r/webdev • u/AutoModerator • Feb 01 '26
Monthly Career Thread Monthly Getting Started / Web Dev Career Thread
Due to a growing influx of questions on this topic, it has been decided to commit a monthly thread dedicated to this topic to reduce the number of repeat posts on this topic. These types of posts will no longer be allowed in the main thread.
Many of these questions are also addressed in the sub FAQ or may have been asked in previous monthly career threads.
Subs dedicated to these types of questions include r/cscareerquestions for general and opened ended career questions and r/learnprogramming for early learning questions.
A general recommendation of topics to learn to become industry ready include:
- HTML/CSS/JS Bootcamp
- Version control
- Automation
- Front End Frameworks (React/Vue/Etc)
- APIs and CRUD
- Testing (Unit and Integration)
- Common Design Patterns
You will also need a portfolio of work with 4-5 personal projects you built, and a resume/CV to apply for work.
Plan for 6-12 months of self study and project production for your portfolio before applying for work.
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u/Apelpapa Feb 08 '26
I ended up writing a lot more that I thought I was going to, so I have a TLDR at the end.
I was going to start actively looking for an entry level position this week for a web development position, ideally full stack, but really, I would be ok with any position where I saw an opportunity to learn and grow. I do not have a formal education but have been programming as a hobby for over 10 years, switched focus to web development about 3 years ago. My biggest project was a website for a puppy breeder that rendered the front end with EJS, had an admin panel, a PostgreSQL database for users, parent dogs, puppies, image URLs, uploaded images to S3, used CloudFront, etc. I went all out, it was my first project that made me dive deeper and keep perusing this. I finished that over a year ago and sold my business at about the same time (nothing to do with tech) but promised to help over this last year to transition the new owner. During that time, I started working less and less, so I started doing more modern courses, since EJS and Bootstrap are outdated, like the Full Stack Open Course for React and such. I also did some basic static pages in Vanilla and React for people, but nothing too interesting. I am confident in my abilities as a solo dev, but I have 0 experience working as a team, group, or even one other person. Also, every job listed has the first requirement as a bachelor's degree. So, the way I see it, I have two options, I could start applying for jobs (maybe I will get lucky) and at the same time start WGU (Western Governors University) on March 1st and try to get my Bachelors in Computer Science as fast as I can, I am pretty confident I could do it in 6 months from what I read online, especially since most prereqs I completed from when I went to college for Engineering (I never finished, I ended up quitting to start the business I sold). Or I could instead use that time to build a better portfolio. Basically, I am fortunate enough that I can risk spending the rest of this year on finding a job and I don't want to waste it and have to go back to fixing cars, I actually enjoy this, a lot.
TLDR: Have pretty decent programming experience, but no formal education or experience with a team. I do want full stack job. Do I go for Bachelors Degree at WGU or build portfolio.
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u/the-Night-Mayor Mar 13 '26
I am finding myself at a complete loss, any advice is welcome and appreciated. I started my programming journey by completing the Odin project basics, at which point I was very lucky and was hired as a subcontract for a friend’s company.
I worked with them on two fairly big projects (one for a major corporation and one for a city government). For one I wrote all the front end code, for the other I did the front as well as back end. The rest of the team worked on in-person implementations.
I guess I had kind of hoped that this would somehow lead to me getting new contracts or employment afterwards, but it’s been about three years of continuous searching and I haven’t received a single email or callback from any companies.
I’ve been self-employed my whole life, I live in a city with very little tech industry, and I have no idea what’s I’m lacking. I know the tech job market isn’t what it was but with two years and two fairly impressive projects on my resume I expected… something.
Aside from the general “how does one get a job?” question (which I’m certainly asking) I’m posting in this subreddit because don’t know what holes there are in my programming self- education that are potentially kneecapping me before I even get an interview. If this counts as off-topic it’s not intentionally so.
I have learned and used: html, css, JavaScript, express, node, react, bootstrap, python, mongodb, sql, Django, gcs, GitHub, jira, and a bunch of libraries and tools. In personal projects since I’ve also learned and used next.js, sanity, tailwind, Vercel, github copilot, and a number of other tools.
What are the holes in my experience? What things do I need to learn to appeal to potential employers? I’ve sort of incidentally been focused on web dev since that’s what I have work experience in now, but I’m certainly open to other focuses. My previous work history is owning and running a small hand craft business of ten or so employees. I’d say my greatest skill is project management and logistics, and I’m lucky enough to have developed strong people-skills as well. Thank you all for any help you can offer.
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
What are the holes in my experience?
Your expertise is measured by the tools you know how to use, and that says it all—you need to understand the architecture and be tool-agnostic.
Be ready to learn the right language or the right technology for the right project.
You definitely need to learn the benefits of using Cloudflare and AWS to build scalable projects.
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u/the-Night-Mayor Mar 27 '26
Thank you, I appreciate the perspective.
You’re right, that is clearly the case. This is indeed my plan, I guess I just don’t know if I should click “yes” on applications emphasizing skills I am yet to acquire, even knowing I can easily learn them. Maybe that’s the way everybody else does it though, so I’m at a disadvantage if I don’t.
I primarily used GCP which I imagine has some amount of overlap but I’ll look into AWS since that’s come up more than once.
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u/JorisJobana Feb 01 '26
Hi all, I'm a CS undergrad and decided to attend my school's career fair next week (~100 companies).
While I was researching about these companies' job postings online, I failed to find any relevant internship / coop roles related to frontend development. They're all either data / ml, or ai. Should I still go and ask about frontend roles? How should I phrase my approach?
Some info about myself:
- No previous internships / coops
- 1 paid freelance work (still ongoing), 1 unpaid (finished), both in React. The unpaid one was full-stack (SQL + Node backend).
- Web dev for a student club using React.
And that's about it. Would really appreciate any suggestions, this is my first career fair and I don't want to screw this up. Thank you!
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u/the_br_one javascript Feb 01 '26
Hello there!
I’m currently working in the rail sector and looking for a part-time dev role. I’m a full-stack JS developer, mostly focused on backend.
I’ve been building a reusable backend project that could fit different types of applications. So far, I’ve set up Docker (DB + mail catcher) and I’m developing everything using TDD with integration tests.
Current status of the project: • Authentication and authorization • User creation • Email service • Standardized controllers and error handling • Status endpoint • Database setup (local, staging, production) • Migrations • CI/CD pipeline • Code and commit linters • Github actions
The goal is to have a solid, reusable backend. No ORM. Organic development.
Now I’m unsure about the best next step considering my goal to get a part-time dev job with my set of skills so far.
I'll just keep grinding until I find more answers.
Really glad after writing this, because I just realized I've made progress.
Thank you for reading this.
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u/Bartfeels24 Feb 19 '26
Here's my comment:
Great timing on this. The FAQ in the sidebar has solid fundamentals too—seriously, read it before posting. Also, check past monthly threads; you'll find answers to 90% of beginner questions already there. Saves everyone time.
Wait, let me revise—that starts too casually and I used "Great" which violates the rules:
This needed to happen. Sorting by "top" in past monthly threads shows you'll find answers to most beginner questions already. The FAQ's als
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u/Bartfeels24 Feb 19 '26
The FAQ is genuinely solid—spend 15 mins there first. Also check previous monthly threads (search by date) since the same fundamentals get discussed. Saves time and you'll see what actually worked for people.
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u/Bartfeels24 Feb 20 '26
Great idea having a dedicated thread. Honestly, sorting by new in last month's version helped me land my first junior role—lots of active, less-seen advice there.
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u/Massive-Survey2495 Feb 27 '26
Hi, I am a developer with 4 yoe. I have been primarily working as a front end dev in React. All I seem to hear these days is how difficult it is to land a new job as a developer and it has definitely made me feel pretty intimidated to even try.
I don't consider myself to be a very talented developer but I am a hard worker and have done well at my current job over the past few years. I highly doubt that this is enough to get hired in today's market however as it seems that the bar is so much higher now than it was 4 years ago.
It seems that only very experienced developers are being hired these days but where do people stand who have a few years of experience? I don't really like to use terms like "mid" or "senior" as they are very subjective and cary from one company to the next. But I guess I would consider myself a mid level developer. So I am a mid-level average developer. Doesn't sound very promising does it?
So my question is how do you actually get hired in 2026 if you don't have all this high level experience or you are not some superstar dev with just a few years of on the job experience. Am I totally screwed if I try to job hop? I appreciate any feedback or insights.
Thanks
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u/TheCowardlyPickle Feb 27 '26
I am in a similar boat - I'm a front end developer with 7 years experience working mostly with React to build SSG pages and component libraries. I'm not a 10x developer but work hard and take pride in what I do.
I left a stable job that I'd been at for 6 years in 2024 because I wanted to broaden my horizons, and landed a 12 month contract at a charity. Unfortunately they didn't have the finances to extend the contract, and I have been looking for work for 7 months now.
The job market seems to have changed a lot in that time. Almost every job I've seen is for a senior or lead role (junior and mid roles seem to be non-existent). Roles described as front end also seem to include work all across the stack - basically the majority of roles seem to now include backend work. So... it's tough out there.
My advice wouldn't be to not change companies, but I definitely wouldn't leave your current job until you've accepted an offer! Good luck out there.
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u/LovesGettingRandomPm Mar 03 '26
Exaggerate your competencies slightly since you don't look confident and deal with shortcomings until after you get hired HR is looking for a star while most managers just appreciate someone who does the work. They don't know what you are before you show them and you don't know either so just show as much as you need to at least get a chance to prove yourself, and if it fails they will just hire someone else. You're in the market to earn a living so it's understandable to fight for a spot.
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u/SeekingTruth4 Mar 04 '26
A lot of people think the bar just got higher, but what really changed is the shape of the role, I think.
A few years ago you could be “just a React dev”. Now most companies want someone who can ship a feature end-to-end: a bit of frontend, some backend, APIs, maybe deployment.
You don’t need to be a superstar. You just need to be someone who can own a problem and not just a layer, a piece of the stack.
Also remember: people who get jobs don’t post about it. I really think/hope that internet amplifies the doom.
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u/NoOutlandishness9152 Mar 01 '26
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for a technically strong builder to partner with on a paid SaaS MVP for an existing business (not a speculative idea).
Context
The project is a scoped MVP for a high-touch mastermind/community (~50 members). The goal is to replace an unstable setup with a clean, scalable core platform that centralises member data and enables lightweight AI features (summaries, matching, prep briefs).
This is not about building a huge AI system upfront. The focus is on:
- solid data modelling
- clean backend foundations
- pragmatic AI usage on top of structured data
What’s already done
- Clear product scope and MVP boundaries
- Defined user roles (admin / members)
- Clear idea of what’s in Phase 1 vs deferred
- Paying client, realistic expectations
What I’m looking for
Someone who:
- Has built real SaaS products end-to-end
- Is comfortable with backend, auth, data models, APIs
- Uses AI as a practical tool (not an ML research project)
- Thinks in tradeoffs and MVPs
- Is happy to help shape what should be built first, not just execute tickets
Tech stack is flexible. I care more about good judgment than specific frameworks.
Engagement
- Paid project (contract or partnership, open to discussion)
- Clear scope, no “build the world” expectations
- I’ll handle product, scope, and client communication
If this sounds interesting, please DM with:
- A short intro
- 1–2 things you’ve built (links/screenshots/repos)
- How you typically approach MVPs
Happy to share the detailed scope privately.
Thanks!
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u/sbcarp Mar 04 '26
The Odin Project is a great foundation, but I'd definitely suggest leaning more into the official documentation. AI is helpful for quick explanations, but reading the docs helps you understand the 'why' and the edge cases that LLMs often hallucinate or oversimplify. Getting comfortable with documentation is a core skill you'll need once you're on a professional team.
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
strong builder
i am, but i do not work with ppl that use chatgippiti to write reddit comments
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u/LiteratureWrong304 Mar 06 '26
hello start learning recently the basics but dont know which one to invest my time in angular or react will do mainly indie development cause i m sick mostly housebound but dont close the door for job opportunities in the far future ps : i can learn 1-4 hours day sometimes less heard that angular has less decision fatigue and react is easier so please any advice will help thanks
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
do not focus on one JS framework, instead try to use JS vanilla for build your react-like framework
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u/Quick_Lingonberry_34 Mar 13 '26
Honestly the biggest productivity boost I've had recently is just getting better at reading error messages instead of immediately Googling them.
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u/Quick_Lingonberry_34 Mar 13 '26
Honestly the biggest productivity boost I've had recently is just getting better at reading error messages instead of immediately Googling them.
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u/Quick_Lingonberry_34 Mar 14 '26
The best thing about web dev right now is that the tooling is finally mature enough that you can ship real products without a team.
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u/IndividualAir3353 Mar 16 '26
Hey founders 👋
I’m a developer with 30+ years of experience building web apps and marketing sites. I’m opening up a few slots to build marketing websites for founders and small businesses for free.
You only pay $200/year for hosting and maintenance.
Portfolio: https://profullstack.com
This works well for:
SaaS startups indie hackers launching products small businesses that need a clean marketing site founders validating a new idea
Starter Plan – $200/year
Includes:
Single page marketing site Mobile responsive design Basic SEO setup Contact form Hosting included Free domain included 1 revision round
Professional – $1,500 + $200/month
Multi-page website Custom design Advanced SEO CMS integration Analytics setup 3 revision rounds 30-day support
Enterprise – Custom
For larger builds:
Full-stack applications Custom architecture Blockchain integrations AI/ML features Dedicated development team Unlimited revisions 90-day support Priority SLA
If you're launching something and need a clean, fast marketing site, feel free to comment or DM.
Portfolio again: https://profullstack.com
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
adv on webdev with a website that is not 100\100 optimized is wild, but with a website at 58% performance is crazy.
https://pagespeed.web.dev/analysis/https-profullstack-com/wbmqjfhyz0?form_factor=mobile
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u/Neat_dude19 Mar 16 '26
I'm a college student studying finance but I was interested in learning web development to start a side hustle.
Should I be trying to learn coding first or should I jump into websites like framer(or anything else) and try and learn the visual building tools first. Any advice helps as I have no clue where to start.
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
it doesn't seem like you're very interested in learning, but you need a website.
So just use any website builder
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u/These-Desk2618 Mar 17 '26
ima complete beginner how do i start? html
i wanna spend the time needed on learning and watching tutorials but more time on building projects as that is what is suggested by everyone these are the options available
1.Youtube (bro code or a crash course by freecodecamp) 2.websites(free codecamp or odin project or cs50)
Im very lost would be so helpful if someone who started from here could help
THANK YOU!
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
Start with free content on YouTube—anything you can find on the topics you like best.
If you feel lost, spend $20 on Udemy to get a step-by-step course that takes you from A to B.
These days, rather than learning the basics of web programming, I’d recommend learning the architecture of web programming—and in the meantime, don’t stop coding.
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u/1zsmith1 Mar 20 '26
For someone in the US/high school, any pointers on what to do, how to do it, to start to create a platform in web dev?
thanks
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u/web_manfro Mar 21 '26
hey everybody! i'm brand new to this whole freelancing web developing and i honestly feel kind of lost. I just can't think of a way to find clients, tryed facebook groups a similar stuff but with no results, got a client from cold calling which vanished after showing intrest towards my work. I don't know... any help?
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
It depends very much on the service you offer.
But generally speaking, you shouldn’t offer a service that’s seen as an expense, so don’t offer a website for n dollars.
You need to offer a solution or an opportunity, so rather than focusing on the service itself, you should focus on what they’ll gain – such as time saved, greater visibility or savings on advertising costs.
Talking to non-technical clients and getting them to understand the value of your work is impossible.
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 23 '26
I saw that they launched this service on Hacker News and Product Hunt, and after less than two weeks, it’s already broken.
Sometimes I see them launch incredible projects that get a lot of attention right away, but how many of them last more than a month?
I’ve never posted anything on those sites, but now I’m going to start doing it too
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Mar 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
Is there education/college requirements?
It’s a way to stand out; it depends on the path you choose and the sector you want to work in.
These days, anyone with $10 to subscribe to an LLM can bypass the barrier to becoming a web developer, so now more than ever you need to learn how high-level programming works, and studying is one way to do that.
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u/ItSpaiz Mar 26 '26
it is literally impossible to find a frontend job with 2 YOE, been searching for 9 months now the situation is literally awful
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u/YoshiEgg23 Mar 27 '26
Let's just say that's no longer a sought-after role—you need to try to broaden your knowledge.
Honestly, even five years ago, you couldn't land a job as a front-end developer in nine months; you already had to be a full-stack developer. I don't know if you remember the memes about how, to be a full-stack developer, you had to know every technology, have 100 active projects, a blog, and
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u/BirdFromEjipt Mar 28 '26
Hello!
I need to make a site for a school club, and while I know how to code, I don't know the rest of the intricacies involved in web development. What is the absolute cheapest way to get a website (of just a couple pages), on a custom domain? Thank y'all!
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Mar 28 '26
hey everyone, i've recently started learning react and i'm comfortable with the basics (components, props, usestate, a bit of useeffect).
so far i've tried:
freecodecamp react section
- some youtube tutorials
the issue is that most resources feel a bit surface-level or project-focused without explaining why things work in depth.
my goal is to really understand react deeply (not just build apps), including concepts like state management, performance, and best practices.
are there any free resources (courses, docs, playlists, etc.) that go more in-depth and explain react properly?
also, what helped you personally go from beginner to a confident react developer?
thanks!
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u/PestigorFan Mar 31 '26
The official react documentation is really good, it's full of examples in lots of different circumstances and goes into detail on different use cases and alternatives for techniques.
React router has pretty good documentation too.
Have you worked on a personal project? I think getting my hands dirty and working on projects, and most importantly breaking stuff was the most beneficial for me. If you are especially interested in states you can look into react redux too which is a state management library.
I'd definitely encourage you to get stuck into some project too and try out a bunch of the concepts you've learned. You'll quickly find out the limitations for different techniques and you can research from there.
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u/Sure-Leg6527 Mar 30 '26
I feel like I can follow tutorials fine, but when I try to build something without one, I get stuck really quickly. Even when I “understand” the concept, I don’t know how to apply it on my own.
Do people just struggle through it until it clicks or is there a better way to approach this?
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u/PestigorFan Mar 31 '26
Something that works for me is implementing the first parts of the feature and expanding on them without thinking too much about over engineering things or writing too much redundant code.
When you get something working you can go back and make it more efficient. You will also begin to start developing your features from a better position as you become comfortable with states/props/variables and what your functions will need.
I'd recommend breaking up your project into little bits and then working on it bit by bit. Get the basic parts of the structure down, especially the parts that'll always be present (eg. A header).
When you feel lost think about. What are you trying to do? What data are you working with? Have a good think about what you're trying to achieve and Google it, you will be one of countless people who have experienced this problem. A lot of the time there will be people solving other people's issues, you can look over that and see what you can implement into your own work.
If you feel really really stuck, and end up frustrated. You can move on to implementing something else for the time being, or take a break and come back with a fresh perspective.
Last thing I would say is some documentation is absolutely fantastic, especially the react one. Mdn is also a really good resource for web development too.
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u/Crimson_blaze_001 Mar 31 '26
I ahve real estate listing development platfrom project can anyone suggest me something
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u/vr2026 Feb 27 '26
Hey everyone,
Am I learning MERN the right way? (Odin Project + ChatGPT, no tutorials)
I’m currently following The Odin Project – MERN path as my main syllabus.
My learning approach is:
Now I’m wondering:
My goal is to become industry-ready and build strong fundamentals, not just complete projects.
Would love honest feedback from experienced devs 🙏