I’m Megan, a Junior Web Developer and I joined Smith back in September, at a really pivotal point for the company. I’ve loved my time here so far, it’s been a real learning curve for me professionally and I feel like I’m part of something exciting – I sometimes can’t believe how lucky I am to be working here! Since Christmas is upon us and it’s the time of giving, I’m going to share with you 12 tips to land yourself a role as a Junior Web Developer, along with some skills I wish I’d learned before I applied.
- Make sure you’re in the know. Follow design agencies, look at other web developers and their work, keep up on web dev trends, check out Awwwards www.awwwards.com/ – if you land an interview, employers are more than likely to ask you about this, so have your answers at the ready.
- As mentioned above, keep it current and learn new, relevant skills! If you have a good understanding of HMTL and CSS, you might want to have a look at other alternatives. A lot of agencies prefer PHP, SASS and Laravel – I’d 100% recommend looking at and practicing these skills whilst applying. Additionally, make sure you understand the principles of responsive design, as this is industry-standard.
- A basic understanding of CMS. Many clients want to be able to edit their own website once it is live, so I would advise looking at CMS systems. WordPress is very popular and widely used in many design agencies as it is so customisable; alternatively you could also have a look at Magento.
- Upload some code to Github (your portfolio, for example!). Your future employers would prefer to know if you can use Git, as this is a standard form of version control of projects across the web dev industry. It’s definitely learnable on the job, but if you can, I’d recommend practicing this skill beforehand, it will make your life much easier in the long run!
- Work experience! I actually landed my first web dev role after 3 months of work experience. I’d just graduated university and had nothing better to do, and the agency I worked for at the time eventually offered me a job (I think they could see they weren’t about to get rid of me any time soon!).
- Be prepared: this might seem obvious, but you might find a role that suits you when you’re not even really looking for it. I found Smith’s job advertisement during a super casual browsing session, and well – the rest is history! Make sure you have a CV and portfolio suited and booted.
- Following point number five, ensuring that you have a portfolio is essential – most agencies accept a Github compilation or a website. Personally I prefer a website, as this already showcases that you can build websites and put them online.
- Make sure your CV lists relevant skills, education and experience. Again this might seem obvious, but your future creative/digital director doesn’t really care about that bar job you worked 6 years ago (sorry, but that’s just how it is!) Do you have any certificates or awards relating to web development? Include them – employers love to see it!
- No relevant experience? As one of my lecturers once said (and for some reason this has stuck): if you don’t have it, make it! Why not browse online for local businesses and give their website a makeover? You could even get in touch with the business owners and ask if they’re interested. This shows initiative, which would definitely impress potential employers. If they say no – don’t worry and still do the build anyway, as practice makes perfect!
- Show willingness – here at Smith, we’re always learning, and as a Junior Web Developer, your first three months will be learning how the agency runs and what their workflows are like. If you don’t have all the skills required, be confident and show that you’re committed to learning them. This is actually what helped me land this role – willingness pays off!
- You’ve got the interview – and that’s great! Don’t slack here though, as this is obviously the most important part of the whole application. Make sure you appear professional but friendly, have some work on hand to show and if you’ve done all the above points, you’re sure to have a successful outcome. Even if you don’t, it’s great to practice and get used to the interview process.
- If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! A good rule of thumb is not to be disappointed if you’re rejected. Just look at like this: that role clearly wasn’t meant for you, and what IS meant for you will come, I promise!
There’s a lot to consider when applying for web developer jobs, but hopefully this guide has helped you. Overall, making sure your skills are up to date and a good, solid understanding of the industry will help you in the long run. Finally, don’t doubt yourself – if you’ve got a strong CV/portfolio and work experience, then you can do it!
Good luck!