Web Development is an ever-changing field, and it’s hard to keep up with it. But, if you follow these 12 steps, you’ll be a successful web developer in 2024. What was relevant in 2019 is not relevant in 2021, and what’s relevant in 2021 won’t be relevant in 2024. So, let’s get started.
Never underestimate the power of the basics. Begin by grasping the fundamental building blocks of web development - HTML for structuring content, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for interactivity. These languages form the backbone of web development. Mastering them will give you a solid foundation to build upon. Do not rush this step. Most wanna-be web developers make the mistake of skipping the basics and jumping straight into frameworks and libraries. This is a recipe for disaster. You will end up with a shaky foundation and struggle to understand the underlying concepts. Take your time to learn the basics well. It will pay off in the long run and people with a strong side-eye will notice the difference.
I don’t know how many “React Developers” I’ve met who didn’t even know how to use Git. That’s like a chef who doesn’t know how to use a knife. Familiarize yourself with Git. And Git doesn’t mean GitHub, it’s an independant software. Learn how to use Git from the command line. It’s super easy and the best way to learn it is to use it. Download git from here and then follow this tutorial. Once you’re done with that, learn how to use GitHub. Create a GitHub account and then follow this tutorial. This is one of the most crucial steps in becoming a software engineer and it’s often overlooked. Don’t make that mistake.
The recipe of recipes, the holy grail of web development, the front-end. This is the spot where most folks lose their cool, and it’s not even their fault (well, mostly). The world of front-end is toasted beyond recognition, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Let me show you a simple yet fool-proof path towards front-end development in 2024 and beyond.
Now now, what better way to start a Monday than to learn some back-end technologies. Back-end development is a whole different world, it’s the work that nobody sees, but it makes the whole world go round. Servers, Databases, Deployments, APIs, and whatnot. Let’s get started.
The first thing is to choose a Back-End language. If you’re already familiar with JavaScript, you’re all set. If not, you’ll have to learn a new language. Here are a few options, and then I’ll tell you which one to choose.
PHP: PHP is like a zombie that refuses to die, it’s been around for a long time and it’s not going anywhere. It’s easy to learn and it’s easy to use. But it doesn’t have a bright future. If you’re looking for a quick buck, PHP is the way to go. But, if you’re looking for a long-term career, PHP is not the way to go.
Python: Python is the future, side-by-side with JavaScript. 2023 was the year of AI, guess what else it was a year of? Python. Almost all of the AI and ML work is done in Python. For web, Python has a really strong framework called Django. You gotta make a choice.
Ruby: Ruby is like a diamond, it’s rare, it’s beautiful, and it’s expensive. Ruby is the language of choice for many big companies, including GitHub. Ruby has a really strong framework called Ruby on Rails. The thing about Rails is that nobody learns it anymore, yet it powers a lot of the web. You can land really good jobs with Ruby, but you’ll have to learn it by yourself.
Java & C#: Now, both of these have really good, enterprise-level frameworks called Spring and ASP.NET respectively. But, both of these frameworks are mostly only used for enterprise-level software development. If you’re looking for a job in a big company, these are the languages to go for.
Now, time to choose. The decision is yours, I’ll tell you the pros and cons of each.
If you’re looking to start fast and land a job fast, go for PHP. If you’re looking for a long-term career, go for Python or JavaScript, both of these will be there for a long time. If you’re looking for a job in a big company, go for Java or C#. If you’re looking to earn high yet learn something extraordinary, go for Ruby.
If I were you, I’d write down my situation and then make a decision. I’d write down where I stand and what exactly I want to do. Then, I’d make a decision based on that. To clarify a little, this was just the first step of web development, there’s a lot more to come.
Now, you can’t just build a website and not store data in it. You’ll have to learn how to store data in a database. There are 2 types of databases, relational and non-relational. Relational databases use SQL and non-relational databases use JSON Documents. The goal is to learn how databases work, not master all of them. A general workflow looks like this.
Now, this is just the beginning, there’s a lot to come. You won’t need much more for a Back-End Developer job, but you’ll need a lot more for a Database Administrator job. So, keep that in mind.
Now, you can’t just build a website and not communicate with it. You’ll have to learn how to communicate with your website. APIs are like the waiters in a restaurant, they take your order and bring you your food.
If you’re a Back-End Developer, you’ll have to learn how to create APIs. If you’re a Front-End Developer, you’ll have to learn how to consume APIs. If you’re a Full-Stack Developer, you’ll have to learn both. If you’re a Database Administrator, you’ll have to learn how to secure APIs.
At a beginner level, you’ll only need to learn about Restful Services. But, as you progress, you’ll have to learn about GraphQL and gRPC as well. But, that’s a story for another day.
On the front-end, this would mean API Integration and dynamic content. JavaScript has built-in support for requesting data from across the internet.
A common misconception is that security is the responsibility of the back-end developer. This is not true. Security is the responsibility of everyone involved in the development process. Familiarize yourself with web security practices. Learn about common vulnerabilities and how to protect against them, including topics like HTTPS, input validation, and secure authentication.
Understand the basics of DevOps, including continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). Learn how to deploy and manage web applications on platforms like AWS, Heroku, or Netlify. Even as a Front-End Developer, you will need to know how to deploy your applications so that you can showcase them to the world.
Learn how to debug your code. Learn how to use the browser’s developer tools to inspect and debug your code. Embrace testing methodologies. Learn about unit testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing to ensure the robustness and reliability of your code.
Web development is an ever-evolving field. Keep yourself updated with the latest trends and technologies. Regularly work on personal or open-source projects to apply and solidify your knowledge. A common misconception is that you need to work on popular open source projects or keep your GitHub activity streak going. This is not true. Focus on quality over quantity. Build projects that you are passionate about and that you can showcase to the world. Keep engaging with the community and build an online presence. This will help you stay motivated and keep you accountable, as well as make job hunting easier.
Develop soft skills such as effective communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. These skills are crucial for collaborating with other developers, designers, and stakeholders. But Kashan, I’m an introvert, I don’t like talking to people. Well, I’m an introvert too, but I still talk to people. You don’t have to be an extrovert to talk to people, you just have to be a human. If you’re a human, you can talk to people. If you’re not a human, you can still talk to people, but you’ll have to learn how to talk to people first. That last line was generated by Copilot, dude sucks at jokes.
The key is to practice more, the greatest of victories lie beyond the greatest of challenges. You might fear talking to people, but you’ll never know how good it feels to talk to people until you talk to people. So, go out there and talk to people. You’ll be surprised how many people are just like you, they just hide it better.
As you gain experience, consider specializing in a particular area, such as front-end development, back-end development, or DevOps. Specialization can enhance your expertise and career opportunities. Everything I wrote above is about the first step into each of the fields. There’s a lot more to learn in each of the fields. But, if you try to learn everything at once, you’ll end up learning nothing. So, take it one step at a time. Learn the basics, then learn the advanced stuff, then learn the expert stuff, then learn the master stuff, then learn the god stuff, then learn the Kashan stuff. You get the point. (Dude, this is getting out of hand, I’m gonna have to talk to GitHub about this.)
The year 2023 was the year of AI, and 2024 will be the year of products. Making software has never been easier, so is learning. Use AI to learn faster and better. Leverage the power of AI to assist you in your journey. Use AI to generate code, use AI to generate content, use AI to generate ideas, use AI to generate anything you want. AI is the future, and the future is now. There’s one catch though. With the ease of AI, everyone will be able to make things, but not everyone can make communities and solid, personalized persona. So, if you wanna be a successful web developer in 2024, you’ll have to make a community and a solid, personalized persona. You’ll have to make a name for yourself, and you’ll have to do it now.
Web development is a vast field. It is impossible to learn everything. The key is to focus on the fundamentals and build upon them. Keep yourself updated with the latest trends and technologies. Keep learning and keep building. The journey is long, but the rewards are worth it.
Until next time, keep learning, keep building, and keep moving forward.
I used Astro to put this site together and added a bit of an interstellar vibe. Styling is done with Tailwind, and it's running on Cloudflare. Oh, and all the text is in Bricolage Grotesque font for that extra touch.