful services. This is a fundamental expectation.
- Microservices Concepts: Understand the principles, pros, and cons of breaking down a large application into smaller, independent services.
- Spring Cloud: Mentioned in the Capco role, this suite of tools helps manage microservices. Key components include:
- Service Discovery (e.g., Eureka)
- API Gateway (e.g., Spring Cloud Gateway)
- Configuration Management (e.g., Spring Cloud Config)
- Alternative Frameworks:
- Vert.x: The KSA INC role specifically required building services without Spring Boot, using Vert.x. This shows that knowing alternatives for reactive programming is a valuable, differentiating skill.
- J2EE (Servlets, JDBC): Mentioned in the unnamed global company (Job #11), these are older technologies but are foundational to understanding how modern frameworks work and are still present in many large enterprises.
3. Databases & Data Storage (The Memory) 🗄️
Every application needs to store and retrieve data.
- Relational Databases (SQL): Proficiency is mandatory.
- Core SQL: You must be able to write queries, joins, and understand basic database design.
- Specific Databases: PostgreSQL and MySQL were common. Oracle was mentioned for corporate/banking roles (Citi, Capco).
- NoSQL Databases: Increasingly important for modern applications.
- Document Stores: MongoDB (mentioned by Citi, Capco).
- Caching: Redis (mentioned by BlackRock, Capco).
- Graph Databases: Neo4j was a “nice-to-have” in the KSA INC role, showing a niche but valuable skill.
- Data Warehousing:
- Snowflake: Mentioned by Citi for analytical data, indicating experience with large-scale data platforms is valuable in the finance sector.
- Search Engines:
- Elasticsearch: Mentioned by eBay, a key technology for applications requiring powerful search capabilities.
4. Frontend Technologies (The User Interface) 🖥️
Many backend roles are now full-stack or require full-stack awareness.
- Core Web Skills: A basic understanding of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript (ES6+) is expected.
- Modern JavaScript Frameworks:
- Angular: The most frequently mentioned frontend framework across the JDs (Infosys, Jobgether, Citi, Capco, Loyalty Juggernaut). If you’re going to learn one, this is the safest bet based on the data.
- React: The second most common (Infosys, Capco, Job #23).
- Traditional JavaScript:
- jQuery: Mentioned by Ericsson, proving that it’s still relevant in many existing enterprise applications.
5. DevOps, Cloud & Tooling (The Assembly Line) 🏭
This is about how you build, test, and deploy your code.
- Version Control:
- Git: Non-negotiable. Every developer is expected to be proficient with it.
- SVN: Mentioned once (Golden Opportunities), showing it still exists in some legacy environments.
- Build Tools:
- Maven: The most common build tool for Java projects.
- Gradle: Mentioned by Citi, a more modern alternative to Maven.
- CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment): This concept was universal.
- Jenkins: The most frequently mentioned CI/CD tool.
- Other Tools: GitLab CI, Bamboo, Hudson, and CircleCI were also listed.
- Cloud Platforms:
- AWS (Amazon Web Services): By far the most requested cloud provider. You should have familiarity with core services. The Kintsugi role specifically mentioned Lambda, S3, and RDS.
- Other Clouds: Azure and GCP were mentioned as alternatives.
- Containerization:
- Docker: A very common requirement for packaging applications.
- Kubernetes: The standard for deploying and managing containerized applications at scale.
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC):
- Terraform / CloudFormation: Mentioned as a “bonus” skill by Kintsugi.
- Ansible: Mentioned by Loyalty Juggernaut.
6. Testing & Quality Assurance (The Safety Net) ✅
Writing code that works is as important as writing the code itself.
- Unit Testing:
- JUnit: The standard framework for unit testing in Java.
- Mockito: For creating “mock” objects to isolate components during testing.
- Test-Driven Development (TDD): A methodology mentioned by Nike and Citi, where you write tests before you write the code.
- Integration & E2E Testing:
- Frameworks: Selenium, Cucumber, Jasmine (for JS).
- API Testing Tools: Postman and Rest Assured were both mentioned.
- Code Quality Tools:
- SonarQube: Mentioned in the contract role (Job #3) for analyzing code quality and finding vulnerabilities.
7. API & Messaging Technologies (The Communication Layer) 📞
How services talk to each other.
- API Protocols:
- REST: The absolute standard.
- GraphQL: Mentioned by eBay and Capco, a modern and increasingly popular alternative to REST.
- gRPC: Mentioned by KSA INC, a high-performance framework.
- SOAP: Mentioned once, an older protocol still found in enterprise environments.
- Asynchronous Messaging: Essential for building decoupled, resilient systems.
- Kafka: The most in-demand messaging system.
- RabbitMQ: Another very popular choice.
8. Domain Knowledge & Soft Skills (The Differentiator) 🧠
Technical skills get you the interview; these skills get you the job.
- Domain Knowledge: The Allime Tech role explicitly required Banking Domain experience. BlackRock and Citi heavily implied a need for understanding Finance. This shows that specializing in an industry is a powerful career move.
- Agile Methodologies: You must be familiar with the process: Scrum, Sprints, Stand-ups, Retrospectives, etc.
- Collaboration Tools: JIRA and Confluence.
- Communication & Teamwork: Every single job description mentioned this. You need to be able to work effectively with others.
- Problem-Solving: The ability to debug, troubleshoot, and think logically is paramount.