Linux Developer salaries in India

As I continue my journey from IT support into software development, I’m curious to hear from experienced developers, hiring managers, and tech professionals. If you were starting over in 2026 and wanted to become a software developer, what skills would you focus on learning first?

I am a Sri Lankan developer with experience as an Intern Web Developer. I also have 2+ years of experience building software development on personal projects + web development as a freelancer. I have been self-studying in this field since around 2018. (I was at school back then..) Can I apply directly for Associate / Level 1 Software Engineer roles? Do I need to do an internship in Software Engineering again? What should I do to land a job as a Software Engineer?

Is it normal for companies to remove remote contractor roles after hiring? I accepted a role advertised as fully remote contractor work, but later the company said they were reconsidering some remote roles due to business performance and process changes. Remote work was part of the original setup. How common is this, and is it generally considered fair practice for contractor positions?

Hey, I live in Toronto DT 6 YOE in SF domain & 8X certified…2 yrs as Dev, then 2 yrs as SF BSA, then 2 yrs as Sr Dev. Now, I am not sure which line to take in future Dev OR BSA/ Consultant OR Solution Architect ChatGPT, Claude, etc All mentioned in future with AI Admin - not safe Developer - Least safe BSA/ Consultant - Moderate Safe Architect (Solution Architect) - Safest My salary is only $115k (including bonus). Confused..How much I should target if I plan to switch and which role?