A topic close to my present situation, as I am on the path to becoming a web developer, I have come up with seven things to keep in mind. All of them are tried and tested by me (a newbie) or by my talented friends who are web developers for years. So, don’t worry!

Now I think of it, I am lucky enough to have a nice network where people share tips that can be highly helpful during the journey. Networking helps but let’s not talk about that first.

You know when the first programming language you learn is Python, your life gets a little difficult, because you learned the easiest one at the beginning. Now, everything looks a little difficult in comparison to others.

A little context, I am learning CSS nowadays. I don’t want to jinx it but for now, I like CSS. Let’s hope I don’t start disliking it after the next class I take.

Now, let’s learn about the things I keep in mind while on this journey.

Beginner Web Developer - Tips & Tricks

1. Take the traditional route as a beginner

Before I explain why you should go for a traditional route, let’s understand a little about the traditional route.

The traditional route means going for offline classes/live classes to learn the basics. Before you jump on to any conclusion, let me explain myself.

From the very beginning, we have this habit of getting a syllabus/module to complete in one particular class, you complete that and get promoted to the next level - it is a nice system to keep the motivation.

And when you go for the traditional route, you get the same inspiration to keep up the work and that’s what you need to be a web developer - an inspiration to keep going.

If you are someone who can do far better on their own, then choose that path only. But if you are someone like me who want to do web development seriously but lacks the inspiration, go check out some courses - eliminate the obstacles to start and start as soon as possible.

2. Give at least six months

I took a little time to understand this but please don’t make the same mistake. Give yourself six months to build a skill. The best never comes after two months of preparation. Distribute learning and give every module a fixed timing to cover.

Don’t hang on to one particular topic - a friend told me how I won’t be able to learn all of it if I get stuck on one particular topic. Learn fast, make mistakes, improve mistakes, and move on to the next.

3. Be consistent with the coding

“Coding is like a muscle and needs to be exercised. Even if you stop coding for some time, it takes time to get back on track. Just keep coding. Make tools, write demos, and try out new libraries. Read code. Go back and read your code, read other people's code.” ~ Ivan Marcin

I struggle with this one. One day break and I have to give more hours than usual. More than two days break and I don’t even remember how I did most of the things. Consistency with coding is a must to have a healthy relationship with web development.

4. Make Projects

Project-based learning is best and I learned this when for the first time, I made a chatbot by using python (& flask). I didn’t know anything about the framework but I learned it while making the chatbot. It was the easiest project but it taught me how hands-on learning with coding work nicely.

Yes, it took me a good time to make a simple chatbot but it was highly satisfying as well.

Everyone I know who is from a tech background suggests me to make projects and it becomes a bonus when you can showcase that on your profile.

And now, Peerlist has made it easy to showcase your GitHub profile with your resume.

5. Learn how to google

Last year while using GPT-3, I got stuck at one point at 2 am, and now that was not the time you can call a friend to ask for help. But I did ask for help the next day, and my friend explained how googling is a skill, and there is no shame in using google. No one can remember everything, and even senior web developers use google.

I still can’t find the answer to every problem from google because it’s a skill that takes time to build.

6. Ask for help

Asking for help is important to keep the flow. If you get stuck and can’t find the solution even after putting hours (or days) into it, then ask for help. Ask for help even if you think it’s silly.

We all are learners and asking for help is not necessarily mean that you are not capable, it could easily mean that you have invested time into it, and catching your own mistake has gotten a little difficult now.

7. Build a website from the scratch

This is one of the things I am keeping in my mind while being on this journey. Building a website involves user experience, typography, layout design, color scheme, navigation menu, etc. When you build from scratch, you see how all the elements fit.

You see what goes into making a well-developed website - you learn what you are lacking and what you are good at.

Bonus #1

There are a few other things that help me such as -

• Network: I am a part of a community that is always ready to help me whenever I get stuck. To learn more about how networking helps, check this out - Your network == Your lifeline

• Sharing what I am doing/building online with peers.

If you have some amazing tips that I should know, drop them in the comment section.