Three things that make you a superstar developer
October 09, 2017
Many people don?t know why they aren?t getting results at work. More often than not, it?s because they lack of the right kind of training. But what areas should you put your focus into?
You’ve put in the work, and you believe you’re reasonably talented. You know about the languages and platforms, and you’re ready to contribute to the industry. You might even have a job you like. But at some point, many people run into a wall. They have trouble transitioning into the industry they want to be in or they aren’t qualified for the promotion they want.
The tech industry is always moving, which means your role is always changing. Even if you stick to an entry level coding job, ongoing training is essential, as coding languages and platforms are always evolving. Many people don’t know why they aren’t getting results at work. More often than not, it’s because they lack of the right kind of training. But what areas should you put your focus into?
Build your foundation with data science
Data science can be a complicated beast, but it’s essential to other web development concepts. Schools can teach you about R programming for effective data analysis. You need to know how to install the necessary software and understand the data you get. Programming, reading data into R, accessing packages, and writing R functions are all key skills students need.
If you’re going to be a serious developer, you need to understand data analysis. Things like reproducible research and statistical interference are just two parts of this. Programs like R can help you run the numbers and understand what they mean.
Developers don’t just analyze data. Some push the boundaries and create the updates and changes that lead to better data analysis.
Be the future of digital marketing
If you want to stand out as a developer, you should also know digital marketing. This umbrella term is used to cover areas like Google marketing, social media, and websites. Today’s digital marketing isn’t just a matter of getting a higher place in the Google search. You have to appeal to customers and give them more of what they want. The idea is to keep them on the website to buy products, so it’s up to both web developers and other parties to optimize sites and keep up with the changes in the industry. What can you do to stay up-to-date?
- Practice the basics: This could mean writing a lot of code, doing it daily, and documenting your progress. You can apply the same basic principle to other areas. For example, companies use tools to find the right keywords before they start any project. You might want to practice using different pictures or banners. One of the most important things you need to know now is how to code a faster website. More people are going online
- Get creative: One of the great things about being a web developer is that you don’t create others’ visions. Just like other artists, you can create your vision in a way that meets digital marketing standards. It’s up to you to know what appeals to the consumer eye and design around it.
- Get on social media: You don’t have to post at first. Especially on public forums like Twitter, you should observe first. See what accounts do to gain an active following. Follow topics that interest you personally. Then you can get an idea of the seemingly benign posts that keep clients interested.
- Keep up on the latest news: Even if you’re just looking at the Google algorithm, things are always changing. This can change even when they haven’t released an official update. Many web developers are involved in SEO one way or another. To stay competitive, you need to know all the relevant facts. This can also help you get into the mindset of a problem solver instead of always waiting for direction. Above all else, many companies want web developers who will take the initiative.
Guide the user experience with UX and UI
Many people outside the industry assume UX and UI are the same thing. If you’re interested in web development, knowing both is a crucial part of the process. Many times, the conversation centers around the great UX of a product or suffering UI of a website. The problem is knowing what this means.
“UX” is short for user experience design. “UI” stands for user interface design. While they work together closely, both these concepts are also crucial to the product. The simple way of looking at UX design is an analytical process. UI could describe things like graphic design. Without the design, data is useless and vice versa.
If you look at definitions online, it could seem like these concepts are all encompassing no matter the market. They’re largely limited to the digital market. It could be coincidence as UX and UI first appeared around the time the digital market exploded. It could also be because that’s where they’re most useful.
If you want to be a superstar developer, you need key skills and knowledge. It’s not as simple as knowing how to use Java, HTML, and other coding languages. It’s not even limited to programs like SQL. It’s a complex process that requires professionals to be on the ball and dedicated to learning. No matter how many years of experience you have, it’s an ongoing challenge to stay ahead of the game.
