How to Get Hired as a Web Developer

The average salary in the UK for web developers is £52,000, making the position a respectable entry point with plenty of room for growth. If you want to get started down this path, it doesn’t have to be difficult, either.

With the field of web development an ever-growing and valuable industry, the demand for new developers is constant. You can get your foot in the door without necessarily having to go through years of expensive schooling. All it takes is honing the right skillset and preparing yourself for a lucrative future.

In this guide, we’ll describe why web development is a great field for any modern worker, then give you five strategies to help you get hired, no matter the economy.

Why Web Development?

Web development is a diverse and open field, spanning the breadth of the internet. Web developers are needed to ensure the functionality and usefulness of web pages, from server processing and communication to the overall structure of a website.

Atop salaries at £67,000 on the higher end, web developers experience benefits that make the job worthwhile. These perks can include:

• Building something new and exciting, helping businesses thrive online
• Flexibility in where you work, necessary in today’s pandemic environment
• Skills always in demand due to the digital nature of modern business

Entering the web development field is a valuable decision, but getting hired for your dream job will take preparation and learning.

Here’s what you should know:

1. Know What You Want

   Entering the web development field could be your starting point for a long career path in information technology and design. This can open many doors for the average worker, offering higher salaries over time and a necessary skillset in the modern world. Before you seek out a web development position, however, you should first understand the different jobs within the field.

   There are three primary types of web developers, each with their own unique set of duties:

   1. Front-End Developer
      These developers focus on the visual and user experience side of building web content. While they do not necessarily design the layout itself, front-end developers are responsible for creating a usable, pleasant structure for a website.
   2. Back-End Developer
      Back-end developers are dedicated to the unseen aspects of managing a web page. Every time a user interacts or submits information into a site, that information has to be processed and communicated by the server. Back-end developers ensure the functionality of these processes through coding and server maintenance.
   3. Full-Stack Developer
      Serving as a jack-of-all-trades, full-stack developers bridge front-end and back-end development to maintain all aspects of a site. They are all-purpose developers, defined by their adaptability and broad skillset.Knowing what you want to do helps you direct your focus, informing which programming languages and certifications you seek out in your efforts to get hired. Each of these positions incorporates web design and communication elements through coding and programming languages. However, the range of skills needed may change depending on the path you choose.

2. Hone Your Skills

   

   The skillset required of a web developer falls primarily along the lines of coding and software management. While this does not necessarily require a university degree, obtaining one can be the best way to stay competitive in your field. Alternatively, coding training programs and boot camps can help you get your foot in the door cheaply, allowing you to begin acquiring the skills and experience for long-term success.

   Learning programming languages will be the key aspect of getting hired as a web developer. While different development positions utilize different languages, common programming languages across all web development include:

   • HTML
   • CSS
   • JavaScript
   • PHP

   Both front-end and back-end development make consistent use of these languages, so your best bet in getting hired will be to hone these fluencies to their maximum efficiency.

   Additionally, a web developer should be skilled in user interface and user experience competencies, understanding how aesthetics and functionality blend to create a pleasant design for the average user. These skills atop coding languages and good communication are sure to create opportunities for any web developer.

3. Explore the Marketplace

   Another great way to increase your desirability as a web developer is to explore the modern marketplace of web design and implement modern practices into your own work. The digital world is a rapidly evolving place, but by staying abreast of user experience trends and website features, you can put yourself on the top of any resume stack.

   For example, modern web design is all about responsiveness and the benefits it brings. This means HTML code that can function perfectly across any device. Since users are now interacting with the web on a wide variety of mobile and desktop platforms, building responsive code is a positive ability that any modern company will be willing to pay more for.

   Maintaining an awareness of development trends offers benefits to you and the businesses you’ll end up working for, benefits such as:

   • Higher salaries
   • Flexibility in website design and work options
   • Reduced load times and better performance on sites
   • Seamless communication exemplified for your portfolio

   Explore the marketplace of websites and design, then integrate best practices into your own examples. As a result, you’ll have a portfolio worth showcasing.

4. Build a Portfolio

   Little is more important in getting hired as a web developer than having examples of your work to show. That’s why your portfolio should be full of your best work, showcasing modern trends and excellent, responsive user experience functionality.

   With the way technologies like AI are revolutionizing smartphone use, an important aspect of your portfolio should be demonstrating how your code can interact and communicate with these tools. Start with a good foundation of HTML code that can responsively adapt to different devices. Learn the ways APIs interact with databases to show that you are capable of integrating all kinds of features. Build awareness of and adaptability for many modern tools and features.

   

   Tip:

   Your portfolio is a demonstration of all that you can do. To truly impress recruiters, create a flexible, trendy platform to showcase your work.

5. Nail the Interview

   Your final step in getting hired as a web developer will come in the inevitable interview. This part of getting hired can be a point of stress for anyone—but you can come in confident and fully prepared.

   

   Important:

   Most interviews will require some aspect of a coding test to demonstrate your skills and fluencies with the languages you use. Then, you will be asked a series of questions so that managers can better determine how well you will fit within the culture they have cultivated.

   Common interview questions for web developers include:

   • What programming languages are you efficient in and what would you like to learn?
   • What kind of environment do you work best in?
   • What are some of your successes and failures as a developer? Why?
   • How do you communicate your progress to your team and/or clients?
   • What is your approach to problem-solving?
   

   Tip:

   Practice answering questions like these alongside your coding to truly impress in an interview. Getting hired as a web developer will then come easy, allowing you to build experience and new skills to advance wherever your aspirations take you.

   By following these tips and strategies, you can better prepare yourself for a long and lucrative future as a web developer. Start now by determining what path you want to take and brush up on your coding knowledge.