How to Become a Web Developer - The Ultimate Career Guide

Asking the question of how to become a web developer? Or thinking to start a career in web development?

So in this article, I am going to explain everything in detail on how to become a web developer.

If you love creativity and willing to design and build websites or web applications, then a career in web development may be an excellent option.

Most importantly, web development jobs come with a fat paycheck.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, web development jobs will grow 27% by 2024. In other words, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Whether you want to become a full-stack web developer, front-end, or back end web developer, this guide will explain everything in detail.

What is Web Development?

Web development is the process that involves developing websites and dynamic web applications for the internet or the intranet (a private network).

For example, some of the popular websites that we see on the internet are Amazon.com, Facebook.com, YouTube.com, and many more.

More and more consumer companies are moving online with their businesses. As a result, companies are always in need of dynamic web pages and web applications to run their business online.

As a result, web developers are in such demand.

And to clarify, you do not require a college degree to become a web developer.

Web Development Career Paths

As a beginner, a lot of programmers or web developers get into coding without having a clear goal on what path they want to pursue.

I talked about this in one of my other guides on my website.

Also Read: Coding for Beginners – Start Here

However, I will talk again that it is essential to decide what kind of web developer you want to become.

You do not have to plan everything out. But it helps in the long run if you have a clear goal on which path you want to pursue.

If you want to build websites and web applications, then there are three crucial web development career paths that you can pursue.

These are:

Front-End Web Developer
Back-End Web Developer
Full-Stack Web Developer

Front-End Web Developer

Front-end web developers develop things that visitors see on a website.

When you visit a website through your browser, you see certain visual elements. For example, these are designs, structure, layouts, and user interfaces of a website.

They are built and designed by a front-end developer. Moreover, you can use the term front-end interchangeably with the term client-side.

Also, one of the responsibilities of a front-end web developer is to design the interaction and experience of the users.

Also, users are the visitors to a website.

According to Glassdoor, the national median salary for front-end web developers is more than $76,000

Read: 12 Must-Have Skills of a Front End Developer

Essential Skills Checklist:

HTML5
CSS3
JavaScript
jQuery
Bootstrap
JavaScript Frameworks (i.e AngularJS, ReactJS)
CSS Preprocessing
Version Control/Git
Responsive Design Knowledge
Browser Developer Tools
Command Line

Common Job Duties:

Utilizing front-end technologies and skills to design and create user-friendly web pages.
Maintaining and monitoring website performance.
To ensure the implementation of high-quality graphics and visual elements according to a company’s needs.
Also to assist in the development of prototypes and mockups for web development projects.
Always learning and applying new front-end development skills for better outcomes.

Back-End Web Developers

Back-end web developers are responsible for the behind the scene functionalities.

So, the users do not get to interact with them directly.

For example, back end programming involves working databases, servers, and even serverside applications.

Back end web developers collaborate with front-end web developers. For instance, to develop and deploy large-scale web applications.

According to Glassdoor, the national average base salary for backend web developers is more than $75,487

Essential Skills Checklist:

HTML5
CSS3
JavaScript
Programming (i.e Python, Java, or PHP, etc)
Database & SQL
JSON
API (REST & SOAP)
Linux & Command Line
Cloud Computing (i.e Amazon Web Services)
Version Control/Git

Common Job Duties:

Write codes to develop scalable server-side web applications.
Participating in the entire web application lifecycle that focuses on coding, testing, and debugging.
Creating and managing databases. Also, integrating databases with web applications.
Work with the front-end web developers. And integrate server-side codes and with front-end designs.
Always learning and adopting new back end skills.

Full-Stack Web Developers

Full-stack web developer has to work with both the front end and back end technologies. In other words, I do consider them as the unicorns. Because it involves working with a lot of different technologies.

You can pursue this path if you are as passionate as me when it comes to development. Even though this track is challenging, but there is a high reward.

Therefore, you must have the will learn continuously.

Full-stack web developer works with both the front-end and back end developers. As a result, to make the development process goes smoothly.

According to Glassdoor, the national average base salary for full-stack web developers is more than $80,424

Essential Skills Checklist:

HTML5
CSS3
JavaScript
jQuery
Bootstrap
JavaScript Frameworks (i.e AngularJS, ReactJS)
CSS Preprocessing
Responsive Design Knowledge
Browser Developer Tools
Programming (i.e Python, Java, or PHP, etc)
Database & SQL
JSON
API (REST & SOAP)
Linux & Command Line
Cloud Computing (i.e Amazon Web Services)
Version Control/Git

Common Job Duties:

To work with both the front-end web development team and the back end web development team to develop a complete web architecture.
Participating in the entire web development project from ideation to deployment and beyond.
Maintaining and monitoring the existing system for better performance.
To ensure the responsiveness and cross-platform optimization of the website or web application.
Always learning and adapting to new skills and web technologies.

Also Read: The Ultimate Python Cheat Sheet – An Essential Reference for Python Developers

Four Steps on How to Become a Web Developer

I will be sharing four crucial steps on how to become a web developer. If you can stick to the steps that you are about to read now, you are well on your way to become a web developer.

STEP 1: Identity Your Web Development Path

The first step is to sit down and decide which web development career path you should pursue. For instance, whether you want to pursue full-stack, back end, or front-end web development.

Above all, you must decide at the very beginning.

Knowing what path you want to pursue will set you up for a vision. In short, a vision that will help you to excel and grow as a web developer.

Earlier, I have already talked about the different web development paths that you can pursue.

So, make sure you understand the roles and the duties of each path thoroughly.

Also, have a look at those skills that each path requires. Research over the internet if you need to.

Finally, once you have decided what kind of web developer you want to become, move onto the next step.

STEP 2: Start Learning & Practice Web Development

You have fulfilled the first step! Well done! Now it’s time for you to gather the knowledge and the skills you need on how to become a web developer.

Therefore, you have to set aside time for learning and sharpening your skills.

In fact there are tons of free tutorials over the internet that you can start.

Later I will have some free learning resources that you can utilize to start learning web development right away.

So, don’t worry that you may need to invest in paid courses.

In addition to learning and practicing the skills, also apply your skills through working on small real-world projects.

These projects can either be paid or free. However, it is hard to land paid projects without skills.

Thus, I suggest that you don’t stress about getting paid work. Instead, work on small projects for free.

Even free projects can help you build a great portfolio.

For instance, you can try out beginner projects that are freely available online. Then apply your web development skills to them.

Give yourself just 2-3 months of learning and practicing. And you will have the necessary skills locked and loaded.

STEP 3: Build Your Resume

Building a professional resume is a crucial step when it comes to becoming a successful web developer.

Potential employers or clients will first take a look at your resume when you apply for jobs. Therefore you need to showcase the very best of yourself through the resume.

Of course, your resume does not have to be perfect. But it has to be well organized and professional.

If you are a front-end web developer, then list the front-end web development skills. Similarly, if you are a back end web developer, list the back end web development skills.

Here is a list of sections that your resume should cover:

Contact info
Professional Summary
Key Skills
Professional Experience
Education
Projects
Social Media Profiles
Interests, or Hobbies

For example, you can also use the following resume template as a reference. Thanks to our friends from creativebooster.net.

STEP 4: Apply For Companies Or Freelance Jobs

Lastly, you should already know your web development career path.

Also, have the necessary web development skills under your belt. Moreover, you also have a professional resume that you can show off.

If you have followed through the previous steps, then well done! So, give yourself some applause.

Now it is time for you to look for web development jobs and apply to them.

Here are five of my favorite job search websites where you can find companies that are looking for web developers.

Indeed.com
Glassdoor.com
Monster.com
Dice.com
SimplyHired.com

Nevertheless, you can also try to become a freelancer.

In addition, here are some of the freelance platforms you can try out:

Fiverr.com
Upwork.com
Toptal.com
Freelancer.com
PeoplePerHour.com

Free Learning Resources

Some of the free learning resources to get you started.

Conclusion

To sum up, you can use this article as a reference.

I also shared four crucial steps on how to become a web developer. Therefore, go over them as well.

The purpose of this guide was to keep things simple for you. And still, give you an overview of how to become a web developer.

A lot of people who want to start a career in web development don’t know where to start. Thus, it can be frustrating and overwhelming.

Hence, I wrote this guide shows you the exact steps that I have taken to start my web development career.

And I tried to make the article as simple as possible. Now you just have to put in the time, effort, and passion.

Indeed you will be amazed at the things you can come up with with the current web technologies.

Besides, I also want to recommend that you enroll in professional online courses. As a result, you will be able to solidify your development skills through expert guidance.

Links to professional courses and learning paths on how to become a web developer by Linkedin Learning:

How to Become a Web Developer Learning Paths

These learning paths teach you the necessary skills that you need to become a successful web developer. In the same way, you also learn about the web development industry.

But the best part is that you can sign up for free and start learning now.

In summary, now you have an idea of how to become a web developer. So it is time to take action.

Any questions or concerns on how to become a web developer? Comment below.