Are you considering becoming a Web Developer, but you’re not sure what the required qualifications are? Before pursuing any career, it’s a good idea to do as much research as possible to find out in advance whether or not you’d be a good fit. To help you assess your suitability for a career in web development, here’s a guide to web development qualifications.
Skills
You’ll need to acquire several skills before becoming a Web Developer. The range of skills required will vary depending on whether you specialize in front-end web development, back-end web development, or full-stack web development. Here’s a list of skills necessary to become a Full Stack Web Developer:
- Proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript required. Knowledge of one or two additional back-end languages—like Python, PHP, Ruby, or Java—is recommended.
- Familiarity with a variety of web development tools such as libraries, frameworks, version control systems, and content management systems (CMS).
- A talent for writing high-quality code plus the ability to detect errors, eliminate bugs, and track changes to the code.
- The ability to build and manage web applications.
- The capability to create a website that’s aesthetically pleasing, responsive, functional, and user-friendly.
- A general understanding of user experience (UX) principles and SEO (search engine optimization) best practices.
- Insight into how databases, hosting environments, APIs (application programming interfaces), operating systems, and servers function.
- Knowledge of web accessibility and cybersecurity best practices.
If you aspire to become a Front-end Web Developer, that list will look slightly different; you could remove the recommendation to learn back-end languages and eliminate the final two bullet points. If your focus is on back-end development, you don’t need to know CSS or UX principles.
Education
There are no specific educational qualifications required to become a Web Developer, but you must acquire the necessary skills somehow. There are four standard methods of learning web development skills: a university education, bootcamps/certificate programs, web development classes, and self-study.
University
Some prospective Web Developers go to university to learn the necessary skills. The most common degree for Web Developers to hold is a bachelor’s in computer science. While you’ll undoubtedly learn the required web development skills as you earn a computer science degree, there are several downsides to this educational path.
For starters, a bachelor’s degree will take you at least four years to complete—and that’s if you study full-time. Taking a part-time class load will extend your education even further, up to 8 years, depending on how many courses you enroll in per semester.
Another disadvantage to university education is that it requires you to take a lot of general education courses that aren’t related to your major. Plus, tuition is expensive, so you end up paying $100,000 to $200,000 or more to complete your education.
Bootcamp/Certificate Program
A bootcamp or certificate program are excellent ways to get the skills you need to work as a Web Developer. These programs offer skills-focused courses in a condensed curriculum so you can be ready for your new career in just a few months. The cost of these programs can vary widely from school to school—anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars up to $30,000—but most offer financing to help ease the financial burden.
However, there are a few potential downsides to pursuing this path. For one, the training schools that offer bootcamps and certificate programs aren’t regulated by an outside governing body like universities are. That means the quality of the curriculum can’t be counted on; you’ll have to check reviews and ratings left by former students to get a sense of whether the investment will be worth it.
Another possible disadvantage is employer hiring requirements. Though the vast majority of companies are perfectly happy hiring graduates of bootcamps or certificate programs, a few select employers may insist that you have a university degree.
Classes
You could also learn web development skills by taking individual classes, either online or in-person. The benefit of this route over a bootcamp or certificate program is that you get to go at your own pace; instead of completing the material within a few months, you can take a year or more, if that’s what you prefer.
Of course, the longer it takes to acquire the necessary skills, the longer you delay the start of your new career. But this is a matter of personal preference and availability; if you’re currently juggling the demands of a full-time job and raising a family, you may only be able to commit to one class at a time.
Self-Study
You could also learn the necessary web development skills through self-study. There’s a broad range of study materials available online, both for a fee and free of charge. For example, you can use a programming language’s official documentation to help you learn how to code with it. There are also many different websites, video tutorials, and books to help you learn.
While this is an inexpensive option, it’s also the least thorough. When you study independently, you have to piece together your own education with little guidance, which could lead to many gaps in your learning.
This lack of predictability may prevent employers from hiring developers who learned to code on their own. Most companies want proof that you have the required skills through either a certificate of completion or a university degree. It will be much harder to convince a potential employer to hire you without that proof.
Other Qualifications
In addition to acquiring the necessary skills and education, there are a few other qualifications that are often recommended for potential Web Developers. These tend to fall into the category of “soft skills.”
Soft skills are more like character traits, behaviors, or interpersonal abilities—they’re not the type of skills you learn in a classroom. Instead, you acquire these traits as you mature and grow as a person and employee. Here are the five most recommended soft skills for Web Developers to have:
1. Attention to Detail
Working in web development requires that you pay particular attention to detail. When you’re coding a website, detail is everything; if you make one small error, it could affect the functionality of the entire website. That’s why the best Web Developers hone in on details and make sure that everything is correct the first time around.
2. Persistence
If you want to be a Web Developer, it’s helpful if you have or can develop persistence. There’s a lot of problem-solving involved in web development; if you're not a persistent person, you could end up frustrated when trying to find and fix mistakes.
3. Communication
Though the stereotype of a Web Developer is someone who works alone most of the time, the reality is you’ll be part of a team of people. That means it’s essential for you to have good communication skills so you can listen to the needs of your clients, translate complex ideas so they’re understandable to laypeople, and write clear software documentation.
4. Time Management
Another essential soft skill that Web Developers need to have is time management. You may find yourself juggling several projects at one time; you must be able to manage the work and keep to a schedule so you don’t become overwhelmed.
5. Enjoy Learning
It’s also a good idea for prospective Web Developers to enjoy learning. The tech industry evolves rapidly, with new tools, techniques, and trends coming out frequently. To keep up with the latest advancements, Web Developers need to enjoy learning new things (or at least be willing to educate themselves so they can stay up-to-date.)
Acquire the Qualifications You Need to Work in Web Development
How do your qualifications match up to the ones provided above? Are you still lacking a few skills and want to develop them so you can start a career in web development? If so, then you might want to consider enrolling in a web development bootcamp. Bootcamps are ideal for acquiring the skills you need to start a new career; they offer intensive skills-based classes on an abbreviated schedule, so you’ll be ready for your new profession quickly. You can even take a web development bootcamp live online for maximum flexibility.
If you’re not quite ready to complete a full bootcamp, another option would be to sign up for individual web development classes. That makes it possible for you to expand your skills and gauge your overall interest in web development before committing to a bootcamp. Depending on where you’re located, you might even be able to find some web development classes in your area. If none seem to be available nearby, you can always take web development classes live online without having to leave your home.