How to Become a Web Developer At Home

As a greater number of businesses are becoming aware of the importance of embracing the digital world, the demand for Web Developers to help them build attractive websites has also increased. These professionals blend a mix of technical and creative skills to design web pages that are not only visually appealing but functional and secure. You might be thinking that web development sounds like a career path you’d like to pursue but are concerned about commuting to an office every day. Good news– not only is web development a job that can be done remotely, but you can also learn how to do it from home, too! 

Read on to find out more.

What Does a Web Developer Do?

When discussing the day-to-day responsibilities of a Web Developer, it’s important first to understand that there are three different types of Web Developers. First, there are Back End Developers who work on the technical or “server-side” of a website. This includes programming web pages, testing them to make sure they work properly, and troubleshooting any glitches or errors that may arise. On the other hand, Front End Developers are charged with creating a web page's overall look and feel. While they are also skilled in computer programming, they typically have a sharper eye for creative design. Developers who combine these skills and work on both ends of a website are called Full Stack Developers.

Additionally, plenty of responsibilities overlap across all three of these options. To start, many Web Developers work within a larger team. They often spend at least part of their days meeting with clients to ensure a website works properly, looks appealing, and contains the necessary content. They will often be asked to implement feedback and quickly change a design.

How do you know which path is right for you? If you enjoy being creative and working with design software in addition to coding, front end development may be for you. Back end development might be a better fit if you love troubleshooting code and don’t get easily frustrated when solving complex problems. If you can’t decide, you can always learn both and become a highly sought-after Full Stack Developer!

Steps to Become a Web Developer at Home

The path toward becoming a Web Developer contains a few critical steps. While everyone’s experiences look a little different, having a basic outline will help you to better visualize what will be required of you as you prepare for a new career.

1. Choose your learning style. Reflecting on how you learn best can help you identify which resources will be most helpful to you. Some people are disciplined self-starters who prefer to read books and practice on their own time, while others need the structure of a class to be successful.
   
   
2. Identify your area of specialization. While some pursue full stack development, many professionals choose to focus on the front end or the back end. Deciding which is the better path for you will inform what skills you need to focus on.
   
   
3. Learn the required hard skills. These will vary depending on whether you want to be a Front End Developer or a Back End Developer. Still, they all require a thorough knowledge of computer programming and other software. Python and JavaScript are common coding languages used in web development, and Front End Developers tend to be well-versed in graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.
   
   
4. Practice! You can practice your skills by offering your services to local businesses, especially those that are small or in the non-profit sector. They are more likely to take advantage of your services because they require support in building a website but lack the budget for a team of designers.
   
   
5. Build a portfolio. A portfolio is essential when looking for a job; this is how you display your work to a potential employer. Creating a GitHub account will allow you to store all of your projects in one location. Allowing a hiring manager to view your work will show them your coding style and help them understand whether you’d fit in well at their organization. They can also see how your skills have developed over time and get an idea for how well you adapt to specific projects.
   
   
6. Begin the job search. It may take a while to find a job in today’s market, but an added perk of web development is that you can freelance while you look for more permanent employment. 

Salary and Future of Web Development Careers

Whether you choose to learn front end or back end development (or both!), web development, in general, is a complex process that requires a wide variety of skills. Happily, salaries in this field tend to reflect the challenging nature of this work. The average annual salary for a web developer is around $70,000, though salaries do vary depending on your location and experience. For example, Web Developers with six to ten years of experience can earn between $82,000 and $89,000 per year.

If you hope to pursue a career in web development, there’s even more good news about job security. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that these careers will grow at a much faster rate than the average for other professions in the next ten years. Web development is also an exciting field to enter because of how it may change soon. For example, at least 50% of web traffic happens on cell phones rather than laptops or desktop computers. Therefore, burgeoning developers might receive more training in designing websites to have a more positive mobile experience. They may also be exposed to more cybersecurity concepts since phishing attacks on data are becoming more common. 

Virtual Resources to Learn Web Development

Although web development is a highly technical field, there are plenty of books available on the subject that will provide you with plenty of information. You can likely find some titles at your local library, though some people choose to purchase their own copies to refer back to them throughout their careers. There is a set of two books called Web Design with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery by Jon Duckett. These highly-rated books provide a thorough overview of the entire web development process. If you’re a more visual learner, Learn JavaScript Visually with Interactive Exercises might be the perfect book for you. It includes multiple exercises that you can follow along with on your home computer as you learn.

There are also several online resources to help you get additional practice. freeCodeCamp has thousands of tutorials and challenges to complete, and, as the name suggests, it’s entirely free to use. Codewell is another website that offers free projects to develop your skills. Here, you’ll find templates for real-world designs that you can improve upon. This site also boasts an active Slack community where you can find support with troubleshooting and receive feedback on your projects. 

While books and self-study materials are helpful (and generally the most affordable option), most people find the greatest success when they take a class or a bootcamp. These programs are generally focused on project-based learning, which is thought to be the most effective way to learn a new skill. Many of these classes offer remote learning options as well, meaning that you can receive quality training at home. 

Learn Web Development with Noble Desktop

If you’re ready to learn more about working from home as a Web Developer, you may want to look into a course or two to boost your skills. Noble Desktop offers a variety of web development classes to choose from. Many of their courses are suitable for beginners and can be taken live online, providing an excellent opportunity to learn from home. 

If a shorter class works best for your schedule, there are several foundational courses to choose from. Check out the Web Development with HTML & CSS class, the JavaScript for Front-End class, or the JavaScript Programming Fundamentals class. Each of these options is 18-hours long and is completed in less than a week. 

Noble Desktop also offers a handful of certification courses as well. These courses are longer, but they also provide a more comprehensive range of information. The school has a Front-End Web Development Certificate geared toward beginners that teaches multiple programming languages and web building tools. A Full-Stack Web Development Certificate is also available. Here, students are taught Ruby on Rails in addition to the curriculum from the front end course. 

Certification programs at Noble Desktop provide students with robust career support. In addition to your time spent in class, you’ll receive four one-on-one mentoring sessions to discuss your career goals. You can use this time to polish your resume, update your portfolio, and discuss tips for finding remote work with your new skills.