It is one of the most profitable professions out there and certainly one that will not fade away any time soon. People from all walks of life and vastly different interests have taken on web development in the hopes of making a career with strong demand and steady workflow. So, what do you need to become a web developer?
Training
Web developers have to have a wide scope of knowledge and skills. These include HTML, but also programming languages like CSS, PHP, and JavaScript. As far as programming languages go, this is the bare minimum. It might be a good idea to get educated on Ruby and Ruby on Rails, in addition to techniques including Ajax, along with a few other languages and skills you may think of.
There is more to the profession than just programming languages. You need to operate the databases using MySQL or Oracle, for example. Furthermore, you must familiarize yourself with internet marketing, and SEO. Why? It doesn’t matter how well your website works if no one is going to see it.
Getting Yourself Out There
Like in any other profession, simply having skills will not land you a job. Besides, most companies don’t want to hire someone without experience, even though the only way to get experience is to work. Or is it?
If you participate in a Hackathon, there is a chance for you not only to test your skill but do a bit of networking too. Hackathons are events that span over several days where random or premade teams are faced with a coding challenge. Some amazing pieces of software came from Hackathons.
Should you contribute to an Open Source project, you will gain some visibility. It also helps when you collaborate with someone on a project. Remember, you may be an aspiring web developer, but everything you do should be reflected in your traditional CV.
It is also a good idea to build a portfolio, showcasing not only what you’ve done so far, but what you are capable of doing. Making your own site is one of the options you can pursue. If you link it to LinkedIn, recruiters will see you when they are searching for your particular set of skills.
Learning
Are you confused that learning has a separate section? The reason for that is simple: you never stop learning as a dev. Stagnation leads to extinction in the industry, so this is not one of those jobs where you acquire a basic skill set and relax for the rest of your working days. The internet is changing constantly, so you need to keep up to date with the latest news and tech in order to stay afloat.
What if I Am Wasting My Time?
Here’s the thing – you aren’t. The basics and the skillset you gain from this enterprise are transferable. You could evolve into mobile and web app development, as well as web design. If you are really into creating something fun, you could even come up with your own game. Dabbling in Python and a few other programming languages also allows you to pursue a career in data science. The sky is the limit, so, even if you don’t succeed in your efforts to become a respected and financially stable dev, there are still job prospects for you out there.