A Day in the Life of a Web Developer

Age: Twentysomething

Industry: Technology

Job Title: Web Developer

Number of years in the field: Seven

What is the salary range for this position?
$50-$100K annually

What type of education/certification is required for this job?
A bachelor's degree in computer science or engineering.

Describe a typical day at work: Check emails and voicemails; strategize a to-do list; work on resolving any lingering issues from the previous work day; answer questions and concerns from internal and external customers; attack new problems; and strive to complete daily tasks established earlier in the day.

What exactly is it that you do?
As a web developer, I write the scripts that determine how a user interacts with a website. An example of this is the response a user gets when they click a button or fill out a form. I ensure that users can navigate through the site in a logical manner. The scripts are written in a secret code, much like a foreign language, which gets translated by the computer into the form in which it appears on your screen. These languages go by many names, including HTML, Javascript, and XML.

Would you say that there is a good balance of men and women in this field?
No. In my experience I have witnessed a lot more men than women in this field.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy having the ability to experiment with new software and hardware. I also enjoy the fact that I can receive immediate feedback from others regarding the work I've done.

What do you least enjoy about your job?
The thing I least enjoy about my job is the fact that some people underestimate the amount of effort it takes to keep a website running smoothly.

Would you say that you work in a high stress, medium stress, or low stress job? Why?
I would say that I have a medium stress job because it involves a lot of peaks and valleys in terms of the issues I must tackle on a daily basis. However, I've found that if you plan correctly, you'll never find yourself caught in a situation that you can't get out of.

What would you say are three "must-have" skills for a web developer?
A web developer should have the ability to conduct good research; the ability to communicate well with other business people; and the ability to work well independently.

What advice would you give to an aspiring web developer?
I would tell someone aspiring to become a web developer that it is essential for you to love working with computers in order to truly succeed in this field. You should also have a strong sense of curiosity and perseverance in all that you do because you must prepare yourself to endure a lot of trial and error. Have confidence in yourself and don't be bashful about your intelligence.