It’s pretty clear from the name itself – Web developers build websites, such as the one you are reading this information on. Web developers can further be classified into three separate categories – Front-end developers, Back-end developers, and Full-stack developers. Check out this explanation of their difference, courtesy of The Odin Project –
The front end is the stuff you see on the website in your browser, including the presentation of content and user interface elements like the navigation bar. Front-end developers use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and their relevant frameworks to ensure that content is presented effectively and that users have an excellent experience.
The back end refers to the guts of the application, which live on the server. The back-end stores and serves program data to ensure that the front end has what it needs. This process can become very complicated when a website has millions of users. Back-end developers use programming languages like Java, Python, and Ruby to work with data.
Full-stack developers are comfortable working with both the front and back ends.
Job Profile (A Day in the life of a Web Developer)
You would have flexible work hours, and in most companies, there is an 8-hour workday. The concept of ‘work from home’ is really prevalent in this industry. Some companies are pretty chill about it, other companies are not.
Growth options are very good and exponential in pay. Work-life balance can be as good as you can maintain it. Nothing is stopping you if you can discipline yourself in this field. One of the people we talked to had his salary increase 7x in five years. But if you don’t like computers, programming, or tech in general, you will be out in the first round of interviews. You can’t fake it in this line of work.
The job is to mainly make websites and web apps according to the directives of the project manager. But in smaller companies and start-ups, you may have to become the jack of all trades and handle everything from managing servers to data collection and analysis. Technical skills really depend on which category of web development you belong to (front-end, back-end, or full-stack), but in general, Javascript is the most important language for making websites.
If you are going to be a front-end developer, you must also be proficient with HTML, CSS, and React/Vue. For back-end, Express/Django/Ruby on Rails would do the trick. If you are planning to be a full-stack developer, you need to get a hold of all of these languages and frameworks.
Other required skills are writing efficient and readable code, as well as the ability to use Google in the right manner. Googling stuff really is half of the job. Building new features, fixing bugs, replying to customer issues, mentoring junior mates, writing technical documentation is also a big part of the work profile. The web developers usually work as a team under a team leader or project manager.
Salary of a Web Developer in India
Starting salary, on average, is roughly around 40,000 rupees per month, but it varies widely from city to city and from company to company. The prospects for monetary growth are immense, and you can expect a six-figure monthly salary in just four to five years.
Degree
Depends, certain companies allow people with skills who don’t have degrees (ex. Google) whereas others require it. To be on the safer side, you should go for a degree (BTech Computer Science). But if you can’t, then don’t fret! You will still be able to find a job.
One thing to like about being a Web Developer
“Zero client interaction. Flexible deadlines, no repetitive work. We are assigned a task and we can submit it in on our own time. Great working environment as well as consistent growth options. Pays good with less labour. The joy of creating something useful out of thin air”
One thing to hate about being a Web Developer
“Incompetent and unmotivated people just in it for the money, make things harder for everybody. Only 12 leaves in a year. Very long screen times; 6-9 hrs sometimes. Sitting constantly can be tiring and eyes and backbone can get messed up overtime because of staring at a monitor.”
Recommended Colleges
If you are going for a degree, then colleges such as the IITs, NITs, IIITs, DTU, and SRM are recommended from our side.
Resources and Tips
- Youtube channels like The Net Ninja You may also like Ben Awad and Kevin Powell.
- If you ever run into an issue, Stack Overflow is going to help you out; so make sure that you bookmark it.
- Freecodecamp is a great place to get an understanding of the basics of web development.
- However, if there is one resource that will infinitely make your learning process simpler, it is The Odin Project. It takes you from a literal beginner and transforms you into a job-ready full-stack developer. For free.
Step-by-step guide to become a Web Developer
- Take science (PCM + CS) stream in class 11th.
- Give JEE and other equivalent engineering exams.
- More than degrees, this is a job of skills. So, even if you are not from a science background; or if you want to switch careers, you can start learning from The Odin Project.
- Whether you are going to college or not, start building your portfolio on GitHub. It’s supremely important.
- When you have a sufficient enough portfolio, start reaching out to companies on InternShala and other related platforms, and try to secure an internship to get some experience in this field.
- Reach out to companies and HR heads (you can find them on LinkedIn) with a brilliant CV and an amazing portfolio
Similar Occupations
Software Engineer, Data Scientist, Production Engineer, Firmware Engineer
Thanks a lot to Rishabh Nishad for providing us with this information.