As our lives become more entwined and reliant on technology for communication as well as organization, web development has become an increasingly popular career.
Many people are curious about joining this field but are worried about it being too difficult.
Web developers face challenges, to be sure, but if you are focused and dedicated to learning, then you can learn to like (or love) this important and rewarding career.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Web Development?
When thinking about a new career, it is critical to consider the time that you must spend studying before you can get a job and start earning money. Fortunately, you can become a web developer without spending too much time. The exact amount of time needed for learning depends on experience level and on the type of web development being studied.
See Also: How Hard is it to Get a Job in Computer Science?
What Types of Web Developers Are There?
There are three types of web developers: front end, back end, and full stack.
A front-end developer is focused on the outward appearance of websites. This requires basic web design, including knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Front-end developers focus on how a site looks and on ensuring that the user interface works smoothly and is easy to use.
If you want to become a front-end developer, make sure that you hone your graphic design skills, as web designers often must also double as graphic designers to ensure that their sites have a good user experience and look amazing. Though you will need to learn a coding language or two, such as Javascript, you will not even need to spend much time coding.
Even people with no experience can learn the basic framework of HTML, CSS, Javascript, and web design in a few months. One good way to learn quickly is to find a good coding “boot camp”; these fast courses present all the most important skills in just one-to-three months.
Back-end developers, on the other hand, need higher-level skills because they must work on the complex, behind-the-scenes aspects of a site. To become a back-end developer, you will need to know computer science, so that you understand not just how to build websites and web applications but also how to work with the servers and other websites.
Because back-end developers need to know more advanced skills as part of the development process, you will need to learn many skills before you can get a job coding a site. The fact of the matter, however, is that you can focus less on design elements and may not even need to learn HTML or CSS.
With that said, you will need to know how to code at a high level. This will include Javascript and other, more advanced coding languages, such as Python, SQL, and Ruby. You will also need to know how to work with one or more back-end tools, like Bootstrap.
You can start learning back-end development on your own, but if you want to get a full-time job building a website, you will likely study through a university for one-to-four years.
Alternatively, full-stack developers build full websites. This involves learning both front- and back-end skills so that you can not only design a website using skills such as HTML and Javascript but also build that site and ensure that it will work right.
One way to become a full-stack developer is to find one of the many excellent degrees and affordable online programs in web development. Once you find the right program, you will be able to learn to code – and much, much more – in one-to-four years, all from the comfort of your home.
Why Is Web Development so Hard?
The fact is that web development, though challenging, is not “hard,” like being a doctor or lawyer. You can get much of what you need to know on your own and in relatively little time, especially if you only want to focus on the front end.
To design a good web page or build a popular web application, you do not need to know every programming language or even get a bachelor’s degree – you just need to work on your skills and make sure that you practice writing code every day.
Conclusion: Is Web Development a Good Career in 2021?
Web development certainly sounds like a good career, with most in the field bringing in a median of over $73,000 per year. The field is also expected to experience 8% yearly job growth, which is much higher than average. Best of all, web development is very flexible, with full-, part-time, contract, and even self-employed jobs available.
In addition, web developers like their work; they report high job satisfaction and low stress. Given all these factors, now is a fantastic time to start learning web development, provided that you like working with computers and can dedicate yourself to the work.
