What path would you follow to become a web developer?
A good developer has to meet the same conditions as any other worker: Initiative, enthusiasm and constant retraining.
I come from a career in international business. About to finish my studies at the University of Rouen, I had the opportunity to do my internship at Commite Inc., a Venture Production Studio where I am spending a few months surrounded by developers and designers of web applications that work mostly with entrepreneurs of startups in the States.
A team of 20 people forms Commite Inc. However, although its primary activity is to help entrepreneurs in the digital creation of their products or services, if you ask around how many Software Engineers are working in the company the most common response is an intriguing “I do not know.” This is because in the startup ecosystem for which they work, what is needed are people who manage to solve problems, which does not necessarily mean having an engineering degree under their belt.
While the university helps, especially to have analytical thinking, the truth is that to be a web developer you do not necessarily need Degree in software or computing if you put dedication to learning in your day to day, worry about reinventing yourself, and you get updated as the world does it too.
Thus, this sector, which in principle seems foreign to my experience, has managed to awaken my interest. At the end of the day we are all immersed in the digital world and, although there are nuances, developer profiles are the most desired and the best paid, according to a report by Developer Economics referenced in El Confidencial last year.
But what is needed to be a good developer?
If like me, you have studied a Degree far from pure technology, you can not help but wonder if it is possible to become part of this promising ecosystem or it is too late for you. This is why I consulted two different profiles within the company to shed some light on the matter: Ana Martínez, a young front-end developer who has just joined the studio a few months ago, and Héctor Giner, CEO of Commite Inc. that accumulates ten years of experience in the field.
Ana, who recently published her opinions on the subject at Skillcrush’s blog, a platform that invites to a career reinvention and retraining through technology, says that when she started working, the first thing her company asked her was to know Javascript, CSS and HTML. “Those are the three main programming languages, from there come all the others,” she argues. However, she did not study Computer Engineering in the university, but Mathematics: “Where I learned to develop was in the day to day with my coworkers” she clarifies.
In today’s society, we can not think everything is done with having a University Degree in a specific area. When finishing all the credits many people realize they have acquired tons of theory, but almost no training.
And here comes the chicken and egg problem: How to get experience if you just left University and you have not yet the opportunity to work? Hector believes in the importance of getting involved in side projects with your colleagues while you are still studying at the University. He assures that although “having a University Degree helps,” when he is looking to hire a developer, he looks at what side projects the candidate has enrolled beyond the name of the Diploma.
Initiative, enthusiasm and constant retraining
The truth is that technology changes so fast that it does not matter if you have studied Software Development at the university if you are not continuously updating your knowledge. Hector told me that sometimes you need to have expertise in a programming language so fashionable that in fact, it is almost impossible to have studied it during your University years. React, Angular or Django, for example, are such new and specific technologies that it is rare to have learned them years ago. However, they use them every day at Commite Inc.
Besides, something both Hector and Ana insist is that what is relevant is that you are passionate about the world of development and you find it interesting because if you do not, it won’t matter how strong the sector will be, you will find it very difficult to get your place. Thus, both Hector and Ana think about the importance of being self-taught and let your motivation drive you.
Today it is possible to find many free or very accessible learning resources on the internet such as the Udacity nano degrees or the Udemy or Domestika courses. They allow you to advance your knowledge at the same time that you get involved in projects either online or physically within your community. Numerous meetup groups facilitate finding profiles related to your interests in your city. The cool thing is to have initiative and show that you want to learn.
In fact, from Ana’s point of view, a good web developer has to meet the same conditions as any other worker: to have self-initiative and interest in what you are doing. Both forces work as impellers that motivate and incite self-improvement.
When you like what you do, no matter how difficult it may be, you will find pleasure in the activity, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has pointed out in some interviews.
Ana also thinks that apart from those two pillars (self-initiative and interest) it is necessary to have a specific affinity for technology. Something essential because no matter how much you study, if that sympathy does not exist, the path will be much more difficult.
Everybody has abilities, but sometimes these do not correspond with the passion that the person thinks they have. That does not mean that if your talent does not communicate to what you love, it’s going to be the end of the world. There are examples of people who persevere and achieve more for motivation than those who find the work easy. Everything depends on the person, their level of perseverance and their rhythm of learning!
Finally, something I have learned these weeks is that you should not be afraid to design your career, to shape your future to your liking based on constant learning. Do not think you know everything and do not throw something away because it’s not like you usually do. If you believe A and someone teaches you B, use that information to create C. Perseverance comes from courage, and that is what allows us to move forward.
To conclude, I’ll take Héctor’s advice: “Do not cry thinking that neither Facebook nor Apple is going to hire you because of your lack of experience. Be brave, surround yourself with people who are doing great things you can learn from and offer to collaborate. Startups always need people who are eager to learn!”
