How much does it cost to hire an offshore Golang developer?

Golang (Go) is an open-source programming language that aims to be easy, reliable, and efficient. This programming language was created in 2007 when Google was growing and managing large amounts of code; Google engineers decided that they needed to find some simpler and more efficient language that would help to cover gaps between Java and C++ that happened when Google worked with systems and its servers.

There are some advantages of using Golang:

• Simple and fast. Golang is a very simple language to use, which makes it a good choice if you want the updates of the application to work well without any broken gears in it. It is also a fast language compared to other languages, such as Python, Rust, TypeScript, and PHP.
• Golang is a good option over Java due to its scalability. Golang has some advantages over Java, such as the ability to compile it to binary and open many processes simultaneously, which, compared to Java, doesn’t take too much memory. It also distributes without any dependencies on the system.
• A good number of high-quality tools. Go provides tools that developers can use to make the best performance and create high-quality apps. Moreover, the mobile sub repository of Go allows the creation of mobile applications for Android and iOS.

The first aim of Golang was to help develop applications connected to networks and related infrastructure. After it has become more and more popular, new ways of using Golang have been developed:

• You can use Golang for site automation and DevOps;
• Development of command-line tools (also now many existing tools use this programming language);
• Creation of server-side and cloud-based applications;
• Creation of AI-driven applications;
• Use in data science due to its efficiency.

Even though Golang is still a young language, it gained a lot of popularity not only due to its easiness but also thanks to its comprehensive programming IDE, frameworks, and tools. Here is the list of the most popular and useful tools which you can use for your development team.

• Depth. It is a very useful tool as it helps to visualize source code dependency trees. This tool helps to customize and decide how to show the tree before resolving it.
• Go-Swagger. With this tool, you can write REST-based APIs in a simpler way as it specifies and provides all the necessary tools for creating scalable APIs.
• Go Meta Linter. This tool helps to run the Go lint tools and be sure their output is optimized and simultaneously. You can use it with different IDE or text editors, which makes it even better.
• Gonative. Gonative allows developers to build Go toolchains using native libs. It allows avoiding new unnecessary rebuilds by setting the correct mod time and copying libraries into proper places.
• Gosimple. This tool mostly focuses on simplifying the Go source code. If there is a new release, this tool will help to find a way to deal with it and avoid complicated constructions.

Golang (Go) developer is a software engineer who works with the Go programming language to create applications. This developer is familiar with several programming languages and tools, such as Linux, Python, and Java. Moreover, they should be familiar with paradigms, constructs, and channel patterns. When hiring Golang developers, you can search for them among the front-end and back-end developers, as they often use this programming language for developing web applications. Software developers also use this language to create Android and iOS applications thanks to its fast and safe development process.

There are three types of Golang developers based on their experience level:

• Junior Golang developers
  Junior (Entry-level) Golang developers have from zero to two years of experience. They usually have basic knowledge of Golang and are familiar with one of the common programming languages (Python, PHP, JavaScript, etc.). When hiring junior developers, you can expect that they will have basic working assignments or will help senior developers with simple tasks. But to have more serious tasks, they should be managed by senior developers and work in teams with more experienced developers, who can help them grow and level up their knowledge in programming using Golang and software development in general.
• Middle Golang developers
  Middle Golang developers have from three to five years of experience. They should have a deeper understanding of Golang, know and be able to use at least one programming language, and have advanced knowledge of Go tools and frameworks, which means they can work on those tasks and projects where experienced and skilled developers are required. They also work in teams, but the difference between them and junior developers is they can come up with complex ideas for software solutions and project improvements and can work independently with their tasks.
• Senior Golang developers
  Senior Golang engineers are required to have more than five years of experience. They have advanced knowledge of Golang development experience with microservices architectures and code versioning tools. They also should know several programming languages, frameworks, and database technologies (MySQL, Oracle, and MongoDB). As Golang is a good option for developing web services, they also may be senior back-end developers. Senior software engineers should also have good personal and management skills as they are usually responsible for team collaboration and the management of junior developers.

As Golang programmers, they have the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Create scalable and clean code;
• Manage and run architecture design;
• Develop high-performing applications by translating and implementing software requirements;
• Create back-end components for websites;
• Troubleshoot problems if needed.

Go developers usually have a list of the commonly required skills the employers look for:

• Advanced knowledge of Go programming language;
• Knowledge of Go tools and frameworks;
• Experience in web development (for full-stack developers with knowledge of Golang);
• Familiarity with database technologies and conversion tools, such as Git, Mercurial;
• Knowledge of Goroutine and channel patterns;
• Knowledge of cloud computing services (AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Microsoft Azure) and such platforms as Kubernetes and Docker.

There are three types of hiring when you look for developers for your project: freelancers, in-house engineers, and outsourced developers.

• Freelance Golang developers
  Freelancers are a good option for companies with a small budget or if they need a developer for a short-term project. The disadvantage of freelancers is that they are not the most reliable option as they usually don’t sign any contracts with the customer and can leave the project at any stage. Usually, they have more than one project at once, so it is hard to assume that they will be dedicated and highly engaged. Although, it may be a problem to find the developer with the best matching skills as many skilled developers already work in software development companies that can provide them with good projects.
• In-house Golang developers
  If you are in the core development stage, you should hire in-house engineers. They are more dedicated and interested in the project compared to freelancers. They often don’t only write code but also help to find ways how to create and develop a better product. They can provide great ideas on how to improve the final product. Although the team of in-house engineers is highly dedicated and skilled, they are expensive to hire and have some other drawbacks, such as high expenses on technologies, tools, and extra spending.
• Outsourced Golang developers
  Finally, you can choose outsourced Golang developers. Outsourcing has two ways how you can hire developers. The first option is to hire outsourced developers as a team of dedicated workers, among which are developers, QA, and project managers. They are a good option if you search for experienced and skilled specialists to work on your project from the beginning. Another option is when you have in-house developers, and you need some helping force for them, then you can hire several developers to help your in-house development team throughout the development process. The advantage of outsourcing hiring is that you only pay for the work developers do and don’t have to spend funds on any other additional expenses.

Writing and posting a correct job description is essential to finding the best matching candidates and not wasting too much time. Here are the tips which you should consider while writing your job description:

• Write job title and describe the requirements;
• Write about the expectations of the project and shortly describe it;
• Point out in what industry your company works (it will help developers with experience in your field to find out the best solution to your project);
• Write about the development stage of the project (is it core development or maintenance);
• List the required skills (tech and soft skills);
• Describe the responsibilities the developer will have and the team they will work with.

Before hiring the Golang developer, you should check their tech skills. It is possible to do with online tests, live coding, and questions that you can ask during the interview. Here is the list of questions you can use to check the developer’s expertise in Golang programming:

• What are the benefits of using Go compared to other languages?
• What data types does Golang use?
• How do you concatenate strings?
• Explain the steps of testing with Golang.
• How do we perform inheritance with Golang?
• What are Lvalue and Rvalue in Golang?
• What are the looping constructs in Go?