The Essential Guide to Becoming a Professional Web Developer: Part 2

woman working at computer studying to become a professional web developer

March 25, 2020
T.J. Kidder

Whether you have a passion for computer science and analytical thinking or you’re simply looking for a well-paid job in a growing industry, you can’t go wrong by learning to code. And guess what: we can help you out with that!

In the first part of our guide to becoming a developer, we listed the traits of a successful developer, explained what programmers actually do, and touched on some top-quality programming languages.

Now we’ll give you seven crucial steps that will help you make the most of your web development training in San Diego. Read on to learn more.

Here are the 7 steps to becoming a web developer:

What are the steps to becoming a web developer?

Before we start, there’s one rule no aspiring coder should ever forget: coding isn’t something you can take lightly. You can become a web developer in just a few months, but only if you commit to it. Otherwise, you’re only going to waste your time.

We had to point this out because many would-be coders make the mistake of trying to learn coding on their own. Even if you possess the mental fortitude to stick it out for months or even years, not having a good teacher will quickly cause you to get stuck, become discouraged, and develop terrible coding habits.

With that in mind, here are the 7 steps to becoming a coder:

Step #1: Pick a specialty

Which type of web developer you want to be will have a massive impact on how you go about learning to code. In other words, you have to decide early on whether you want to be a back-end, front-end, or full-stack developer.

Step #2: Learn a coding language or two

Once you know what you want to do, you can start learning a programming language that best fits your chosen field. For instance, if you wish to be a front-end developer, you’re going to want to learn JavaScript. On the other hand, back-end developers will need to master a back-end framework such as Ruby on Rails.

Step #3: Build an online portfolio

Once you’ve learned how to code, you should “cut your teeth” on some small projects. Charities and nonprofits are always looking for programmers who are willing to help, and this, in turn, allows you to get some real working experience. Once you’ve completed some bigger projects, you should create a personal website that showcases your work.

Step #4: Test and debug endlessly

Making sure your code runs properly is as important as writing it in the first place. Patience is vital when it comes to debugging and testing; not only will it help you catch mistakes, it’ll also teach you how to avoid common errors in the future.

Step #5: Network with other coders

Join social media groups and online forums devoted to web development, and start interacting with your future colleagues. A community like this will expedite your learning and help keep up with important industry news.

Step #6: Analyze other websites

Go to the websites you like and study their code. Find out how they were created. You can learn some incredibly useful tricks by simply discovering how other developers do things.

Step #7: Practice is king

They say that, in order to truly master a skill, you need to practice it for about 10,000 hours. We don’t know if that number is correct, but the point stands; you can’t “get good” without A LOT of repetition.

Where can I get in-depth web development training in San Diego?

Located in the heart of Downtown San Diego, Learn Academy is the leading provider of top-of-the-line coding bootcamps in California. In addition to several months of theoretical lessons and exercises from the industry’s top teachers, our intensive bootcamp also gives all students a month-long internship at a real coding company. Contact us today.