By Anoop Verma
AS it is the most visible part of the global IT industry, web development is a promising career option. The computer scientists and database administrators occupation is expected to grow at a rate that is much faster than the average of all other occupations. There is no fixed path that you can take in order to become a successful web developer. Some people attend classes and take degree or certification courses, while others can be completely self-taught..
Many students prefer to branch out as a freelancer. Becoming a freelancer and starting your own web development business can be as simple as setting up a website and advertising your capabilities through social networking sites. If you are able to convince a sufficient number of clients to contract out their development work to you, then you can flourish. But if development is your sole means of support, then things can get pretty scary at times. Freelancers have to be prepared for going through the vagaries of ups and downs. In some months you will have more work than you can probably handle and in others you might have nothing at all.
Skills that you must know
The jobs that a web developer is expected to perform include database-management, web writing, editing, computer programming, web programming, graphic designing, 2 D Animations and SEO/SEM. If you choose to join a corporation, your job title might actually depend on the exact nature of the job that you are performing in office. You could have the title of Computer Scientist or Database Administrator; you might also be known as a Web Designer, Web Developer, Web Writer or Web Producer. The skills that you need to master in order to fulfil the requirements of these jobs is equally vast.
To be a web developer, the most basic thing that you need to know is HTML. Just because the market is deluged with WYSIWYG programs, it doesn’t mean you can afford to forget HTML. This is the basic building block of any web page, so it is in your interest to master it. The second thing that you need to master is CSS. Without knowledge of CSS, you won’t be able to design functional websites. JavaScript is the primary interactive element of a website, and you have to be comfortable with it. Once you have mastered JavaScript, you will be able to create Ajax websites. Then there is programming of web pages. A good web developer should be well versed in PHP, ASP, Java, Perl, or C++. It will be easier for you to master these technologies if you have a mathematics background.
For someone who is looking for a simple web designing opportunity, it might not be necessary to learn MySQL Database, but for developers it is essential to learn how to build and maintain a database. Currently MySQL Database is most popular. Flash brings a great deal of charm to any website. Both a web designer and a web developer needs to master Flash in order to create vibrant websites. The knowledge of Web Server Management is also important for a developer or a designer. This is because websites and databases run on web servers, whose functioning you must understand in order to fix any glitch that may crop up. Finally, you have to have the necessary skills for SEO/SEM related tasks. The Internet is awfully cluttered; it is home to more than 11.5 billion web pages. The task of making your website stand out in a cyberspace be achieved with right kind of SEO/SEM inputs.
The premier IT institutes in India are not teaching SEO/SEM directly, but a web developer is still expected to be good at such tasks. The craft of a SEO professional is mostly devoted to adding crucial keywords so that whenever search for those keywords is made on a search engine, the website will show up at the top of the list.
Options for training
Major IT institutes like NIIT, Aptech and others serve as the most important recruiting ground for tech companies on lookout for web developers. Many aspiring web developers these days go in for the 3-year B.Sc. Degree course in Computer Applications, which is being offered by Aptech in collaboration with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University of Tamil Nadu. Students who have completed their HSC or 10+2, are eligible to join this course. The technology being taught include, Data Management, SQL, C++, XML, C#, .NET, Java, Linux, eCommerce, ASP.NET and few others. After this course is completed a student should have the technical know-how to carry out all sorts of web development related tasks. There is a creative side also to web development and that is something which can come only through personal ingenuity and experience.
The other big brand in IT related educational services in the country, NIIT, too offers different kinds of certification courses, which can be eminently helpful for anyone who desires to persue a web development career. The GNIIT course being offered by this institute is quite popular amongst the students. Anyone who has passed XIIth class with a minimum score of more than 60 percent is eligible to apply. In case of students from West Bengal Board and Universities, the eligibility criterion is more than 55 percentage marks in class XII. The course is divided into 6 semesters. Two semesters are conducted in each year. During the first two semesters, the students get training in basic as well as advanced programming and web development technologies. In the third year, students are given on the job training, where they work in an NIIT recommended company earn a stipend, in the range of Rupees 8000 to Rupees 15000. The average stipend that a GNIIT student earns is around Rupees 12,000.
You don’t qualify as a geek by merely supporting thick-framed glasses, cardigans and T-shirts with rather nerdy references to “geek-chic.” It is a highly competitive world, where you have to deliver in order to make a mark for yourself.
