Web development and programming is currently one of the hottest and fastest-growing career paths on the planet. What do you need to do to build an exciting and successful career in web development?

Below, we’ve outlined a step-by-step plan to get you from where you are now to the career you want. It involves pursuing your passion for technical computing, gaining the technical skills you’ll need to do your job well, learning how to verbalize and explain your skills, networking, and finally settling into the job you want.

1.   Pursue Your Passion

One of the beautiful things about web development and computer programming is that it is accessible to nearly everyone with very little overhead or investment. All it takes is a little time to master the basics.

Likely, if you are interested in a web development career, it is because you already have some experience in web development or computer coding.

If so, that’s great! And if not, there are plenty of enjoyable activities you can engage in to pursue your passion.

These are a few of the best, according to Indeed:

  1. Coding-based games for kids
  2. Blogging – either about web development or anything you enjoy. Either way, you will learn some HTML, JavaScript, and perhaps other coding languages while getting familiar with common web development tools
  3. Website creation – for you or a friend
  4. Video game modding – using Java to tweak or overhaul your favourite games
  5. Collaborating on open source projects – you can create something of value concerning a subject you are interested in
  6. Coding “toys” – there are plenty of items out there that you can personalize through coding, ranging from build-it-yourself robots for children to small computers and drones. A few examples include Arduino, “a programmable open-source single circuit computer, also known as a microcontroller;” Raspberry Pi; and photography drones. Many use programming languages like C, C++, or Assembly

Did you know? You can even include programming hobbies on your resume. We’ll talk about that more in a later section.

2.   Learn the Skills You Need

If you’ve been pursuing passion projects in coding, you likely already have a substantial skill set. But in order to be a successful web developer, you will need to grow your skills even more.

The educational courses you choose may depend on your age, ability, and where you are in your career. Kids may be able to take classes in primary or secondary school. You may also consider online platforms like Code.org or Code Spark.

The next step may be pursuing a degree in coding or web development at university.

What if you are already well along in your career.? At any career stage, you can pursue web development education online. Codecademy is one of many such resources. Additionally, Google and other software developers offer training and certification in coding, programming languages, and development.

3.   Perfect Your CV

After you’ve gained the necessary skills, you will need to adequately demonstrate them on your curriculum vitae (CV).

This will often start with your education section. If you have degrees in any computer or design-related fields, make that the foundation of your education section.

Perhaps you took classes in secondary school or at university that related to computers, information technology, or programming, even if you never earned a degree in those subjects. Include them! You might do so by listing relevant coursework in the following way:

Education

2020 -2022

DipHE in Business Administration

London Community College

London, England

Relevant courses:

  • Web Design
  • Intro to Programming
  • Exploring Python and C++

Next, you should focus on your work experience. If you have been employed in web development or in a similar field, allow this job experience entry to hold the most weight. Use longer descriptions on this entry than on unrelated past positions.

You may be able to highlight relevant experience from even unrelated jobs. For example, did you create a WordPress website for the caff you worked at as a teenager? Did you debug a software application or smartphone app while working at some other business? If so, include this in your bulleted descriptions.

Don’t forget about freelance work. If you’ve taken on big web development projects on the side, you may want to list these separately. You can use the name of the company you freelanced for as the name of the employer, but be sure to put the word “freelance” in front of your job title.

If you’ve done a lot of little freelance assignments, you may want to group these into a single listing.

Finally, don’t forget about listing your hobbies and interests as discussed above. Your video game modding, website building, or robotic programming may represent just the experience you need to land the job.

How do you list hobbies and interests on your CV? Create a section entitled Hobbies and Interests. Beneath it, create a bulleted list of relevant hobbies. In most cases, you should try to name your hobbies in such a way that the value of the experience is plainly evident. If you feel the need to explain, you can include a dash after the hobby title with a brief explanation of one sentence or less.

4.   Make Connections

You’ve got some experience and a CV in hand. Now, what do you do with it? You need to make connections, network, and meet people in your industry.

What are the best networking opportunities for web developers? Attend industry conferences or job finding events in your area. Have a business card or copies of your CV ready in case an opportunity to connect with a potential employer arises.

If you plan on owning your own business or working freelance, word of mouth can be the best form of networking or advertising. If you do a good job in providing web development services for small businesses, they will tell others about their experience. You’ll likely receive leads from such word of mouth advertising.

You should also develop a presence online. Create your own website, and use it to show off your web development skills. Have a presence on social media as well, especially LinkedIn. You may even meet like-minded individuals on platforms such as Reddit, YouTube, or Quora.

5.   Land the Job

The final step is finding and getting hired in a job you love.

You might find a web development company you like and apply. In this growing industry, many companies are on a constant search to expand their skilled workforce.

Remember, too, that employment opportunities aren’t limited to web development companies. Web development professionals are needed and diverse fields across all industries.

You can search online job posting sites for web development positions within these companies.

Another option is starting your own business. To do so, you should develop an online presence as described above. Register your business with the local authorities in accordance with local laws. If you are inexperienced, you may wish to provide a small amount of work pro bono or at a discounted rate in order to get a few good reviews and testimonials under your belt.

In Conclusion

Web development is an in-demand career. You can steer your own path in that direction no matter what point you are at in your life, work, or education. First, learn the skills you need and pursue related hobbies. Network to gain business contacts. Polish up your CV, apply to jobs you want, and you will eventually succeed.

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