• Origin story: Python was created by Guido van Rossum at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands as a successor to the ABC programming language, and was first released on February 20, 1991. The name of the Python programming language comes from an old BBC television comedy sketch series called Monty Python's Flying Circus contrary to what most people think - that it is a large snake.
• Widely popular: As of 2021, according to SlashData, there are about 10 million Python developers in the world and it is the fastest growing language at the rate of 20% among the established programming languages.
• Top companies using Python: Firms like IBM, NASA, Intel, Netflix, Facebook, etc. use Python.
• Other trivia: Python is one of the few programming languages that has been designated as an official Google language.

• Libraries: Python has extensive libraries that you can use to select and save your time and effort on the initial development cycle. It has an excellent selection of libraries from NumPy and SciPy for web development. It also has a lot of cloud media services like Encoding.com that offer cross-platform support through library-like tools.
• Versatility and Efficiency: Python can be used in nearly any kind of environment such as mobile applications, desktop applications, web development, hardware programming, etc., without facing any kind of a performance loss. It has simplified syntax with an emphasis on natural language and you can write Python code and execute it much faster.
• Big Data: Big Data, Cloud Computing and Machine Learning are some of the high demand technologies which helps organizations to change and improve their processes and workflows.

The following are some of the tools used by Python developers at various stages of development:

1. PyCharm IDE

It is an IDE for the Python programming language, developed by JetBrains. It comes with essential tools for Python developers, tightly integrated to create a convenient environment for productive Python, web, and data science development.

2. Jupyter Notebook

The Jupyter Notebook is an open-source web application that you can use to create, share and combine documents that contain live code, equations, narrative texts, visualizations, and text.

3. Python Anywhere

PythonAnywhere is an online IDE and web hosting service based on the Python programming language. It makes it easy to create and run Python programs in the cloud.

4. Selenium

Selenium is an open-source tool that automates web browsers. It provides a single interface that lets you write test scripts in Python.

5. Thonny

Thonny is an IDE for Python that is designed for beginners. It supports different ways of stepping through the code, step-by-step expression evaluation, detailed visualization of the call stack, and a mode for explaining the concepts of references and heap.

Below are some key points that we at Flexiple have learned through trial and error - a process of filtering through over 15,000 developers. You can use these in your process to hire Python developers.

• Expertise in a specific language: All languages have their peculiarities and nuances. While good Python developers can pick up other languages like HTML and CSS, it’s a plus point to hire a developer who already has expertise in it.
• Years of software development experience: Be specific about the technology you’re looking for and the number of years of experience needed. A proxy to years of experience can be the number of production-level apps worked on.
• Exposure to specific industries: Developers who have built products in certain industries will already know key aspects of laying the foundation for a great product and will be able to predict possible problems.
• Strong communication: An essential thing to look at when hiring a freelancer is excellent communication skills. Since all the interaction happens online, a freelancer should be able to effectively communicate to ensure a streamlined execution of all work.
• Experience working remotely: A developer with past remote work experience is an added advantage as they would have first-hand experience of everything - right from how contracts work to streamlined communication, as well as timelines and deliverables.
• Type of products built in the past: Based on the type of product you are trying to build - social network, SAAS product, etc. - you can prioritize certain developers over others.

You can check out a more detailed job description for Python developers here.

Now that you have made a quality JD, it can still be tricky to evaluate the skills of your applicants when you hire Python developers. To help you with that, we have created a pool of questions that a good Python developer should be comfortable with. It is important to note that the ability to answer these questions doesn't imply that you have a top quality candidate. But it definitely is a big step in that direction.

It is important to note that the ability to answer these questions doesn't imply that you have a top quality candidate. But it definitely is a big step in that direction.

To help you navigate through these questions, we’ve categorized the interview questions in 3 parts:

A. Basic concepts: Includes all basic concepts used across languages but we've focused on their significance in Python. This will give you an understanding of how strong their programming foundation is.

B. Advanced concepts: Includes all concepts that someone with higher expertise should know.

C. DS/Algorithm questions: To test the logical capability of the candidate.

A. Basic concepts

Coming soon!

B. Advanced concepts

Coming soon!

C. Data Structure/ Algorithm

Coming soon!

That is everything you need to know about hiring a freelance Python developer. As discussed, it isn't easy to find a quality freelance Python developer but this guide makes the process easier for you. To offload the entire hiring process, reach out to us at Flexiple. We've designed a high-quality, 6-step screening process to find the top 1%, freelance developers. You can find the best freelance Python developers here. We've already served over a hundred clients, earning great reviews for the quality of service.

Lastly, to quickly summarize it for you:

• Note your project requirements and hire accordingly. Do not go for the lowest or the highest-paid developer.
• Don’t hire without vetting- consider asking questions right from the basics to advanced to logical questions.
• Look for companies like Flexiple that help you find the perfect fit.

That is everything you need to know if you want to hire Python developers. Happy hiring! :)