How to Become a Web Developer within 1 Year without a Coding Background
Get Familiar with Basic Front-end Technologies
Learn HTML and CSS
Having a strong understanding of HTML and CSS is crucial as they form the building blocks of any website. With Codecademy, you can get comfortable with common HTML tags like <div>, <p>, and learn basic CSS properties and selectors within 2-3 days. The key is to focus on structuring web pages with semantic HTML and styling elements with CSS rather than trying to memorize every tag and property.
Add Interactivity with JavaScript
JavaScript adds interactivity to websites and is used widely. Spend 5-10 days on Codecademy and CodeSchool to get familiar with JavaScript fundamentals like variables, functions, conditionals etc. and start building simple programs. Practice writing JavaScript code regularly to reinforce concepts.
Enhance Websites with jQuery
jQuery is a cross-browser JavaScript library that simplifies tasks like HTML document traversal and manipulation, events, animations and Ajax. Spend 2 days on CodeSchool to pick up commonly used jQuery methods to add dynamic interactivity without writing lots of JavaScript code.
Build Sample Websites
Spend 20 days putting together multiple basic static websites using HTML, CSS and jQuery for practice. This will help strengthen your grasp of front-end technologies and expose you to common development workflows. Don’t worry about bugs, use them as learning opportunities through online research.
Pick a Back-end Framework and Database
Learn Python Programming Fundamentals
Spend 10 days on Learn Python the Hard Way to get a strong foundation in Python syntax, variables, data types, conditionals and more through hands-on practice exercises. Python is a versatile programming language suitable for back-end development.
Pick a Python Web Framework
The Django web framework handles common tasks like database setup, user authentication and administration interface creation allowing you to focus on your website’s functionality. Spend 10 days getting familiar with Django through tutorials like Django Girls and Try Django 1.9.
Set up a Database with SQL
Relational databases like MySQL are commonly used to store data that powers websites and applications. Spend a few days learning basic SQL on w3schools and SQLZOO to write queries to create, retrieve, insert and manipulate data in tables.
Build a Basic Django Website
Put together a simple content-driven website using Django over 40 days to cement your understanding of building complete backend-frontend systems end-to-end. This is the perfect way to encounter issues and debug while gaining hands-on experience.
Seek Employment and Continue Learning
Create an Online Portfolio and Resume
Spend a week putting together a website portfolio showcasing your projects along with an optimized resume on GitHub Pages for potential employers.
Learn Modern Frameworks and Tools
The web development landscape changes constantly. Spend a few hours every week continuing your education through online tutorials on new frameworks like React, build tools like Webpack and other trending topics to stay ahead of the curve.
Apply for Junior Developer Roles
Start applying broadly for junior web developer roles across various job boards and company websites while customizing your resume and cover letter for each application. Your portfolio and dedication should help you secure an entry-level position within 6 months with the right opportunity and hard work.
Conclusion
As seen above, it is very much possible to transition into a career in web development within a year even without any prior coding experience through focus, perseverance and hands-on learning and practice on a daily basis. Following the steps systematically while building multiple sample applications are key to learn advanced skills that will land you your dream job. Never give up on challenges and always strive to learn and you will become a web developer in no time.
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