One of the most in-demand jobs in the modern world is that of a developer. There are several paths one might take to start their journey in the web development industry as a junior developer. Before beginning their careers in this industry, people commonly encounter phrases like PHP, ASP.net, Python (Django), Angular, Vue, React, etc. People either choose stacks based on their preferences or are influenced by their surroundings while making that decision. These are all excellent ways to begin your career as a junior developer, but in this post, I’ll share a strategy with 16 steps that, in my opinion, can help you become a junior full-stack developer quickly while covering industry-leading technologies and skills for placement.
Step 1: HTML, CSS & GIT
Start with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), the skeleton of every website. A website is incomplete without HTML, just as a human being is without bones. Learn all the basic tags in HTML thoroughly and become comfortable knowing when to use each. Common tags include p, a, body, html, div, em, h1 through h6, head, img, input, li, ul, ol, span, strong, etc.
Next, explore CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). Just as dressing up and styling oneself enhances appearance, a website looks attractive when styled with CSS. Once you’ve mastered basic HTML tags, play around with basic CSS properties like height, width, color, border, background, font-size, font-family, margin, padding, overflow, position, text-align, and display. Practicing the basics of HTML and CSS will help you understand website structure.
Now, familiarize yourself with GIT (Version Control System). For now, focus on learning three basics:
- How to store your code in GitHub.
- How to create repositories.
- How to push your code into a GitHub repository.
Afterward, build at least 3–4 simple websites. They don’t need to look perfect, just get them done, and host your sites on GitHub Pages. Share them with friends and family for some initial feedback and encouragement.
Step 2: HTML5 & CSS3
Strengthen your HTML skills by learning HTML5, the latest version. Learn new tags like audio, video, aside, section, article, nav, header, footer, etc. Additionally, explore how to create tables and forms.
Then enhance your styling with CSS3. Dive into properties like box-shadow, transition, transform, flexbox, grid layout, overflow, box-model, and specificity. Importantly, learn responsiveness and use media queries. Build at least three responsive websites with HTML5, CSS3, and media queries.
Step 3: CSS Frameworks
After mastering HTML and CSS, pick a CSS framework such as Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS. Study the documentation and learn how to build responsive websites without using media queries. Practice by building at least three websites using the chosen CSS framework, ensuring all are responsive.
Step 4: Basic JavaScript (JS)
Now it’s time for JavaScript, which brings life to websites. Start with the five fundamental concepts: variables, conditions, arrays, loops, and functions. Practice problem-solving with basic challenges, like finding the largest number in an array, identifying prime numbers, reversing strings, calculating factorials, and generating the Fibonacci series. These exercises will strengthen your JavaScript foundation.
To start learning JavaScript effectively, I highly recommend reading JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford. As the name suggests, this book focuses on the best parts of JavaScript. It covers the essential concepts without the unnecessary ones, helping you learn quicker.
Step 5: DOM & Events
The DOM (Document Object Model) allows you to control everything on a website through JavaScript. Learn DOM manipulation to interact with elements, such as finding text in an input box or handling events like mouse clicks. Build at least 3–4 interactive websites to enhance your understanding of how websites work.
Step 6: Application Programming Interface (API)
Next, make your website dynamic with an API. Use free public APIs, such as JSON Placeholder, to fetch data and display it on your website. Try building a search functionality where users can search and display results from the API. Implement features like spinners to indicate data loading.
Step 7: JavaScript ES6
Learn more advanced JavaScript (ES6), including let, const, arrow functions, default parameters, the spread operator, and destructuring.
Step 8: Browser and Debugging
Familiarize yourself with browser tools such as the console, source tab, network, elements, and application tabs. These will assist you in developing complex projects. Learn debugging to identify and fix errors in your code.
Step 9: Revision
At this point, you’ve learned a lot. Revisit all the previous steps, especially JavaScript, to solidify your understanding before moving forward.
Step 10: Getting Started with React.js
Now it’s time for React.js, one of the most widely used technologies. Begin with understanding components and how to create them using create-react-app. Start with functional components, as they are the industry standard. Learn about hooks and build a Single Page Application (SPA) using React, dynamically loading data.
Step 11: Router and State Management
Learn React Router for building multi-page applications and state management for handling data across components. Build interesting real-world features, such as dashboards, and explore the Context API and useReducer for more complex applications.
Step 12: Authentication
Learn how to integrate authentication systems into your React app using Firebase. Implement login with Google, Facebook, Twitter, and GitHub, and learn how to host your React app.
Step 13: Backend and Database
Next, explore the backend with Node.js and MongoDB. Learn basic CRUD operations and how to secure APIs using JWT tokens. This will help you understand the basics of backend development, even if your focus is frontend.
Step 14: Full Stack
Now combine everything and develop full-stack applications. Build at least three full-stack projects, from scratch to deployment, to gain experience in the complete development process.
Step 15: Keep on Learning
Continue learning by exploring payment gateways, file uploads, and admin panels. Ensure your apps are 100% responsive and explore additional technologies like Next.js. Stay curious and open to learning new things.
Step 16: Programming Fundamentals
As a developer, it’s essential to understand programming fundamentals, including data structures and algorithms. Learn Object-Oriented Programming and spend time on problem-solving. Though not required immediately, these skills will be crucial as you grow in your career.
Becoming a good developer requires perseverance and continuous learning. The 16 steps shared in this blog are designed to help new developers kickstart their careers, but the learning journey never ends. The tech landscape evolves rapidly, so always be ready to adapt and upgrade your skills. Happy coding! 👨💻
