Intrigued by what a career in tech could offer you? Or, more specifically, becoming a programmer or software developer? You’re not alone: web development is one of the fastest growing industries with a wide range of roles available for those who possess the necessary skills. And here’s the best news: working in web development doesn’t require a four-year university degree or a specific course of study; the field of web development is quickly developing and employers are focusing more on specific skills rather than what your degree says.
Web development is a rapidly growing field with numerous opportunities, driven by the increasing demand for digital solutions. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 13% growth in web development jobs from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is fueled by the rise of e-commerce, mobile-friendly websites, and the demand for new applications.
According to a LinkedIn report, web development is one of the top emerging careers, with a 35% year-over-year growth rate in job postings. Additionally, a report by Burning Glass Technologies reveals that entry-level web developers can expect to earn an average salary of $65,000, highlighting the financial benefits of this career switch.
What does this mean for you? Well, a career transition to web development is a lot closer than you might think. And in this article, we’ll explore the steps you can take to move into web development from a non-tech background, ensuring you’re ready for the next step in your career.
Why Web Development?
Let’s back up for just a second–understanding why the web development field is such a good choice for tech newbies is an important first step. So let’s check out some reasons why so many people without tech backgrounds are making the move into tech and, more specifically, web development:
The demand for skilled tech professionals is extremely high, with hiring managers prioritizing hard skills and life experiences over university degrees. And as tech continues to evolve rapidly, this need for candidates with the most recent web development will grow.
Web development is an area of tech with lots of room for specialization and discovery; from diverse programming languages to different areas of study, almost everyone will be able to find their place.
The salaries in web development are some of the highest across the board, even when compared to other tech sectors. And if you’re looking for room to grow, there will always be something new to master.
Lots of web development roles are flexible and remote, allowing those in the field to enjoy a healthy work/life balance while still earning a competitive salary.
Steps to Transition from a Non-Tech Career to Web Development
Now that you understand why a move to web development is a good step for you to take, let’s get right to the good stuff: how to move from a non-technical role to one in web development. The exact steps you should take will depend on your personal experience and education, in addition to your specific goals, but these steps should serve as a helpful guide as you begin your journey into web development.
Recognize what you bring to the table
Hard skills such as programming language knowledge are definitely necessary for landing a job in web development, but your soft skills and previous experiences may set you apart from other candidates. An important first step in planning your career change is identifying the transferable skills that you have from other roles that would be of use in your new web development role.
For example, experience working directly with clients or users could help you better design effective web pages that resonate with users. Or data science knowledge could help you evaluate website performance and optimize low-performing pages.
Connect your experiences to web development
As someone transitioning from another career into web development, you’re bringing your unique experiences of everything you’ve learned in your previous role; this can be very valuable and set you apart from other candidates during the job hunt. If you were working in healthcare, however, you bring a unique perspective about patient experiences that those who just studied web development may not have. Or if you come from marketing, you can apply what you learned throughout your career towards creating user-friendly and effective landing pages.
Center your efforts on a few specific skills
As we mentioned earlier, the newest skills in web development are the ones that are the most in-demand, mainly because they are the ones that four-year university graduates simply don’t possess. That’s why it’s imperative to research the web development industry and your desired role to find the best fit for your experiences, what you want to learn, and market needs.
Determining your ideal path into web development based on these factors will set yourself up for success.
Start your targeted learning journey
With a clear path in mind, it’s important to set yourself up for success by creating realistic goals that you see yourself achieving. After all, there’s nothing worse than creating lofty goals that you probably won’t be able to meet; studies show that those who set more realistic goals are more likely to achieve them.
To start, complete some market research to better understand the in-demand tools and skills for the jobs that interest you and make sure you’re setting yourself up for success by learning the right skills. Second, make sure you research the role’s career path to make sure that you are interested in where the career can lead to–the last thing you want to do is switch careers and realize you don’t truly like your new career projection.
Make connections in the web development industry
There’s no better way to learn what it’s really like to work in a field than by connecting with those who are already there–networking with web developers could give you an ‘in’ for a new role or just give you valuable information about what recruiters are looking for. Either way, you’ll be better off with these connections under your belt.
Take a web development bootcamp
There’s only one place to go to learn the in-demand web development skills and that’s a tech bootcamp. In just a few weeks, become job-ready with tech bootcamps like Ironhack’s Web Development Bootcamp, where you’ll learn the necessary skills to help you land your first job in the field. In addition, bootcamps boast career services and CV/resume support to help polish your interviewing skills, increasing your chances of landing your dream job.
Steps to Transition to Web Development
Evaluate Your Current Skills: Identify what skills you already have that can be applied to web development.
Learn the Basics: Start with online courses in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Build a Portfolio: Create small projects to showcase your newfound skills.
Join Coding Communities: Engage with communities like Stack Overflow and GitHub to seek help and collaborate on projects.
Apply for Internships or Junior Positions: Gain practical experience by working on real-world projects.
Sound like a fit? Explore what a web development bootcamp could do for you today.
About the Author:
Juliette Carreiro is a tech writer, with two years of experience writing in-depth articles for Ironhack. Covering everything from career advice and navigating the job ladder, to the future impact of AI in the global tech space, Juliette is the go-to for Ironhack’s community of aspiring tech professionals.
