How to Become a Web Developer
How Can I Become a Web Developer Fast?
Coding boo camps have become an increasingly popular option for aspiring Web Developer as they provide a hands-on learning experience and the chance to develop job-ready skills – in as little as 12 weeks.
Traditionally, many Web Developers have started with higher education in software engineering, computer science, or related fields. However, it’s also possible to come from a completely different industry. In fact, a growing number of professionals are taking steps later in their careers to learn development from scratch either by becoming self-taught or pursuing a diploma with a coding boo camp. In fact, BrainStation’s Digital Skills Survey found that 55 percent of development respondents began their career in a different field and 58 percent have only been programming for five years or less.
How to Become a Web Developer
START LEARNING WEB DEVELOPMENT AND PUT YOUR SKILLS IN PRACTICE
Once you’re clear on what web developer skills to learn and how to become a web developer, it’s time to start actually learning those skills. Does this mean going back to school for a new four-year degree in computer science? No! While you can definitely pick up skills like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a classroom setting, you can also learn them from your own home and at your own pace.
START WITH THE BASIC 3: HTML, CSS, AND JAVASCRIPT
Free HTML, CSS, and JavaScript tutorials abound through resources like Codeacademy(opens in a new tab) and w3schools(opens in a new tab). Meanwhile, paid online coding classes are available if you’re in the market for more structure and support—all of which bypass the time and expense of college or even an in-person coding bootcamp.
FIND A WEB DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FOR FEEDBACK AND ADVICE
In addition to learning skill basics through tutorials and online classes, you’ll also need to participate in online coding communities like GitHub(opens in a new tab) and Stack Overflow(opens in a new tab). GitHub is a forum where web developers can post projects they’re working on, share code with other developers, and receive peer-to-peer comments on their work. Stack Overflow is a coding-related discussion board where developers interact through a question and answer format. Both of these platforms are ideal spaces to try out what you’ve learned and gain real-world experience and feedback.
TAKE ON TEST PROJECTS TO BUILD UP A PORTFOLIO—EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A WEB DEVELOPER JOB
Another solid, long-term strategy is to use this time to take on test projects—whether these are small paid jobs for friends in need of a personal website or projects based on a hobby or passion of yours, building real sites while the stakes are relatively low will put you in position to feel comfortable as your projects and job opportunities become more complex.
PRACTICE WITH FREE TOOLS TO INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Finally, take time as you’re learning to familiarize yourself with the many free tools available to web developers and find the ones that give you the most value. Whether it’s text editors(opens in a new tab), web browser extensions(opens in a new tab), or content management systems(opens in a new tab), you’ll be surprised how many essential resources are available for no cost.