All you need to become a web developer.
In this post I'll tell you the minimum requirements you need to get a job as a Web developer.
So what are the minimum requirements to become a web developer?
You need to know HTML:
Learn the basics of HTML.
How HTML pages are structured.
Build some pages with plain HTML.
You need to know CSS:
Learn what CSS is, and its basics.
Use CSS to style the HTML pages you built previously.
Keep exercising HTML and CSS until you feel comfortable.
You need to know JavaScript:
Learn the basics first.
Do many little projects and small applications to help you figure out everything.
You need to breathe JavaScript and become a master.
Those are the minimum requirements to get a job as a web developer.
You can even get a job with HTML and CSS knowledge if you are just dealing with front-end design but I'll recommend you to know JavaScript too.
Download Visual Studio Code and get comfortable using it to edit your code on your computer.
Be sure to learn HTML5 and Semantic HTML.
Learn CSS including typography stuff, colors and fonts and gradually introduce the box model, flexbox, CSS grid, animation and transition also with responsive web design.
When learning JavaScript be sure to learn functions, objects, arrays, loops, conditional statements, callbacks and all of the new ES6 features such as let, const, arrow functions, classes, promises, async / await, higher order array method. That’s just the start and you also need to learn what is the DOM. Learn how to interact with the DOM from JavaScript. You also need to understand how to fetch data from the backend or another source, this is generally done by using something like a Fetch API or JavaScript library called Axios and how to use it to perform network requests. Another thing that you need to understand is JSON. If the Front-end is receiving data, it is going to be in the form of JSON, so understand how that structure.
You can learn all of this topics from my upcoming YouTube video courses. I'll have link in my channel below do well to subscribe
youtube.com/channel/UC-BcmYpHt11mUpuwA1xuS_A
After learning all this you should be able to build a basic website, start building something, make a portfolio website and put a few projects that demonstrate your capability but don't put project that comes straight out of a tutorial or courses. If you do have one of such projects on your portfolio, you need to have your own spin on it, sometimes it might be improvement that you've added to it.
The biggest advise that I can give you is BUILD things. Just watching a tutorial and following along is not good enough. Come with an idea on your own and build it. When you hit a wall and you can't remember or figure out something GOOGLE it. Google is a developer's best friend. Try to figure out things on yourself and this will help you develop your problem solving skills.
Now, a lot of people will tell you that you need to know a Front-end framework before you start applying to jobs, I don't think that is necessarily true. It will definitely help you but it is not a requirement to start applying. If you do want to learn a Front-end framework, I will start with either React or Angular. I personally prefer React but there are lots of job for Angular as well. But just be aware that Angular in my own opinion is harder to learn than React. In my own opinion, you can learn React. It’s the most popular, has the most tutorials, it’s future proof, easier to find a job.
If your goal is to be a Back-end developer, you still need to understand the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. But you need to focus on Back-end technologies and there are many to choose from. There isn't a simple answer to this, I can't tell you that, you need to learn Java, Go, PHP or you need to learn Python and amongst others. My advise for you is to find what technologies are been used by the companies you wants to work for or companies in your area of the world. If your local market have a lots of Java jobs available then learn Java, if its Go or PHP then learn it, do some research, find several companies that you wants to work for and find out what they are using on the Back-end and don't worry about taking the wrong language. The first language is always the hardest to learn, once you've learn your first programming language, it is much easier to learn other ones. Most languages have lots of similarities.
BONUS TIPS
Where Can you find Jobs?
There is indeed, glassdoor but one of the best places to find a job is LinkedIn. You need to get your LinkedIn profile and get your network growing as soon as possible.
When should you start applying? Well, as soon as you are comfortable with HTML, CSS and JavaScript, just start applying. Even if you don't meet all of the requirements listed. Even if you see tons of requirements. Just apply. Many people are scared to apply if they cannot check off every single requirements. So just apply for the jobs even if you don't get it, you will get the interview experience.
Keep creating different sites to practice.
Keep improving.
Start working on a project you care about.
It might be an app people will pay for in the future, might be something you put out for free.
Just start.
Thanks for reading.
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