Essential Skills You Need for Your First Web Developer Job

As a front-end web developer, you get to break into the tech industry in both a straight and versatile way, because you possess a specific set of skills employers look for, and that allows you to choose a career path that works for you. 

While there’s a common pool of skills employers look for, there are less familiar, yet equally important, skills that you need in your professional journey. Here are some of those: 

JavaScript

This major tool you’ll be needing in your front end web developer toolbox is a genuine programming language. If HTML and CSS determine a page’s presentation, JavaScript (JS) determines its function. 

Having a simple website or webpage is fine in certain situations, but to boost your website’s appeal with interactive features such as animations, games, audio, and video, you need to use JS. 

One of the cool things about JS is its libraries of functions like JQuery, a collection of plugins and extensions that makes JS easier and faster to use on websites.

CSS and JavaScript Frameworks

CSS and JavaScript frameworks are a collection of CSS and JS files that enable common website functionality. They allow you to start with a code file packed with JS instead of an empty text document.

As, like many software, JS frameworks have their own strengths and weaknesses, you need to choose the best framework for the kind of website you’re developing. Keep in mind that some frameworks are great for complex interfaces, while others excel at showing all your website’s content.

To be an efficient front-end web developer, you need to be constantly updated with the latest updates on JS and CSS. 

CSS Preprocessing

Although essential, CSS can be limiting, and one of these limitations is that it can’t define functions, or perform mathematical operations. This becomes a problem when your project grows in code base, and you find yourself wasting time rewriting codes to apply changes.  

By using a CSS preprocessor like LESS or Stylus, you’ll be able to write code using the processor’s language. The processor will then convert the code to CSS to make it work on websites. 

Responsive Design

The days of laptops and desktops being the only way to view websites are long gone. Since people now use multiple devices to look at web pages, a front-end web developer should understand and know how to implement responsive design principles.

Testing and Debugging

From websites dedicated to handicrafts to international websites for banks, bugs are a reality for web developers. There are a couple of bug-testing methods you can employ to keep projects moving. 

One is functional testing and the other is unit testing. The former ensures a particular function on a site does everything it was coded to do, while the latter examines every code to make sure it performs its specific function.

So, how good are you at these web developer skills? If you think you need to learn or practice a little bit more, you can always sign up for courses on web development. This way, you can be sure to equip yourself with the knowledge and skills that will help you become more competent in the fast-paced world of web development.

Stay on top of the tech game by developing these skills in web development. To land your first web development job, be sure to check out our tips here on MSM Unify and expand your horizon in the world of tech.