Web Developer

 

The key skills of the web developer

The profession of web developer, more and more sought after by companies, is still the object of received ideas. The developer would be an expert in web languages, able to tame lines of code that he is the only one to understand. Of course, he must have strong technical skills to intervene on all types of projects. But skills related to human qualities or teamwork are just as important to become a web developer.

7 key skills for a web developer

·         Strong technical knowledge.

·         A user-centric vision.

·         A taste for problem solving

·         A self-taught approach

·         Rigor in the work

·         Flawless curiosity.

·         An ability to work in a team.

Strong technical skills

Although many web developers have been self-taught, building up a solid foundation of technical knowledge is essential for practicing as a web developer. This concerns first of all programming languages. Some specific profiles choose to deepen their knowledge in a single language while others stick to the core languages ​​of front-end development.

On the one hand, a front-end developer can exercise by relying on the 3 basic languages: HTML, CSS and JavaScript. On the other hand, a back-end developer will need to know more specific languages, used to communicate with servers, such as PHP, Ruby or Python.

Overall, whether working in the back-end or the front-end, the web developer must continually renew his knowledge so as not to be overwhelmed by new features and updates. If he works in a company, the web developer will have to regularly confirm the acquisition of new knowledge to his superiors or work colleagues, whether it is programming languages, but also existing software, operating systems and software’s.

In all cases, and in particular if he is self-employed, the web developer must be on the lookout for new products and train in them in order to build an interesting profile throughout his career, in order to specialize while remaining open to novelty.

A user-centric vision               

Over the past decade, web media have multiplied. Users are more and more connected, on media ranging from phone screens to augmented reality. Developers can no longer be satisfied with simply reproducing a graphic model to the nearest pixel.

In close collaboration with the UX designers, they must also keep in mind the quality of the user experience of the pages they are building. This requires knowing some essential principles of UX (cognitive load, serial position effect, law of proximity) and applying them during the construction of interfaces, in particular for front-end developers.

A taste for problem solving

Beyond creation, the part of problem solving is inherent in the role. Indeed, once the site is created, developers must allow other teams to use it to publish content, which means developing new solutions to give them sufficient freedom and correct errors. The first crucial element to be able to deal effectively with requests or tickets linked to bugs is to take ownership of the problem, and to be able to reformulate it in a clear and precise way, without which it will be impossible to find a solution. When there is no ticketing system, it is up to the developer to ask sufficient questions to collect information, and to sort and prioritize the different requests.

Then, before coding, it will be necessary to make sure to have established an action plan, to cut into simple problems. Indeed the initial problem, raised by another member of the company, must be divided into several sub-problems, which will have to be corrected before trying to combine the different solutions.

A self-taught approach

The web world is constantly evolving, whatever his initial training, a developer must therefore know how to train continuously during his activity. Some situations will require no more than simple research, while others will require a real increase in skills using external resources (e-learning, tutorials or even complete training). When the time comes, it is essential to set a goal, which will require learning and putting into practice in parallel in order to properly integrate the new knowledge and have the opportunity to come back to it so as not to lose control. It is important to give yourself time to master a new programming concept sufficiently before trying to learn new ones.

Rigor in the work

If being rigorous is always a good thing, it is particularly important when entering comments in the code, and more generally in the consolidation of resources and documentation which allows to continue the work undertaken for another developer who would have to continue or resume a current project, or to help the developer who wrote the original code to find the context during a possible update.

Testing is also a point that requires rigor. Testing becomes crucial to ensure a minimum of quality, and if it seems to take time, testing allows on the contrary to save development time, ensuring constant progress, and progressive resolution of bugs rather than having to look too late in the project the source of the errors.

Flawless curiosity

The computer field, and in particular programming languages, are subject to rapid changes. To meet the need for continuous training, the web developer must be able to count on unfailing curiosity. The passion for his job and the thirst for learning are two extremely important complementary conditions to allow him to evolve at the same speed as the sector in which he works.

Fortunately, the web developer is always encouraged to gain skills in the web environment, itself rich in resources so that it can be trained in a large number of disciplines. Thus, he will find video tutorials or in the form of specialized articles that will accompany him throughout his progress.

To practice, a beginner as well as confirmed web developer can rely on the work of his predecessors. Many web developers make their codes available to everyone, via their blog or their YouTube channel, with explanations of their approach.

Specialized sites like stack overflow provide advice from the most experienced developers. The web development environment has the advantage of promoting the free sharing of knowledge, allowing all beginners, enthusiasts and curious to find a place there.

Ability to work in a team

The clear and distinct expression of the customer's need is the first necessity for which the web developer, just like his colleagues, must be able to count on solid communication skills. During the development phase, he must be able to communicate easily, both orally and in writing, with the person who collected the sponsor's request, as well as with the other developers on his team.

His interpersonal skills allow him to facilitate exchanges when working in a team. To achieve results at the end of his work, the web developer must be able to work closely with his colleagues and, if he is responsible, to convey precise information to his clients.

Self-employed or account manager in parallel with his mission as a developer, business popularization skills will be appreciated. This is probably the most difficult skill for a developer to learn. However, he will evolve all the more quickly if he is able to explain his role to someone outside the field.

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