Web Developer Job Search Tips & Best Practices

When you’ve become a trained Web Developer and are ready to look for jobs, you may wonder where you should start looking. You will certainly be aware that the web has many places to look for jobs, but may be uncertain as to which ones are the best for Web Developers. This article will help familiarize you with the right sites for web development job searches. Knowing the right sites will help you be competitive with other Web Developers in finding these jobs. Good sites to use in your job search include LinkedIn, Indeed, Dice, GitHub, and Stack Overflow.

LinkedIn

You may know LinkedIn as a professional networking tool, perhaps using it to reach out to friends and colleagues you want to connect with to help advance your career. The site is also an excellent job board for tech careers in general, web development among them. If you have a paid membership, you can often see who the recruiter or hiring manager for a position is. Reaching out to that individual can help ensure that they actually see your application among the hundreds that may be coming in for that particular role.

Indeed

Indeed is one of the most popular job boards in the United States. TechRadar rates it as the best American job board for 2023. It’s good for Web Developers because of its extensive database of job listings across industries and types of business. Indeed also offers a wide range of features like skills assessments, salary comparison tools, and a review section with comments from real employees of the business. It will enhance your job search with information as well as with access to many listings.

Dice

Unlike LinkedIn or Indeed, Dice is specifically focused on tech and development. Its claim is that over half of US tech staff are registered on the site, so you may want to join the crowd. Dice has an excellent search function that allows you to set exact criteria for your search so that the jobs that come up will be a good fit for your career goals. 

GitHub

You’re probably familiar with GitHub as the one-stop version control shop for Developers and Software Engineers. But it also has a jobs board, exclusively devoted to full-time development jobs. If you’re looking for a job within the tech sector, this board is an excellent resource. The advantage of GitHub is that if you already have code saved in a public repository on the site, a prospective employer can easily check out your code while they are looking at your application. 

Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow is best known as a site for finding answers to your technical questions, collaborating remotely with a community of other Developers. It is a public platform devoted to building a database of coding questions and answers, and it gets over 100 million visitors a month from software engineers and developers. Stack Overflow also has its own jobs board, one that’s advantageous to international candidates because it allows one to search for which jobs are willing to provide a visa. The drawback of Stack Overflow is that only tech sector employers tend to know about it, so if you’re looking for a job outside a tech company, it may not be the best fit.

Web Developer Salary and Job Outlook

Before choosing to become a Web Developer, you should know what you will likely be paid and the factors that affect your compensation. Web Developer salaries will vary according to a candidate’s education, experience, and specialized skills. The company size, workplace location, and industry also shape the compensation offered. But experience is the most important factor, followed by skill set and location. You will earn more if your employer is located in a large city. Salaries for Web Developers in the United States can range from $51,000 to $155,000. It is essential to research specific locations and industries when applying for Web Developer positions.

The job outlook for Web Developers is also excellent, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The demand for Web Developers through 2031 is projected to grow by 23%, far higher than the 5% national average across all careers. The labor market is projected to add an average of 21,800 new Web Developer jobs each year in this time span. If you choose to become a Web Developer, you can expect the position to be in high demand with good job security in the coming years.

Read more about Web Developer salaries and the job outlook for a Web Developer.

Learn the Skills to Become a Web Developer at Noble Desktop

To become a Web Developer, you must learn specific skills critical to the job. Noble Desktop can help you build these skills through in-person or live online instruction. Either way, you’ll have access to expert instructors who can clarify issues when you are confused, provide feedback on your work, and guide you through becoming a Web Developer. Small class sizes and the option to retake any course for free once you’ve completed it are additional incentives for studying with Noble Desktop.

Noble offers several relevant certificate programs demonstrating your Web Developer skills and qualifications to share with potential employers and support you in your job search. Completing the software engineering certificate gives you the broadest qualifications and career path options. If you are primarily interested in developing for the front end, consider the front end web development certificate. JavaScript is becoming increasingly popular for web development, so completing the certificate in JavaScript will boost your resume. Opt for the full stack development certificate if you're interested in front end and back end programming. And if you prefer behind-the-scenes programming, pursue the certificate in Python development.

If you’re a beginner in web development, Noble’s hub of articles and resources on web development is a great place to start and plan your learning path. Noble’s web development courses are excellent if you’re eager to start learning but not yet ready to commit to a full certificate.