Developer Tools Certifications and Certificates

If you’re looking for a way to demonstrate your skills in developer tools, you might be overwhelmed by the different certifications and certificate programs available. You might also have many questions, such as how do I become certified in a developer tool? Will I need to become certified to get a job? How do I prepare to become certified? This article aims to answer these questions so you can efficiently choose the right path toward a certification. Keep reading to find out more.

What are Developer Tools?

Becoming a professional computer programmer takes a lot of training and effort. You’ll need to learn a wide range of programming languages that each serve a niche function in the development process. However, those looking to parlay their development skills into a long-term career will also need to learn how to use standard tools and libraries associated with computer programming to optimize their workflow and ensure that their code is easy to read, edit, and compile. Whether you are learning to use Visual Code Studio to compile your code, Git to archive it, or specific programming libraries like React and Node.js to expand the scope of your projects, learning developer tools is vital to be an efficient and effective computer programmer.

“Developer tools” is a broad category of skills that covers efficiency tools like Git, Emmett, and Visual Code Studio along with programming libraries like React and Django. These categories of tools are designed to help make programming easier and more efficient. Developers are more or less required to know Git since it is a crucial archiving program that is useful for all stages of the development process. Libraries, such as the JavaScript framework Node.js, serve more specific functions (in the case of Node.js, letting applications read JavaScript code outside of a web browser). Students must decide which set of tools will provide the largest return on investment, but learning a collection of different developer tools will significantly improve your job opportunities and code quality.

Read more about what developer tools are and why you should learn them.

What Can You Do with Developer Tools?

Developer tools are primarily used to make the coding and programming process more efficient and optimized for specific tasks. As a result, most of the things you can do with developer tools are focused on improving the things you can do with programming languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript. For example, Git won’t do much on its own, but when paired with other programming languages, it becomes a powerful tool for documentation and collaboration between multiple developers. Visual Code Studio will help developers compile and debug code far faster than they might otherwise have been able to, which will help them work on more complex projects thanks to automating the basic elements of the process.

On the other hand, learning to use advanced programming frameworks and libraries will vastly expand the things you can do as a programmer. For example, learning Node.js will allow you to develop software applications that read JavaScript code without accessing a web browser. This is a necessary technical skill for building things like streaming service software. It is a vital component of the internet of things technologies that make everything from digital assistants to smart cars possible. Similarly, learning the MERN stack will let users build full-stack frameworks for web applications using only their knowledge of JavaScript.

Certifications vs. Certificates: What’s the Difference?

Students interested in becoming certified in one or more developer tools should understand that there are multiple ways to become certified. Certification and certificates are distinct ways of demonstrating knowledge and proficiency in a tool or a collection of tools.

Certification is awarded to students who complete a proctored skills exam that tests a student’s knowledge and abilities with a given program. This includes an understanding of a program's features and real-world examples designed to test a student’s ability to use the tool in a practical setting. These exams often do not include training or preparation material and may expire after a fixed period, requiring users to retake the test to keep their certification up to date.

Certificates are more akin to diplomas and are awarded to students who complete an industry-recognized skills training course. These certificates rarely only teach students one tool but tend to teach students several different tools, including programming training in languages like HTML/CSS. These courses are also good places to improve existing skills to prepare for a certification exam.

Top Certifications & Certificates for Developer Tools

Students interested in becoming certified in a collection of developer tools should consider exploring their options through Noble Desktop. Noble Desktop offers a collection of relevant classes, including a Front End Tools and Portfolio and a Front End Web Development Certificate program. These courses teach students essential developer tools like Git and Visual Studio Code. The Front End Web Development course pairs this with the training required to become certified in HTML/CSS and JavaScript.

Since Developer Tools is a collective term for several varied but valuable applications, there isn’t a way to become certified in all of those tools at once through a certification exam. Instead, students will need to become certified independently through different certification services in Git, Node.js, Emmet, etc.

Students looking to prepare for these individual exams may wish to enroll in a certificate-granting program to ensure they have the experience and training they need to pass each exam.

Should I Get Certified in Developer Tools?

For most professional Developers, becoming certified in a development tool won’t be necessary to get a job. Since these are efficiency tools, prospective employers will be more interested in the development portfolio you use to demonstrate your proficiency as a developer. However, being certified in these tools and frameworks can demonstrate to a potential employer that you have training in skills that will make you a more productive and efficient professional developer.

How to Get Certified in Developer Tools

For most students, the best way to become certified in any given development tool will depend on whether or not you have existing knowledge and training in that skill. Students who, for instance, have on-the-job training in Git won’t need to enroll in a specialized course to become certified in Git.

Students who aren’t trained in developer tools will want to enroll in a certificate-granting course or bootcamp. Career-focused certificate courses are ideal for students who need programming skills and want to complement that training by becoming certified in developer tools. Focused bootcamps are ideally suited for students who don’t need additional computer programming training.

Learn Developer Tools with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Those who want to optimize their web development skills may consider enrolling in a web development training program offered through Noble Desktop. These classes will teach students how to use these tools to become more efficient and productive programmers. Enrolling in a course through Noble Desktop means you receive expert instruction in real-time, regardless of whether you are taking a course online or in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus. In either case, class sizes are kept small and students can interact directly with their instructors, making it easy to ensure that they don’t fall behind in their lessons. All students can retake their courses within one calendar year, giving them extra opportunities to train with these development tools. Plus, students who work in-person will be able to take advantage of Noble’s state-of-the-art computer lab.

For those looking to master the crucial tools that web developers use to streamline their work, Noble offers a Front End Tools and Portfolio course that covers all of the most common web development tools professionals utilize in their daily work. This includes Git and Github for documenting and sharing code, Emmet for programming efficiency and shortcutting, and Visual Code Studio for compiling and editing code. These tools will help significantly accelerate a student’s ability to bring projects to completion and are invaluable professional tools. This class assumes a knowledge of HTML/CSS, so you must find other means of training if you need to cover those skills.

If you want a more complete web development training regimen that includes many of these tools and frameworks, you may want to enroll in Noble’s Front End Web Development Certificate program or its Full Stack Web Development Certificate program. These career-focused courses provide training in every step of the development process, from basic coding skills with HTML/CSS to advanced JavaScript training. Along the way, you will learn the tools and techniques, as well as the specific programming libraries, that you will need to start a new career in professional web development. These courses are career-focused training options. In addition to receiving practical training in tools like Git and Visual Code Studio that make professional programmers more efficient,you will also receive professionalization training, such as one-on-one career mentorship and dedicated portfolio-building seminars. They are an ideal place to learn every element of web development and embark on a new career path in this ever-changing industry.

Key Insights

• Students looking to demonstrate their proficiency in a set of developer tools may wish to go through the process of becoming certified. While this won’t be a job requirement for most developers, it is an excellent way to set yourself apart from other candidates.
• There are two significant ways to become certified. Students can either pass certification exams or complete a certificate-granting training program.
• Certificate-granting programs are ideal for students who need additional training or want to learn web development skills while becoming certified in a collection of developer tools.
• Certification exams are ideal for students who have significant experience using these tools and are willing to become certified in several individual programs.
• Students looking to enroll in a certificate-granting program or to prepare for a certification exam should explore the options for developer tools training from Noble Desktop. These training programs are available both in-person or through live online instruction.