HOW TO BECOME A WEB DEVELOPER WITHOUT A DEGREE – Your dream to become a web developer can be achieved without holding any college degrees. This article will provide you with the necessary knowledge on how you can be a successful web developer.
What is a Web Developer?
The web developer is the one that is responsible for the creation of functional and interactive websites and web applications.
They focus on designing a user-friendly interfaces that can handle both the front-end and back-end aspects of the website’s development.
The primary goal of the Web Developer is to ensure a smooth user experience by optimizing the server performance and the implementation of effective design layouts.
Roles/Responsibilities of a Web Developer
Being a web developer, you will be facing tons of responsibilities, this includes:
- writing and reviewing various codes
- designing the user interfaces
- monitoring the site performance
- troubleshooting the issues
- integrating the multimedia content
- testing the websites and their applications
- ensuring a responsive design
- collaborating with different designers
- developers, and other stakeholders
Types of Web Developers
In the world of web development, exist three types of developers these are:
- Front-end developers
- Back-end developers
- Full-stack developers
Each type of developer has a specific role and responsibility in the process of development.
Front-End Web Developers
The front-end developers are known to specialize in the building of the user interface of a certain website that the visitors interact with.
They tend to focus on the creation of visually appealing designs, choosing the most suitable colors and graphics, and ensuring responsiveness across different devices.
Additionally, treehouse Front-End Bootcamp and Tracks offer various courses and resources that aid to develop proficiency in the client-side development.
Back-End Web Developers
The back-end developers are the ones that are responsible for organizing the logical data of the website or the web application in order to make sure a smooth functioning of the front-end.
They focus on the server-side of the development and they usually use the languages like Python, PHP, and Ruby, with JavaScript. The back-end developers create the APIs, databases, and other systems that will enhance the website’s efficiency.
Also, the treehouse Back-End Community Thread provides the list of the courses to help develop the skills in the server-side development.
Full-Stack Web Developers
The full-stack developers possess a combination of both the front-end and back-end web development skills, which makes them versatile professionals.
They are expertise in knowing multiple programming languages and they can independently create a fully functional websites.
Choosing between the front-end, back-end, or full-stack development will depend on your specific interests and the pros and cons attached to each specialization.
How Much Does A Web Developer Earn?
The web developers are known to have a great range of earning potentials, the salaries are ranging from $61,000 to $161,000 every year, averaging at a staggering $84,500 annually.
The actual earnings of a web developer are usually influenced by different factors including their work location, the company that they work for, the industry that they are in, and their own level of experience.
A freelance web developers or the ones who are self-employed, they have the flexibility to set their own rates which can be either on an hourly or a per-project basis.
Web Developer Skills
Being a beginner or a new aspiring web developer, it is important for you to learn and achieve certain skills in order for you to become an efficient developer at website development.
These skills can be categorized into technical and soft skills.
Technical Skills
Being a web developer requires you to acquire a specific set of skills and knowledge in order to perform different tasks in web development.
Included are proficiency in front-end programming languages like the HTML and CSS, having a strong grasp of the JavaScript.
Also, having familiarity with the back-end programming languages such as the Python, PHP , Java , and the Ruby.
In addition to that knowledge of front-end frameworks and libraries like React.js, Vue.js, and Angular.js.
Also, having proficiency in the back-end frameworks and libraries like the Express.js, Django, Flask, a cross-site optimization and the technical search engine optimization (SEO) etc.
Soft Skills
In addition, being a web developer requires a set of non-tech skills and the right attributes in order to thrive in their chosen careers and work environments.
These include having effective communication, good customer service abilities, attention to detail, being a team player, having critical thinking and problem-solving skills, good time management, and lastly having a strong work ethic.
The skills and attributes that were mentioned contribute to the success and effectiveness of a web developer.
Tips for Becoming a Web Developer Without a Degree
Pursuing the path to becoming a web developer without a degree may seem difficult, but with enough self-drive and curiosity to learn, you will be there in the end!
Below are the steps in becoming a proficient web developer without holding any college degrees:
Complete Online Courses
In order to learn web development without any formal training, engaging in online courses and coding bootcamps are the efficient options.
One option is the Treehouse Techdegrees, which are online coding bootcamp programs that are tailored to provide any of the necessary skills and mastery based on your desired specialization in becoming a web developer.
The various programs offer an organize and comprehensive approach to learning the necessary web development skills in a much more flexible online format.
Build a Portfolio
The portfolio is a collection of your past projects that demonstrates your skills and abilities as a web developer, this provides potential clients with examples of your work.
By showcasing your portfolio, trust between you and the client is established, as the clients can see the quality of your work.
This allows the developers to make comprehensive portfolios that show the completion of real-life projects, which can be a valuable asset especially when presenting your abilities to potential employers.
Complete Certifications
Attaining certifications in web development will serve as a validation of your skills and expertise as a web developer.
Showcasing the certifications to potential clients or employers will demonstrate your advanced skills and knowledge in your specialty area, which increases your chances of securing much better career opportunities.
Build Your Resume
A well-made resume is an important tool for any web developer in order to showcase their skills to recruiters. The resume should effectively summarize their expertise and experience in web development and also this must include the projects relevant to the needs of the employer.
Also, tips like being clear and concise, emphasizing the relevant experiences, highlighting the strengths, and avoiding any grammatical errors will greatly contribute in making a strong resume.
Prep for Interviews
Preparing for an interview after submitting the resume and portfolio is important since they may be unexpectedly contacted you in order for you to demonstrate your competence.
The interview process usually includes the screening, behavioral, technical, and final stages.
By preparing and practicing any role-specific interview questions and presenting yourself confidently without staggering and knowledgeably, you can definitely navigate these stages easily and increase your chance of success.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Web Developer?
New and aspiring web developers without any prior knowledge regarding to coding can become proficient web developers in just 3 to 6 months through the help of online courses and coding boot camps.
If learning part-time, the duration may take 6 months or up to 12 months to completely finish a course. The duration of becoming a web developer depends on the commitment of the individual, the type of course chosen, and the availability.
Conclusion
Not holding any college should not hold you back from becoming a successful web developer.
In this day and age becoming a web developer is a great choice of career path. Above are the various things that would help you in your web development career.
Additional Resources
- How To Become A Web Developer
- How To Become IT Risk Management Analyst?