The emergence of websites has lead to the creation of diverse kinds of jobs. The popularity that they have gained and the subsequent necessity that has arisen for every brick and mortar business to be backed up by a website has created numerous employment opportunities that need to be explored. One cannot fully create a list depicting all the careers that surround a website. They are numerable, only that they are diverse. There are web designers, producers, content developers, webmasters, web engineers, programmers, and of course web developers. All these play distinguishable roles, though it is not unusual for them to interact, due to the intertwining nature of their jobs. Web development is a good career as any, and one that can be highly rewarding.
Web developing involves developing a website- it's as simple as that. As you divulge into the specifics, you realize that it deals with everything from web design, content management, client and server side scripting, security configurations, and sometimes, website maintenance. It is a job that keeps one busy for most hours of the day, especially in the initial periods when the website is being created. The number of hours worked, depends on whether the developer is working on a freelance basis, or as part of a company.
Some training is needed before one can divulge into the world of web development. The academic starting point is not consistent, as some people start as programmers, some as web designers, some as writers, and others as computer scientists. Instead of focusing on where to study, let's concentrate on what skills to have. For those with a big vision for themselves, a degree in computer science is a great place to start, as it creates the best kind of foundation for divulging into anything website related. As far as the skills needed go, a web developer needs to gain some expertise in mark-up language, more specifically HTML, XHTML, and Cascading Style Sheet, simply known as CSS. Regardless of software availability that makes coding easier, a good web developer needs a good basis of this 'internet language.' Understanding of some graphic packages such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver is important, since its application is heavy in web image processing and optimization.
Programming expertise is also important to have, for those aiming for top developers' jobs. Perl, C, C++, Java, Flash, PHP knowledge not only makes one a marketable web developer, but an all rounded professional who can become a dedicated programmer or webmaster. All these skills need not be gained in one setting, as they are indeed too many to be deeply understood by one person. Combining the training period with work experience helps someone increase their efficiency, not only in learning but in working as well.
As far as the financial part of it goes, a web developer gets a lot of room to grow in their careers. Those at the top in web development as a profession easily take home over $80000 a year, which is an impressive figure to say the least.
