7 Easy Steps to Become a Web Developer

You want to be a web developer, but now you have the problem that you have no experience working in the high-tech industry. You've taken some courses and spent time on personal coding projects, but the "experience" section of your resume is still not recognized by the company. Transitioning into a new field is never easy. You don't know if you're ready, you don't know if anyone will take you seriously, and you don't know if you'll get the job.

Trust me, don’t let those doubts hold you back. In fact, it's not that hard - as long as you're well prepared before you jump. These seven guided steps will help you make a seamless transition to web development.

1. Figure out what you want to do.

The clearer you are in your mind, the more professional the plan you will make. Don’t cast a wide net: narrow your options.

Front-end or back-end development?

User experience designer or user interface engineer?

js or React.js?

While there is some value in being a jack of all trades, most companies and clients prefer to hire a professional with specific skills, unless of course you are a freelancer.

So how do you decide what you want to specialize in? Trial and error, research, and skill assessment tests are a great place to start. But it’s even more important to know yourself: be clear about your preferences. Do you want to code all day long? Do you like interface design? Be sure to figure out all the relevant stuff.

2. Research the job title and company where your target job is.

It’s as easy as organizing job ads. Is there a specific job title that catches your eye? Read the detailed description to see if you can play that role.

When it comes to companies, scouting out businesses can be made easier through sites like Glassdoor. Not only can you get a general idea of ​​salaries from Glassdoor, but you can also read reviews from current and former employees. Another way is to look at people on LinkedIn who are actually working in the role you want.

Compile a list/spreadsheet of ideal positions at ideal companies.

3. Identify the skills and experience you need.

Now that you have a list of companies and positions that interest you, you need to figure out what skills and experience these positions require and where they overlap.

Be sure to pay attention to overlapping skills or experiences, which are the focus of your learning. Do they use React or Angular? Using the MEAN stack or Ruby on Rails?

There’s another way you can find out what technologies a company’s website uses, and that’s by leveraging a tool like BuiltWith. It will show you the frameworks, languages, etc. that the website depends on. For example, we can see Airbnb using Ruby on Rails.

4. Supplement your missing skills.

Now you have a spreadsheet of dream jobs at dream companies, and the technologies/tools that keep those jobs recurring.

Now, determine which skills are easier to overcome than others.

You may already have relevant work experience in some fields. For example, in your current role, even if it's not technical, you might be able to use some similar software that both positions require - Microsoft Excel, for example.

Some of these techniques are straightforward and easy to learn - just like learning Google Analytics, on the contrary, learning a JS library such as React can be difficult when you have almost no JS experience.

5. Find the basis for building confidence.

Next, you have to give some interesting development examples.

Everything is tough starting out, but here are some ways you can build your experience:

Work for friends and family

Build your own projects

Volunteer at a non-profit organization

When you When labor is free or cheap, be sure to ask for recommendations or recommendations on LinkedIn in return for your time and effort. Also, make sure to add all code to GitHub.

6. Stand out by networking and creating an online presence.

Most open positions are filled through recruitment or referrals. Traditional application processes are all but dead. The aroma of wine is also afraid of the dark alley, you need to make yourself stand out.

Here are two ways to do this:

Method #1

Connect with real people

attend parties, events and conferences. Afterward, reach out to people you know on LinkedIn or Twitter. If you meet someone who happens to be related to the job you want or the person you meet is hiring for the job you want, ask them about their experience and skills.

Building relationships is crucial - especially for newbies. By building connections with people who have the job or experience you want, you can help get you into your target companies.

Method #2

Networking

You can also do this via networking that doesn’t require face-to-face contact. You can start a blog, join Facebook and LinkedIn groups, attend virtual meetings, connect with others via email, make Skype calls, work on open source projects, and more.

It’s important to note that even in the digital world, communication can be a bit difficult when you can only communicate with each other through a screen. However, these online methods are still available and can be used to build your visibility.

7. Adjust your resume/LinkedIn/portfolio

Since you have refreshed your skills and made connections with people in the industry, it’s time to adjust your resume/LinkedIn/portfolio.

First, identify transferable skills. Certain traits are desirable in almost any position. These traits include expression skills, communication skills, leadership, time management, problem-solving skills, etc.

Next, highlight your accomplishments. Whether they're technical or not, highlight those accomplishments that make you look like a great employee. Even if it's more of a hobby than a professional achievement, that's okay, the high-tech industry is weird anyway. They want their employees to have a diversity of backgrounds, passions, and more.

Finally, use a data-supported example to prove that you are qualified for high-tech positions. Or rather, show evidence. This evidence could be a portfolio website with some real-life examples; a GitHub outlining an impressive project library and contributions; a blog where you've written about what you do; and major LinkedIn recommendations, or combination of these.

Next Steps

Okay, now you’re ready to start transitioning into a web development experience! But these are just the first steps - the introductory stage. Next, you need to interview. After you get the offer, you still need to continue learning and working hard in order to climb up, master more skills, and obtain higher salary and higher status. In the high-tech industry, learning is endless, but half of it is fun.