There are many soft and hard skills you will need to become a successful web developer. Both are important for a well-balanced approach to developing web applications. If you don’t have all the soft and hard skills mentioned, the good news is you will hone them during your web development program at Hunter Business School. We will prepare you for an entry-level position in web development so you can enjoy using your skills to build web applications.
And you can continue to build upon these skills throughout your career.
What Soft Skills Does a Web Developer Need?
Working as a web developer takes skills, many of which you will hone during your formal education and while working on the job. From good communication skills to attention to detail and everything in between, building your soft skill set will prepare you to succeed when you join the IT workforce. Some of the soft skills that will help you succeed as a web developer include:
Skill #1: Communication
You may perform some work as a web developer solo, but you will also spend time talking to supervisors, colleagues, and customers to complete projects. Good communication is important to keep everyone on the same page. Whether you are explaining a procedure, writing a report or sending an email to a colleague, it is important to consider your tone, pitch and volume so that the proper message is conveyed.
Your written communication skills are important. Taking notes and reporting on what you have completed will help the next IT professional in the development lifecycle. It is important to be thorough and clear so that a web development project is completed properly and on time.
You will also hone the skill of reading body language.
As much information can be gained from a person’s body language as from what they say. Are they standing in a defensive stance with their hands crossed? Did they yawn when you were talking? Reading body language is an art but learning is well worth the time. It is also good to convey the right body language to others that you are communicating with, because it is hard to talk with someone that is standoffish.
Skill #2: Active Listening
In conjunction with good communication, a skill you want to master is active listening. You can’t respond to someone if you don’t hear or understand what they are saying to you. It is only after you understand what they need or what they have said that you can respond appropriately. It is important to note that this skill progresses throughout your career. You will continue to learn about proper communication while working on projects with classmates and have the ability to bring active listening to your new workplace to work better as a team member.
Skill #3: Teamwork
Sometimes you will complete a task or project on your own but in a larger organization it will take a team to complete web development projects. It is important to know when to lead and when to follow. A good leader sets a common goal that the team can work toward, making sure the team has clear expectations for performance. Good teammates communicate and keep each other in the loop. You may even be called in to help a team member that is behind on their deadline or just needs a little extra help. A good team member is ready to pitch in when needed.
Skill #4: Attention to Detail
As a web developer, much of what you do is detailed work. Whether you are writing code or developing a GUI, you must pay close attention to detail. One error can stop the entire process. Although everyone makes mistakes, having better attention to detail will mean you find those mistakes quicker.
Skill #5: Problem Solving
Eventually something goes wrong, however it is how you solve the problem that is important. During the web development program, you will learn how to come up with a methodical approach to diagnose the issue, identify the problem, then weigh the solutions to find the right match. Whether your code has an error or you used the wrong syntax, web development is full of problems to solve and someone that likes a good puzzle will like this job role.
Skill #6: Continuous Learning
Technology is ever changing, and it is important to keep up with the latest changes in web development. A successful web developer is someone that is continuously learning and not complacent with the status quo. Whether you attend conferences, write trade blogs or take continuing education classes, it is important to continue to learn and grow.
What Hard Skills Does a Web Developer Need?
There are many tech skills that you will need to master to become a web developer. During the program at Hunter Business School, you will learn the following server-side and client-side programming languages:
HTML5 – the fifth iteration of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), HTML5 provides the website with structure. This language can be used to write web applications and improve the appearance of web pages. It is used in conjunction with CSS and JavaScript to build websites.
CSS3 – the third iteration of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a programming language that can modify the look, style and format of a web page written in HTML.
JavaScript – a scripting language that is used to implement complex features on web pages. From content updates and interactive maps to animated graphics, JavaScript is the third layer of the web page technologies, that supplements HTML and CSS.
MySQL – an open-source database management system that structures a collection of data. It allows the user to add, access and process data.
Java – a general-purpose, class-based programming language and computing platform used to build applications for the web.
Python – a high-level programming language used to build websites, develop software, automate tasks and conduct data analysis.
PHP – an open-source scripting language, executed on a server used for web development.
Node.js – an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment.
XML – eXtensible Markup Language, similar to HTML, used to design, store and transport data.
JSON – JavaScript Object Notation is a format of readable code to structure data.
All of these programming languages are important to learn, because most of your roles in web development will work with one or all of them. During the web application design and development program at Hunter Business School, you will master these hard skills so you can be successful and build confidence for your first day in your new career.
Want to Learn More?
Now that you know what hard and soft skills you need to become a web developer, are you ready to learn web development from industry experienced instructors? The Web Application Design and Development program transforms beginning computer coding students into entry-level full-stack web developers. The Web Application Design and Development program focuses on the main programming languages including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JAVA, Python, SQL, and PHP.
This Web Application Design and Development diploma program at Hunter Business School covers both front-end and back-end web development topics, starting with client-side programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then gradually advancing to object-oriented programming, Enterprise Java, and database design.
Through a series of hands-on projects, Web Application Design and Development training program students not only cultivate an understanding of computer coding and programming concepts, but also learn to work in a collaborative team environment, practice software development methodology skills, and prepare a sizable portfolio for their new career.
Contact us today to find out more on how to become a website programmer on Long Island.