If you are an aspiring web developer, or want to look for a change in jobs, you might want to ramp up your resume so that you can apply to places. What does a good resume look like for a web developer? What kind of jobs are you targeting? What do you think the recruitment agencies are looking for in web developers? If you are a freelancer, how should you pitch to a potential client? What are the best practices?
If you are wondering what the answer is to any of these questions, read the article below.
Your Own Website
If you are a web developer without a website… no one is going to hire you. Not just a mock-up of a website that you have created. An actual website you have built that is live. Having your website can be the best way to showcase what you can do. What better way to flaunt your skill set than to put it on your site? Investing time and energy into developing a responsive website for yourself can possibly be the thing that lands you your dream job or client.
A Strong Portfolio
Besides the website, you still need to show your potential employer or client what you can do. A visually appealing portfolio that shows your past projects, skills, and diversity of talent you possess is all they need to see to understand the quality of your skill. Make your portfolio strong, responsive, and clean. It should be a visual treat to browse through.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
This is an unlikely but highly sought out skill that many are looking for in their web developers. Web development, app development and SEO go hand-in-hand, because there is no point in building a website if there is no traffic coming to it. SEO and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) are valued skills that can set a web developer apart from their peers today.
Mobile Optimisation
You need to be able to create websites that can be viewed on the desktop, tablet or smartphone. More and more people are now using their smartphones for most of their internet usage, which means you as a web developer need to know how to optimise the sites you build to work perfectly on multiple platforms for viewing. Mobile optimisation is a really important skill all developers should learn.
References
All web developers who have had past work experience need to get their list of references and recommendations in order before they start applying for jobs or start looking for potential clients to work with. Employers and clients are looking for more than just the skill of web development. There are many other soft skills that they want their web developers to have as well. For example, they might want to know if you’re a good team player, or if you can be a good leader, or if you deliver projects on time. Recommendations and references help them get a better perspective of you as an individual and an employee.
These are some of the things you should keep in mind as a web developer before you start looking for work. Employers and clients need to know everything about you and you need to have a strong set of skills to stand apart from the rest!
