How to become a Web Developer
This article provides in-depth information into What is a Web Developer? What Web Developers do? Degrees for Web Developers, Steps to become Web Developer and much more.
Web developers develop, design, code, and implement internet websites. Web developers are at the forefront of website creation, from designing properties such as layout and color to technical considerations such as how to design a website to handle a given amount of Internet traffic. To become a successful Web developer, you must know how to use a variety of programming languages and web technologies to manage the proper functionality of the website, implement new application features, and implement security measures.
Steps to Become a Web Developer:
- Gain a Formal Education
- Learn preferred programming languages
- Specialize in web development skills
- Enhance your Technical skills
- Make yourself marketable
Further, the overview of web developer career are,
|
Career Title |
Web Developer |
|
Degree Requirements |
Bachelor’s degree |
|
Job Growth (2018- 2028) |
13% |
|
Experience required |
1 year |
|
Salary (2020) |
$89,303 |
|
How long to become a Web Developer |
4-5 years |
|
Required Skills |
Attention to Detail, Communication, Technical skills |
What does a Web Developer do ?
Web developers are responsible for designing and developing websites and website and website applications.
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Determining user needs by analyzing technical requirements.
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Website and software application designing, building, or maintaining.
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Directing or performing Website updates.
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Developing or validating test routines and schedules.
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Editing, writing, or designing Website content.
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Maintaining an understanding of the latest Web applications and programming practices.
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Back up files from Web sites to local directories for recovery.
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Identifying problems uncovered by customer feedback and testing.
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Evaluating code to ensure it meets industry standards.
Steps for becoming a Web Developer
1
Learn Programming Languages
Web development projects require knowledge of more than one programming language. This means the more technologies and languages you know, the more jobs you’ll be able to accept, making this a vital first step.
2
Specialize In Any Web Development Skill
A website development has many functions and a very complex job and mastering all aspects of web designing is very hard. While understanding the whole process of web development is a must a student should specialize in a specific web development skill such as user interface design, mobile application development, or front-end development, to best set the stage for future education and training.
3
Get Formal Education
A student can become a web developer with or without a formal education. While it’s certainly possible to learn coding languages independently, there is more to web development than coding. Individuals who can implement coding skills within a broader context may have an advantage, and that’s where a formal education can help prospective developers gain foundational knowledge of web development principles and practices, expose them to project management and situations that require problem-solving and encourage critical thinking.
4
Develop Technical Skills
Web developers should be proficient in core programming languages and back-end languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. They should also learn database management tools such as Oracle and SQL Server.
5
Market Your Services
Employers want to see results, such as current examples of successful site and application builds. With a portfolio, developers can test new technologies and tools, as well as demonstrate their coding talent and technical capabilities. Standout portfolios can help candidates get a job.
Web Developer Degree Levels
Certificate
Certification programs are designed for targeted educational training and are intended for students who need practical and fundamental knowledge relating to web development.
Coding
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Syntax, functions and code structure
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Numeral system
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Compiler
Objectives
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Learn coding basics
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Understanding binary
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Understanding execution of code
JavaScript Programming
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Cookies
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Objects and Classes
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HTML Forms
Objectives
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Designing web application
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creation of interactive web pages
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Learning user-interface principles
Web Design
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HTML 5
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CSS
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Adobe Dreamweaver
Objectives
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Understand cross-platform compatibility
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Maintaining and updating web pages
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principles of computer networking
Associate
An associate degree lasts two years and serves as a base for a future bachelor’s degree. In addition to learning extensive web development, computer science and information technology concepts, students will also take general education classes to obtain a well-rounded education.
E-Commerce
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Evolution of E-commerce
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Network Infrastructure
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Electronic Data Interchange(EDI)
Objectives
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create websites for businesses
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Analysing needs of business
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Webpage techniques for marketing
Web Page Multimedia
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Use of graphics
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Animation
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Video and objects
Objectives
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Manipulation of multimedia
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Overview of different multimedia
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Web page presentation
Database Management
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Data Models
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Database Design
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RDBMS
Objectives
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Familiarity with SQL
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Different database platforms
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Underlying principles of databases
Bachelors
A bachelor’s degree provides a comprehensive education for web development and design, as well as an extensive general education background. The typical bachelor’s degree takes four years of full-time study to complete and covers a variety of subjects.
Social Media and Collaboration
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Social Media and Marketing
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Social Media and the Workforce
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Social Media Giants
Objectives
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Web-based interaction
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Collaboration technologies
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Social media communications
Optimizing Websites
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Internet and Search Engine Basics
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Internet Marketing
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Search Engine Optimization
Objectives
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Optimize websites for a given goal
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Secure a website based on its purpose
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Methods used to monitor websites
Advanced Web Design
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Design and Visualization
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Writing tools and Organisation
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Business communication and Marketing
Objectives
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How to utilize a storyboard
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Website creation within a budget
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tools for monitoring performance
Masters
The master’s degree is generally the highest degree an individual can receive in web development. This is well suited for web developers who seek advanced or specialized knowledge, or those who are already in a computer technology related industry but would like to shift their focus to web development.
Content Management Systems
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Introduction to Joomla
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Custom Templates
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Introduction to WordPress
Objectives
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principles for creating a CMS
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Basics of DBMS
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Implementing CMS
Digital Communications
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Discrete source encoding
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Memory-less sources
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Quantization
Objectives
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Improve website effectiveness
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Understanding of mass media
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Principles of digital communications
Web Development for Servers
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Core PHP+MYSQL
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Advanced PHP Programming
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Live PHP/.NET Project Implementation
Objectives
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Web application security
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Create server web applications
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specialized programming languages
Web developer salaries
The average salary offered to a web developer in the United States is about $89,303 per year. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the salary ranges from $53,620 and $124,986 which depend primarily on the education, certification, additional skills to enhance the profile and the amount of experience in the field .
Job growth
The employment opportunities for a web developer have a projected growth of about 13 percent during the period of 2018 to 2028 as estimated by the Bureau of Labour Statistics. The growth of job openings have increased in the recent years and 188,000 new job openings are expected to be added by the end of 2028. The scope is increasing rapidly due to the increased use of mobile devices and ecommerce applications.
Job concentrations
The educations and certification you earn to become web designer can open door to various other opportunities by choosing the right career concentration for you.here are some listed,
Computer and information systems managers:
The Computer and information systems managers play a role of managing the operations and administer the computer related technologies which involves the planning, coordinating, monitoring, and organising the operations accordingly. Also administer the network security, software upgrades, internet operations. To land on this job you’ll require a bachelor's degree and you could earn about $142,530 per year.
Computer programmer:
A computer programmer writes programs according to the user requirement, then the code is tested, debugged/troubleshooted and maintained to ensure proper execution. The program is written in machine understandable instructions and later it is tested to make sure the softwares is functioning accordingly. You may require a Bachelor's degree to become a computer programmer and fetch a job that offers on an average of $84,280 per year.
Computer support specialists:
The computer support specialists are trained to support the organisation, clients, employees technically. Their role includes usage of computer softwares to provide advice regarding the issue of computer use. A graduate with a bachelor's degree is preferred for this role and the average salary offered would be $53,470 annually.
Computer systems analyst:
The computer system analyst is a professional who studies the designing process, procedure to create the information systems and the organisation computer systems to provide solutions to make the systems operate more efficiently. This role is to combine the business and information technology into one and come up with better solutions to the analysis. You are required to get a bachelor's degree for this role and the median salary offered for this job is about $88,740 per year.
Database administrator:
A database administrator is an expertised professional in storage and accessing organised data. The roles include the planning, implementing, designing the database, monitoring the performance, security and other data recovery. A bachelor's degree is required for this profession and you could earn about $90,070 per year.
Stand out skills for a Web developer
As a web developer, the technical and academic skills are important but there are other skills you should adopt to advance your career, they are,
Creativity: as a web developer, creativity can help in designing the web page better. The web page would be designed in a way that improves the appearance of the website and attracts the clients. The features and components can be enhanced on the individual creativity.
Attention to details: You must be observant enough while working on the web pages, the details can cause errors that could cause the whole webpage may not work. There is no place for minor details and you must have an eyes on the details.
Good customer-service: The web pages are designed according to the user requirements, and as a webmaster, you must respond to the queries politely and precisely on the queries and requests.
Technicals skills: The technical skills are most required to design, develop, implement, debug, maintain the website.. Hence you must know to write codes and implement them according to the user requirements.
