How to Become a Web Developer
When I decided to put my blog online, I declared that one of the goals set is to help people who decide to read me to work and earn on the web. Here you can know about how to become a web developer?
Working on the web is not very different from the offline world. You need to study to acquire the right skills, a good level of specialization—a lot of apprenticeships to learn what is closer to an artisan rather than a white-collar profession. The positive news is that the digital sector is in constant and continuous growth. There will be an increasing need for professionals linked to the web.
In this first appointment with the jobs of the web, I will try to give you some tips and advice on how you could become a Web Developer.
Table of Contents
Who is a Web Developer, also called Web Programmer
Paraphrasing the definition of Wikipedia. The Web Developer, which we can call, in abbreviated form, Programmer, is a professional who deals with conceiving—designing and developing web applications, through the skillful use of a programming language.
These activities can be developed, depending on the complexity of the project. In total autonomy (simple projects) or together with a team of other programmers in the first place and other professional figures linked to the Web.
Why you should choose to become a Programmer
The Web Developer is probably one of the most sought-after figures by companies and the market, with a need that is undoubtedly destined to increase over the years in parallel with the spread of digital and the number of public and private subjects who choose to invest on the web.
At the same time, the complexity linked to the profession makes the figure of the programmer a rare and precious commodity. Suppose I told you about the many colleagues who daily complain about the impossibility of collaborating or even hiring a Programmer. I would certainly lose count!
Let’s proceed step by step, and see what background and skills should be needed to be a successful Web Developer!
Soft Skills and character attitudes
I am convinced that for any profession, even before operational skills. A series of soft skills and character attitudes are necessary and indispensable. That can give you a big hand to take up the chosen profession and carry it out to the maximum of your possibilities.
Before listing these tips, let me clarify one aspect: I know some of the typical skills, but I am not a Programmer (if you want to deepen my path and my professional figure, I refer you here ).
Why then do I have this presumption of being here to advise you on how to undertake this profession?
First of all, because I fight with the Web For my profession about 225 hours a month, between office work, personal projects, and study.
Because I live in a professional reality where programming plays a fundamental role. Where I have the pleasure of being alongside some of the best professionals in the USA.
Systematic confrontation
Because my profession needs a systematic confrontation with those, who develop code by profession, and last but not least. Because I have lost quite a few days to compare myself with many friends and colleagues of your age, who for some years have been holding the role of Web Developer with not a few satisfactions from a professional and economic point of view.
The first piece of advice I would like to give you is to master the English language. I am not here to dwell on the Italian situation and the great linguistic gap that we have compared to other European countries. To become a programmer, the manuals, resources, and literature that make the difference are in English. So if you intend to understand fully the precious knowledge provided by these sources, you will, unfortunately, have to deal with this language.
A minimum common denominator gathered from my peers’ feedback that being a programmer means learning to acquire mental order and operating methods.
In this sense, learn to write down. Catalog and order tasks by priority level.
And
They are equipped with suitable tools to mark notes and manage tasks. In this regard, I can recommend Google Keep and Wunderlist, as simple as they are effective!
Learn to manage stress: being a programmer may want to manage complicated projects. Changes in the course of work, and last but not least, superiors and/or demanding and disruptive customers. Therefore first, you will become aware of the need to manage psychological pressures, and sooner you will be able to better face the burdens and duties of the profession you have chosen.
Password patience: That’s right; a programmer needs a lot of professional patience. Able to support him in solving classic programming errors.
Attitude to problem-solving: There is no project without problems, and to become an excellent programmer, you need to be able to find quick solutions to solve them.
And
Flexibility: There is no project without the need to make corrections during construction. Therefore there is little talk and complaints, a lot of proactivity.
Attitude to work in a team. Whether you are employed in a company or Web Agency, or even if you decide to exercise the free profession, you will find yourself having to deal with figures similar or related to yours. With relative points of comparison but also clashes due to different views and paths of human and working life.
Given how complex the Web is becoming. I don’t think you can do without interfacing with other professionals. So arm yourself with a constructive spirit and develop an aptitude for teamwork as soon as possible.
Ability to study and study: whether you were not a top. Whether you were a brilliant university or institute student. Know that if you intend to work as a Web Developer for the next ten years. You will have to get used to studying and staying updated on the main trends, languages , and new programming techniques. Therefore, even if there will be no academic exams. Top priority and importance to study!
I think I’ve given you enough first information. Let’s now move on to the operational part.
Education and university education: do you need a degree to become a programmer?
No, you don’t need a degree to become a Web Developer. And I add that all the programmers I know come from totally different educational paths. A school career that has seen you tackle technical subjects can give you a boost of no small importance in learning programming languages.
I believe that the majority of users who read this content will have at least already obtained a diploma. Therefore in the final phase, I will focus not on advising whether the scientific high school is more suitable than the technical institute. But I will report supports and useful platforms to study for those who want to learn this profession and immediately find a professional outlet.
Becoming a Programmer: the skills required.
And here we are talking about the skills required to become a programmer.
I make a premise: for editorial reasons, but also and above all, so as not to generate discomfort and disorientation in you from an overload of information. I have first of all chosen to restrict the area of reference to programming for the pure Web. Then to the development of dynamic websites ( editorial portals, e-commerce) and design, development, and maintenance of management systems.
Secondly, I will necessarily have to summarize the skills that I will list. Well aware that to study and master them in their entirety and complexity, you will need a dedicated study of no less than 120 hours per discipline.
Having said that, I believe that to become a good Web Developer, you will need to study:
Phase 1: basic skills, to be studied at the beginning of the path
- HTML and CSS formatting language: basic, essential, mandatory. I don’t think he needs to add anything else.
- Also starting to study HTML5 and CSS3 will be vital to you in a few years
- Javascript, a well-known client-side scripting language, is also of vital importance. So you won’t be able to help but know it
- On the server-side, PHP must be your second mother tongue together with Italian. In this sense, it devours, courses, manuals, industry sites, and all human knowledge to make you strong on the essential element of all your business
- Acquire skills in database creation, management, optimization, and maintenance
- Acquire notions of systems and security on the web
- Download and learn to use software such as Adobe Dreamweaver, Notepad ++, Text Wrangler
- Download and learn how to use software like Filezilla, to allow file transfer through FTP protocol
Phase 2: skills to be acquired, once in possession of a fair level of basic skills
With the advent of Open Source platforms, you will have to become familiar with:
- WordPress, the most famous self-publishing platform among the most popular for the creation of blogs, magazines. But also commercials and showcase sites for companies and professional realities. Knowing how to use WordPress means acquiring a not indifferent plus. If we consider the increasing request from agencies and commercial entities to develop websites based on this platform
- Prestashop, on the other hand, is an open-source management software perfect for creating e-commerce. I suggest you learn it if you intend to develop commercial portals in a simple and functional way.
- I believe it can be a valuable plus if you decide to dedicate time and effort to understand this CMS.
- Another obstacle that you will have to face in your study path is related to the knowledge of some PHP frameworks—widely used for the development of shared and/or complex projects.
If you are wondering what a framework is. It is a complete package of libraries and pre-compiled basic functions that will allow you to have a starting point for the development of the website/web application and save precious time and energy.
Among the most famous and used, I point out Symfony, CodeIgniter, and Zend Framework.
You are overriding in this introductory guide everything that could and should be said about the power. The functionality and usefulness of the frameworks are almost impossible. Therefore my invitation is to deepen your level of knowledge on more vertical and technical sites than mine.
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Studying Programming: tips, courses, and useful resources
How long does it take to become a Programmer? Answering this question with certainty is a bit like predicting who will be the next Serie A top scorer.
According to the opinions collected, and considering some feedback received from discussions read on thematic forums. I believe that an acceptable time to become a proper Programmer is about five years—net of study, work, personal projects, or third party projects.
And here we are instead arrived at the resources section to follow to become a Web Developer. For which I made a choice not to recommend paid courses. But only and exclusively free online resources and platforms that I believe can give you support together with training on the job in some good web agency or working reality.
- com, in English, but really perfect for studying the skills that I have just shown you
- com, excellent resource always at zero cost (attention! It is not a platform of the W3C consortium)
- The reference point for the Italian community, many resources accessible for free.
- it, also a pioneer in the sector, offers many contents to be studied
Conclusions
I tried to write down as many things as possible in one piece of content to help you become a Web Developer. I hope that they may have been useful ideas for reflections that can help you in the choice and continuation of your path.
Stay up to date; there will be many other exclusive tips for you to help you experience the world of the Web professionally!
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