How to become a web developer

Becoming a web developer becomes more and more trendy over time. It is a high-paid job that you can do from home, and it is popular in the freelancing world. So why not try yourself in web development in 2021. If learning web development was on your resolution list, we got you covered! In this blog post, you will learn all you need about web development. 

So, let's jump straight into: 

How to Become a Web Developer in 2021?

How to become a web developer in 2021? Well, there is no one answer to this question. You need to learn the necessary skills, get the required experience, and in a short time, you'll be able to call yourself a web developer. But before we dive deeper into each of these steps, let's first of all figure out: 

What is Web Development?

You see a well-functioning and pretty website online. Do you know who made it? A web developer or a group of web developers. Web development refers to the work done behind the scenes to make the website look, feel, and function great. 

Web development is a mixture of front-end development and back-end development. You can use it to create plain pages or intricate eCommerce shops: it depends on your needs. But if there is any live website out there, it was the result of web development. 

Web Development in 2021

Well, as you have probably guessed, web development is not very easy. So is it worth spending so much time to learn it in 2021? The answer is: YES! 

Are web developers in demand now? Absolutely! Now than never before, businesses are switching to the online platform, and having a website becomes crucial. In fact, according to US statistics, web development is the 8th of the best careers in the tech world for 2021. So you cannot go wrong with it this year. There are plenty of vacancies and a bunch of freelance options out there. All left for you is to spend some time and learn it. 

But which aspect exactly should you learn? Web development is a very general term, so let's take a look at its types: 

Types of Web Developers

There are three main types of web developers: front end, back end, and full stack. We'll have a look at each of them one by one. 

Front end

As a front end developer, your job will be to make sure the website visitor engages with your page. You need to build an interactive and user-friendly website that will be both visually and functionally appealing. In other words, you deal with all the stuff that is visible and clickable on the website. To do so, you need to mix programming and design skills and build a website your visitors can't resist! 

Back end

As a back-end developer, you will deal with the server-side application. It means you work more with the logical and data-related aspects of the website. You engage with APIs, core application logic, databases, and similar stuff. In other words, you maintain the technology that powers the front-end. 

Full stack

As you have guessed from the word, full stack development implies both front end and back end development. If you are a full stack developer, you should be equally professional in both front and back end development. It means you should build a user-face of the website and at the same time deal with its databases. Being a full stack developer requires more skills and experience. So, it might be a more long-term goal. 

Now, if you want to learn web development, you need to start with specific skills. Let's understand what skills you need for each of the roles: 

Front End Web Development Skills

If you've felt that you are more interested in front end development, then here is the list of skills you need to learn to become a good professional:

HTML

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the markup language used for the files and documents that are displayed on the Internet. Learning HTML is an absolute must for any front end developer. 

CSS

CSS stands for the Cascading Style Sheets. It is the style sheet used to describe the documents written in markup languages, like HTML. Both HTML and CSS are used in front end development to style the page. They deal with colors, fonts, layouts, and similar aspects of your website.

JavaScript

JavaScript is for going a little extra with your website. It is a scripting language that you can use to make your page more interactive. It allows you to add animations, scrolling videos, interactive maps, and similar fun features. 

If you learn all three languages well enough to work with them, you'll find your first paid job. 

Back End Web Development Skills

Here is the list of the skills you need to learn for the back end:

HTML

CSS

JavaScript / NodeJS

Ruby / Ruby on Rails

So, you just add Ruby, Ruby on Rails, and Node JS to your front end skills. These are common web frameworks that you will need in your work. Again, if you learn all of the four skills, you can confidently apply to a junior vacancy.

So, to sum up, here's the skill set you need: 

Front end: 

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

Back end: 

HTML 

CSS 

JavaScript

Ruby 

Drum rolls, please. It's time for the most exciting question. The question which will answer whether you need to struggle that much to learn web development: 

How Much Do Web Developers Make?

Let's talk money. How much will you earn? Well, expect to get somewhere from $71.000 to $111.000 per year. Of course, it always depends on the knowledge and experience you have, but this is the overall range. 

If you're feeling motivated, here are some tips and tricks to get you started: 

How to Learn Web Development?

You don't have to get a degree to be a good web developer. There are so many resources online that you can become an expert with online courses only. Here is a list of five free courses to get you started: 

Computer Programming  - Khan Academy is a real gem. It offers high-quality courses absolutely for free, which you can watch at any time of the day. The Computer Programming course includes JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and much more! 

Getting Started As a Web Developer - This one is from Udemy. It is a complete guide and intro to web development. Enjoy! 

Web Design for Everybody - If you want to learn web design from scratch, here's a great course from Coursera. 

Full-Stack Web Development with React Specialization  - This course is more challenging and will demand a little extra effort. If you want to get into full stack development, check it out. 

Intro to backend - Finally, if you are more interested in the backend, check this Udacity course. 

Find the Right Web Developer Job

Last but not least, once you have learned all the skills and gained a deep knowledge of web development, you need to find the right job for you. You can start as a freelancer by posting your offer or bidding to clients via freelancing platforms. Once you gain a little experience, you can move to a full-time job if you're into the more conventional working method. If not, you can freelance forever and enjoy the flexibility of your schedule! 

To Sum up

So, if you want to become a web developer, you should try it out in 2021. This year it will be one of the most demanded and trendy positions all around the world. You can learn it online and start freelancing right away! 

You can't have excuses now. Open one of the free courses and start your journey.