Career Building Tips For Web Developers ⚡

2020 May 29th

You might know, or you might not know, but five days ago I spoke for Progate India. More specifically, I gave a talk about JavaScript and career-building tips for people trying to enter the industry and for junior developers. You can watch the talk here, and you can subscribe to my YouTube channel 📺 for more talks like this one.

However, I thought of writing those pieces of advice on my blog too. As a result, this article is something like a Q&A session. The article is aimed at people trying to enter the tech industry or junior developers. Let jump straight in!

Be aware that I left some questions out, and I changed the answer to some questions.

CODING CAN BE HARD 😓

The first question is “Sometimes coding can be hard. What should one do to get better at it?“.

I think everybody expects some secret when they ask this question. However, there is no secret. To get better at programming, you have to code. A lot. Code. Get stuck. Learn to get unstuck. Repeat.

Coding is a practical task, and you only get better at it by practising. There is no substitute for hard & smart & practical work. You can only get better by putting your fingers to work.

PERSONAL PROJECTS 🏗️

Another question is “How important are projects? Any tips for building great projects?“.

Projects are crucial. The more projects you build, the better you get at programming. You do not get better if you do not develop projects. Like it is mentioned above, coding is a practical task, and you need to do practical work.

Memorizing concepts is one thing; building projects is another thing. However, they go hand-in-hand. Before you jump into programming, you need to understand basic concepts and the fundamentals. Once you understand them, start building projects.

When it comes to tips, my tips to build great projects are:

Build a project that does something useful
Write tests
Write readable code (not clever/smart code)
Have instructions on how to install/run your project
Have a live preview link

However, this is not an exhaustive list. This list represents my opinion. You are free to add more or remove some stuff from the list.

HOW TO START AND STAY UP-TO-DATE 💡

The third question is as follows “With so many emerging technologies, how should aspiring developers keep themselves updated? How should they choose which technology to explore and learn first?“.

I want to start by saying that you can never know everything and be up-to-date with everything. I would suggest picking a language such as JavaScript or Python because they are reasonably easy to start with, and there are lots of tutorials online.

But it very much depends on what you want to do. Find your area (e.g. web development, mobile development, etc.), and find the best technologies for that area.

For web development, I would recommend JavaScript of course. To stay up-to-date, it’s not that hard once you’re in the industry. Read tech blogs and articles to keep up-to-date.

DO NOT RUN AFTER BUZZWORDS ❌

I want to start this section by telling you not to run after buzzwords. The question is as follows “These days ‘Machine Learning’ and ‘AI’ are buzzwords. Should aspiring developers follow the buzzwords or learn what interests them the most?“.

I always say to follow your passion. However, it is not mandatory. You can go for the jobs that pay the most as well. For example, I am a web developer, and I do not waste too much time with buzzwords. I like web development, and I am not interested in other areas.

Also, if you are always running after buzzwords, you will never get good enough at anything. Pick an area that interests you and get better in that area.

OTHER TIPS 🚀

These are the most important questions that I want to cover. Now, I want to share some other career-building tips for developers.

Life is more than work – never forget this. In tech, it seems that you have to code and learn non-stop to stay relevant. But that is not the case. Relax and enjoy life too. This is coming from someone that got burned out because of too much work.

Also, do not be ashamed to Google. There is not a person that can say “I never Google”. It is impossible to memorize everything. Knowing what to Google is a power itself.

When it comes to coding, create a GitHub account, update the bio, and use a picture (professional one if possible). Once you have the account set up, upload only finished projects. Do not leave unfinished projects on your profile. Please explain in the README of each project how to install the application, and how to run it. If you describe what you did, and why you did it that way, it is even better. Also, include a preview link in the README if applicable. Everyone wants to see what the application does and looks like before looking at the code.

Let us talk about job hunting a little bit too. Do you want to apply for a position but you fear your CV will go into a black hole? Try contacting a recruiter or any person working at the company you want to apply. You have more chances this way, and this is how I do it every time. I rarely apply to a position through a website.

CONCLUSION 🏁

You are at the end of the article. Always remember that this article represents my viewpoint, and it is influenced by the experience I have been through.

If you want to add something more, reply in the comments below. If you disagree with something, reply politely in the same place.

I hope this article helps at least one person. If that is the case, my goal is achieved, and I am more than happy.

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