In a recent interview, I was asked the following questions about being a web developer.

I thought it was worthwhile to post tidbits of my responses for WPsite.net readers, so here goes:

What are some of the natural qualities of a web developer?

The most important quality a web developer has is discipline. Projects require discipline to ensure consistency, functionality, and usability. Following standards, staying updated on the technologies, languages, and platforms, and ensuring high quality work is a battle of patience and discipline.

Secondly, understanding the foundations of logic and data are critical to web development. These skills are pillars in architecting sites and applications for greater scalability. Of course, having a firm grasp of HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript are just as important.

Why are web developers in high demand?

Industry trends have shifted in favor of technology, and as more tech firms launch, the web and mobile landscapes require such talented individuals. Developers are creating what is essentially the the “company” or “product”. Unfortunately, quality developers are difficult to source, and if found, they are expensive. Currently, developers and designers are a perfect example of the supply and demand concept in motion.

Said differently, a company may be able to find a replacement marketer or generalist, but not necessarily a developer. That’s a good position to be in if you’re the developer!

What are the misconceptions?

One misconception is that that you need a Computer Science degree in order to be a developer. On the contrary, it is becoming easier to learn how to develop websites and applications at your own pace. You also do not need to have a lot of mathematical experience like others may think, but it does take a certain kind of logic to be good at what you do.

In fact, if you’re just getting started in understanding code and web development, there are free and amazing resources available such as:

Another misconception is developers are one-dimensional. Unfortunately, that won’t cut it at the top firms. One needs to constantly be improving their skills and staying abreast of the latest technologies. Development skills can become quite obsolete in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing tech scene.

What is your response to aspiring web developers?

Practice, practice, practice! Developing require mental fortitude and it can be quite discouraging at times when results aren’t what you expect. However, all developers go through this. Take on problems as challenges that have solutions. When faced with difficulty, ask your developer community.

Have pet projects. All developers should have personal pet projects to hone their skills. This will help build your portfolio. Show it off to the world. Post it on Github and social media networks. Don’t stop learning and receiving feedback on your work. Be a sponge.

Conclusion

As you can tell, I’m an advocate of folks learning to code regardless of whether it’s for web, mobile, or other projects.

After all, picking up a high-demand skillset is never a bad thing. Let me know what you think about being a web developer?