There’s no denying that the world of work has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Even since 2020, jobs in information and technology have grown by 33,400 workers, a number that is only set to rise. According to Deloitte, by 2026 there will be over 1.1 million technology workers in Australia. One of those technology roles includes web development.
Perhaps you’re thinking of a career change or maybe you want to build websites as a side hustle. Either way, if you’re reading this, your attention has been piqued. Read on to learn what exactly a web developer does and how to get started.
What Does A Web Developer Do?
A web developer is someone who develops websites and other web-based content. It may sound obvious but there are a lot of moving parts that go into this role. According to Seek, most web developers specialise in either front-end (the part the customer or reader sees) or the back-end (the mechanics of the website). Some are proficient in both. If you’re one of them, you’re known as a full stack developer.
If you work online you may be familiar with the terms HTML, CSS, Java and JavaScript. Web developers are also specialists in those programming languages. Essentially, they can transform a website from unreadable code to clickable content.
Front-end developers typically focus on the visual and design elements of websites and can anticipate and fully appreciate user needs and behaviour. As the name suggests, front-end (or client-side) development involves the programming of what will be visible to the user. Languages like JavaScript, CSS, and HTML are widely used in this development role.
Because front-end development is responsible for what you can see on a website, it’s often confused with web design. Although front-end developers don’t design websites, they are the link between design and technology that can turn an idea into an interactive web page.
With a projected job growth of 25% over the next five years, it’s no wonder that more employers are looking for people with the smarts and skills to create websites.
What Are The Day-To-Day Tasks?
Some of the basic tasks that a web developer may be responsible for include optimising a website so it’s easy to find through a search engine, working with other designers such as user experience (UX) and graphic designers to help ensure the website is useable, testing websites and fixing bugs, and, perhaps most importantly, transforming a design (i.e. sketches or wireframes from a website) into code that then can be utilised by users.
Essentially, every website you visit has been touched by some form of web developer. A very important role in the 21st century.
How To Get Started
Feeling inspired to morph into a real-life computer whiz and help to get websites up and running? One way to get involved is by signing up for a course. This information is pretty specific so by studying a course you can get a grasp on the language and tools needed.
Holmesglen Institute and Lighthouse Labs, Canada’s leading coding bootcamp, have created a range of IT courses to help get you started. The partnership means that Lighthouse Labs is able to deliver global courses created by developers for developers in Australia, for the first time. Choose from a 30-week Web Development Bootcamp with flexible options or a 12-week Web Development Bootcamp.
Some of the key units include software architecture and how to code with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Ruby on Rails. You’ll also discover how to create with modern front-end tools such as Babel and Webpack and the course will lead you to a number of industry roles including front-end, back-end, and full-stack developer.
Plus, if you enrol for the Bootcamp with career boost, you’ll get lifetime access to job resources. The team will help you to nab a job in web development thanks to personalised, one-on-one career support.
Applications close on the 19th of August 2022 with a start date of the 19th of September 2022. For more information on your next career move, or to learn how to get involved, head to Holmesglen. Good luck, computer whizzes.