Web Developer

Web Developers work to design, create and handle websites and web applications. They deal with internet as well as intranet websites. They usually are employed by software development companies, IT or IT consulting. Web developers often work for companies; however, some provide their services on a freelance basis.

Most of them works on software, database and the website encoding, known as back-end, or in the engineering and interface part, known as front-end. Nevertheless, there are Web Developers take care of both aspects and offer a complete service and are referred to as Full Stack Developers.
The main objective of a Web Developer should be to create coherent and efficient applications and web services. They should always try to meet clients’ needs.

The responsibilities of a Web Developer

Here is a partial list of some of the most common tasks for a Web Developer.

• Write programming codes in various programming languages such as HTML, XML, PHP or JavaScript.
• Develop new applications and websites:
  • design the architecture of applications and websites;
  • choose the most appropriate programming language;
  • design and develop applications or websites;
  • integrate graphics, audio and video into applications or websites;
• Run tests and simulations to evaluate the toughness and safety of the solutions created;
• Present the work to the client
• Fix bugs or problems in managing websites or applications.
• Add new features to applications and websites:
  • design and develop new features;
  • test new features to assess their effectiveness.
• Check for problems or errors in encodings;
• Create the programming interface of an application (API) to assess the interaction of the applications.
• Cooperate with designer, producers and clients to control the development:
  • Cooperate with graphic designer to establish the website layout.
• Keep up to date on the new programming languages, technologies and market:
  • Research advanced programming technologies;
  • Learn new programming and design languages.

The daily activities of a Web Developer

• Get new projects or assignments.
• Set parameters for new websites or applications.
• Design and develop new websites and applications.
• Run tests and inspections to detect errors or bugs.
• Collect feedback from users concerning execution problems, errors or bugs, to solve it.
• Review colleagues’ encoding.
• Design and implements updates to existing websites and applications.
• Communicate updates regarding sites and applications to customers and project managers.

The salary of a Web Developer

The average Web Developer salary is € 33.548 per year or € 17 per hour. That's about 2.1 times more than the average salary in the country. Salaries for this position start at € 23.000 and for experienced professionals up to € 47.000.

Qualification and skills requirements for a Web Developer

• Excellent knowledge of computers and IT systems.
• Great attention to detail, as a single mistake can compromise the entire application or website:
  • identify problems, bugs and errors in programming codes;
  • solve problems, bugs and errors.
• Excellent analysis and troubleshooting skills:
  • be able to identify problems, bugs or errors promptly;
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team:
  • be able to work without supervision;
  • be able to provide information and assignments within a group.
• Outstanding skills in development technologies:
  • be skilled in cutting-edge technologies;
  • keep up to date on ongoing developments and trends in the field.
• Outstanding skills in performing multiple tasks simultaneously:
  • be able to evaluate several issues at the same time and to work on more than one project at a time.
• Great responsibility and ability to achieve goals and meet deadlines.

Communication skills of a web developer:

• be able to communicate with colleagues and supervisor;
• inform colleagues about any problems or bugs;
• update clients on project progress.

As a relatively recent profession, there is no single training course, but companies generally prefer candidates with at least a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Web Design.
For a Web Developer it is important to gain experience and stay as up to date as possible on new languages and applications to offer its clients innovative and up-to-date solutions. Most Web Developers work with business hours.
However, some companies require their employees to work overtime when a deadline approaches. Freelance Web Developers can manage their time according to their needs, so long as they are able to achieve the objectives and meet the deadlines established after negotiating with the client. Freelancers can also take more than one project at a time.
Since all it takes for Web Developers to work is a computer and a good Internet connection, many of them work for companies directly from their homes or elsewhere. Some companies or businesses sometimes require their employees to travel to meet clients or attend seminars and workshops.
The demand for Web Developers is growing and not enough people have the necessary skills and qualifications to fill positions. It is a market that is increasing more and more and there are currently no signs of slowing down. Among all work in the IT field, Web Developer nowadays is on the top list.