Whether you’ve got your degree in web development or you’re still studying, it is imperative to gain some practical experience in the field. But, landing a web developer internship or a web developer job with no prior experience isn’t easy.
You need to be well versed with popular languages, databases, frameworks, operating systems, and hosting services.
But, in addition to this, you need to be willing to learn new things every day. That’s where a web developer internship or a web developer job comes into the picture. If you’ve set your mind on building a career as a web developer, an internship in this field will propel you light years ahead towards achieving that goal.
If you’re asking yourself how to secure a web developer internship or a web developer job, check out the following hacks!
Hack #1. Build an online portfolio full of relevant work
Whether you’re applying for a web developer internship or a web developer job, your online portfolio is the first thing employers will look at.
Your site, therefore, needs to be a real reflection of your skills and personal brand. But before you start filling your portfolio with relevant work, you need to code it, launch it, and make sure it stands out from your competition. Once it’s ready, put all the work that you’ve done for various clients and companies on it.
The key is to include projects that showcase your range as a developer. Keep in mind to upload strong, clean work that is an indication of both your skill level and brand. Check out our guide on becoming a successful web developer.
You can host your portfolio online for FREE using GitHub pages.
Need some inspiration? Take inspiration from these web developer portfolios!
Hack #2. Do freelance projects
Does your portfolio need some beefing up?
If yes, taking up a few freelance web development projects will help you achieve that goal.
In addition to gaining experience and bulking up your bank balance, freelance web development projects will help you build business skills like negotiating, establishing trustworthiness as a developer, and it will also get you some up-to-date recommendations to show potential employers.
Your projects can be small-scale. For instance, you can take up projects like re-doing the navigation for a local restaurant’s website or you can create an HTML newsletter for an NGO. If you find it difficult to land paid freelance projects, you can even take up pro-bono projects as they will beef up your portfolio and give you a chance to network. There are several groups on Facebook for you to find freelance gigs. Alternatively, you could also check out Upwork, Freelancer, Guru, and PeoplePerHour.com.
Hack #3. Upload your code on Github
A web development company wants to see if you have hands-on experience before offering you a web developer internship or a web developer job. That’s where Github comes into the picture.
You can prove your skills to potential employers by showing off your best code on your very own Github account. Make sure your contributions to Github are regular so that your recruiter knows that you’re consistently working on your skills. While you’re at it, we cannot stress enough on how important it is to keep your code clean. Check out these top 20 projects on Github!
Hack #4. Participate in a hackathon
Hackathons are a fun and interesting way to get to know tech people who share your interests. They also help tackle relevant problems, learn from others, test your coding skills, and also maybe win prizes!
At hackathons, you will be required to code with a team. If you’ve been coding on your own up until now, working with a team of coders will make you a lot more appealing to hiring managers at web development agencies.
You can find hackathons either near you or online on sites like AngelHack, hackathon.io, and ChallengePost.
Did you know that many a web developer has been offered a job at a hackathon event?
So keep an eye out at these events for sponsors and recruiters. Also participate in events, conferences, workshops and meetups for learning, updating skills, and networking. Click here for a list of all such events happening in India.
Hack #5. Contribute to an open source project
So far, have you mostly coded for classes, mock projects or solo gigs?
If yes, then contributing to an open source project will increase your teamwork cred.
But what are open source projects? Open source is the term for source code that is publicly available and can be altered by anyone. There are several open source projects out there. Some of them use Ruby on Rails, Linux, MySQL, and loads of JavaScript frameworks.
You can look for open source projects of all kinds and sizes on Explore GitHub. Once you find a project you’re interested in, start by reporting bugs and prioritizing issues. Getting involved in an open source project will strengthen your development skills and get you hands-on experience working on teams and projects.
And don’t forget about this crucial element!
Even though your portfolio is where you’ll show off your skills, a web development company will still ask you to submit your resume. Here are some sample resumes you can refer to. Make sure you highlight your core skills in your resume and don’t forget to give specific details to prove your achievements and strengths. Also, choose a clean template that is easy to read.
Getting a web developer internship or a web developer job isn’t as hard as it is made out to be. Just make sure you use the above-mentioned hacks and you’ll achieve your goal faster than you think!
Found this article interesting? All set to get that dream job as a web developer? Then check out our post on how to ace a web development interview.
