It’s not a pretty picture if you’ve studied your entire life to pursue a particular career but you realize you hate it when you actually start working in it. What do you do then? Just switch careers? You wish! Do you often wonder ‘Should I be a web developer?’ If yes, this article is for you!
Not everyone can be good at everything. A great painter, for instance, might perform terribly as a doctor because medicine isn’t their cup of tea. Similarly, you might or might not be cut out for a career in web development.
This quick read will help you decide if a career as a web developer is the right fit for you.
Knowledge and Skills
1. Know your programming languages well
You need to know HTML and CSS.
HTML will help you create the architecture and content of a website. CSS will take a well-structured HTML and give it a face-lift. Web developers need to know how to create an HTML and CSS file from scratch.
They also need to know how to manipulate layouts and styles and follow industry naming conventions.
In addition, they also need to know Javascript, Python, PHP, and Ruby. Javascript is an essential component of interactive websites. Google and NASA use Python. It also powers web apps like Instagram and Pinterest. If you plan to do any development for the world’s most popular blogging platform, WordPress, you’ll want a working knowledge of PHP. Ruby is a fairly easy language for novice web developers to learn. It provides a good foundation for learning some of the more complex languages.
You will also need to know how to work different frameworks like Node.JS, .NET, Angular, React, and Django.
2. Make sure you can test for bugs
Developers need to be able to find and resolve bugs in their code. For this, they need to learn how to build a solid system for bug testing early on in their career.
3. Learn to work with Git and GitHub
Git is a version control system that allows developers to make changes to their code without losing their previous work.
GitHub, on the other hand, is a website where you can upload your code and share it with others.
Web developers need to know how to create a Git repository and push and pull the code to and from their repository.
4. Know SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is useful for anyone who builds websites as several factors can affect a site’s ranking in search engines. Even if the hardcore application of this skill is left to marketing professionals, knowing the basics of SEO is a nice feather in your cap.
5. Have knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator
Knowing image-editing software programs will be an added advantage. It will help you interpret websites, product mock ups and wire frames that the designers will give you. Knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator will also help you understand layers and translate designs into working codes.
Do you have these qualities?
1. Are you solution-oriented?
Are you the first person whom your friends call for advice? Do you love solving problems even if it is a multi-step process?
If the answer is yes, you might have it in you to be a web developer.
A web developer needs to break down every solution into small steps. To excel in this profession, you need to enjoy solving riddles as web development is full of them. Understand why something is broken and fix it by finding a solution.
2. Are you adaptable?
Are you always willing to try new techniques if old techniques fail to work?
If yes, then web development might be a good option for you.
Despite using similar frameworks and codes, no two projects end the same way. Web developers need to understand this and not get exasperated when things don’t go their way. In the world of web development, unexpected problems crop up more often than you think.
For instance, website development technology keeps changing in terms of languages and frameworks.
A good web developer needs to keep up with these changing technologies to stay updated at all times.
3. Are you resourceful?
Are you a firm believer of the old adage – ‘work smart, not hard’? Web development is a time-consuming process. Figuring efficient shortcuts is a part of this job. A constant effort and thought process to come up with new and improved ways to do things will help you be a successful developer sooner in your career.
Personality and Lifestyle
Web development is a career that requires highly-skilled, creative individuals.
Web developers need to be patient as they will come across several bugs and broken lines of code on a daily basis. Instead of getting frustrated, web developers should research ways that will help them fix these things.
They also need to be great communicators. A developer who can explain what he’s doing using layman language, without referring to jargon, is likely to be more successful than his counterparts.
Web developers also need to be persistent. There will be times when a web page will refuse to load despite all your efforts. A successful web developer will be stubborn enough to find the issue and fix it, instead of simply letting it be.
Web developers don’t hold regular 9-to-5 jobs. Sometimes, if the deadline is tight, they have to work at odd hours. Because of this, their social life may suffer. You must be prepared for that.
Have we successfully answered your question ‘Should I be a web developer?’ If yes, click here to read how you can become one!
