Web Developers who want to start or advance their careers have many certificate and certification options to choose from. But what’s the difference between a certificate program and a certification? How can you know which option is the best? This guide will walk you through some of the various certificate and certification options to help you choose the right one for you.
What Are Web Development Certificates and Certifications?
Certificates and certifications prove that you’ve been educated on a specific topic—in this case, web development. But certificates and certifications aren’t exactly the same thing; there is a significant difference between them.
A web development certificate program aim to provide you with the education you need to begin a new career. These programs can last several weeks or months, covering foundational concepts and teaching you the skills necessary to thrive as a Web Developer. Once you’ve successfully completed your coursework, you receive a certificate as proof of your education. Certificate programs can serve as preparation for certification, depending on the topic covered, but they are not the same.
Certifications also prove that you have the knowledge required to progress in your career. While certificate programs educate you, certifications test your knowledge to prove that you’ve internalized everything you’ve learned. Certification typically involves taking a standardized exam. Once you’ve successfully passed the exam, you’ll be certified with a credential indicating you meet a specific set of standards determined by your profession.
Why Are Certificates and Certifications for Web Developers Important?
Certificates and certifications are vital because they allow Web Developers to provide proof of their expertise. When companies look over the résumés of potential employees, they’ll gravitate more toward candidates who have earned certificates and certifications and away from those without any professional credentials. While it is certainly possible to learn coding on your own through self-study, having a certificate or certification is evidence of your web development skills. With these kinds of credentials, Web Developers can more easily find employment and advance in their careers.
Common Web Development Certificates and Certifications
Here are some of the most common certificates and certifications for Web Developers.
Certificates for Web Developers
Full Stack Web Development Certificate
In a full stack web development certificate program, you’ll learn everything you need about building a website from back to front. Topics covered in this program include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, essential web development tools, MongoDB, plus libraries and frameworks like React and Express.js.
Front End Web Development Certificate
A front end web development certificate is designed for those programmers who want to spend their careers focused on the client side of websites. A front end web development certificate program will teach you how to build websites using WordPress, code the front end of websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and use essential front end tools like Git, Flexbox, Bootstrap, and Visual Studio Code.
JavaScript Development Certificate
A JavaScript development certificate is perfect for any programmer who wants to specialize in JavaScript, the most widely used programming language in the entire world. Over the course of this certificate program, you’ll learn how to build dynamic web apps using JavaScript, Node.js, React, Express.js, and MongoDB.
Software Engineering Certificate
A software engineering certificate program is perfect for programmers who want an in-depth education that covers a wide range of topics. In this comprehensive program, students will learn how to code the front end of websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React and the back end with Python, Django, and Node.js. They’ll also learn how to use modern CSS layout techniques, add website functionality, track code changes, automate tasks, and program mobile apps.
Python Developer Certificate
A Python developer certificate program is designed to prepare students for a career as a Python Developer, Back End Developer, or Software Engineer. Through this program, students learn the fundamentals of Python and object-oriented programming, how to automate tasks using Python and Django, interacting with APIs using Django REST, and more.
Certifications for Web Developers
Amazon Web Services Certifications
Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a wide range of certifications for professionals in the tech industry. A few of their most popular certifications include Cloud Practitioner, Solutions Architect, Developer, Database, and Machine Learning. Earning these certifications can validate your cloud expertise, which increases your professional credibility and confidence.
International Web Association’s (IWA) Certified Web Professional (CWP)
The International Web Association offers several levels of certification for web professionals, including Associate, Specialist, and Master certificates. These certifications help display your professional competence, prepare you for promotions, and expand your employment opportunities. It’s important to note that you must be a member in good standing of the International Web Association to sit for the certification exams.
CIW Web Development Professional
The CIW Web Development Professional certifications are vendor-neutral certifications designed for developers who want to prove their expertise and improve their job prospects. Developers can earn several certifications through CIW, including JavaScript Specialist, Database Design Specialist, and Advanced HTML5 & CSS3 Specialist.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
Microsoft’s Azure Developer Associate certification is aimed at developers who have one to two years of experience working with the Azure cloud computing service. Before taking the exam, candidates should be skilled in data connections, APIs, app authentication, debugging, performance tuning, and Azure’s software development kits (SDKs). They should also be capable of developing for Azure storage and enacting Azure security in addition to producing, monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing complete Azure solutions.
Tips for Choosing a Web Development Certificate or Certification
If you’re not sure how to choose the best certificate program or certification, here are a few tips to help you make your decision:
1. Have a Goal in Mind
Before you start looking into certificate programs and certifications, it’s crucial to have a clear career goal in mind; there’s no point in considering a certification in Azure if you have no experience working with it. If you know what direction you want your career path to go, it’ll be much easier to find programs that align with your goals.
2. Consider Your Experience Level
You’ll also need to take your experience level into consideration. Certificate programs are usually geared toward beginners who are seeking an education in web development. On the other hand, certifications are for developers who already have professional experience.
3. Determine How Much Time You Want to Invest
Before evaluating your options, you should decide how much time you’re willing to put into a certificate program or certification. While taking a certification exam will only cost you a few hours of your time, preparing for the test can take months (plus years of prior experience.) Certificate programs can vary depending on whether you study full or part-time; you can typically earn a certificate in one to four months.
4. Find a Certificate Program or Certification that Fits Within Your Budget
You’ll also need to consider how much money each certificate program or certification costs. Because certifications are exam-only, they are less expensive than certificate programs. However, many training schools offer financing options for students in their certificate programs, making them more affordable and accessible to a broader range of people.
5. Decide if You Want to Earn Your Certificate or Certification Online or In Person
As you evaluate your options, keep your learning and test-taking style in mind. With certificate programs, you’ll have a choice between options: online learning, in-person courses, or live online classes (which offer the benefits of both—the convenience of online learning plus the expert instructions and immediate feedback of in-person courses). However, you may not have as much choice with certifications; the issuing body determines the delivery method for certifications.
Earn a Web Development Certificate through Noble Desktop
Are you ready to start working toward a new career in web development? If so, the best way to begin is by enrolling in a certificate program or web development bootcamp. Noble Desktop has several certificate options to choose from. For those who are interested in working on the front end, there’s a Front End Web Development Certificate that can be earned in four weeks of full-time study or four months of part-time study.
Another popular option is the Full Stack Web Development Certificate, which takes between two to eight months to complete. If you’re wanting to focus on a specific programming language, you might consider either the JavaScript Development Certificate or the Python Development Certificate.
If you want to learn more about web development but aren’t quite ready to commit to a certificate program, then consider enrolling in one or two web development courses to gauge your interest in the field. You can even find high-quality web development classes available live online if you prefer the convenience of learning from your own home. Whichever learning path you choose, an education in web development is sure to be a profitable investment, earning dividends for years to come as you grow in your career.