Web Developer

What is a web developer?

A web developer is someone who develops websites by writing code on a computer.

What does a web developer do?

Usually, a web developer does the following:

• Works on their own or in a team of people to develop websites for clients or their employer
• Communicates with clients or stakeholders to find out what functionality needs to be present in the website
• Making sure that clients or your employer's websites are well maintained and up-and-running

What does the day-to-day life of a web developer look like?

A web developer usually works between 9am and 5pm, though this may vary depending on the company you're working for or if you are self-employed. Depending on the company you work for, you'll sometimes have daily or weekly standup meetings with the other people on your team. In these meetings, you'll usually say what you've managed to achieve.

Where does a web developer work?

Larger companies usually hire their own web developers to work in-house. You'll work on internal projects and maintaining the company's existing websites. (They can sometimes be hired under the Software Developer or Software Engineer job title). Medium and smaller companies tend to ask creative agencies to develop and manage their websites. If you work at a creative agency, you'll work on websites for a variety of industries. You can also choose to be a self-employed web developer, where you find clients and develop websites yourself. There are companies around the world that hire web developers, but some jobs allow you to work from anywhere in the world fully remotely!

What tools/software/hardware does a web developer use?

A web developer uses a variety of tools including:

• Code editors: The leading text editor used in industry is Visual Studio Code, but there are alternatives such as Sublime Text and Notepad++
• Languages and frameworks: These vary hugely by the company you're working for, but you'll nearly always be working with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Frameworks and languages you might be working with include PHP, React, Git, and Python

What do I need to become a web developer?

There are a number of ways you can become a web developer, including:

• Bachelor's degree: Some people choose to study computer science or a related field in university to become a web developer. This can give you a good foundation of knowledge and skills.
• Coding bootcamp: Another option is to attend a coding bootcamp, where you can learn the skills needed to become a web developer in a shorter period of time. These bootcamps usually offer intensive training programs and may help you build a portfolio of work.
• Portfolio work: Many web developers start by working on their own projects or collaborating with others on small web development tasks. Creating a portfolio of your work can showcase your skills and help you land your first web development job.

What career paths are available?

There are a number of career paths available to you as a web developer, including:

• Senior Web Developer: As you gain more experience and expertise, you can advance to a senior web developer role. In this position, you may take on more complex projects, lead a team of developers, and have more responsibility.
• Chief Technology Officer (CTO): Another career path is to become a Chief Technology Officer (CTO). This role involves overseeing the technical aspects of a company, making decisions on technology strategy, and managing the development team.
• Entrepreneur: Some web developers choose to start their own web development businesses and become entrepreneurs. This allows you to have more control over the projects you work on and potentially grow your own company.

What jobs are similar to a web developer?

• Software Engineer/Developer: Writing code for various software applications.
• DevOps Engineer: Focusing on the collaboration between development and operations teams.
• Mobile App Developer: Creating applications for mobile devices.

What made you want to become a web developer?

How did you get your first web developer job?

What was the one thing that surprised you the most about being a web developer?

Are you a web developer? We want you to share your experiences with those looking to start or change their careers to web development. If you're interested contact us at mail@calumchilds.com.