UNIT SEVEN

JOB SPECIALIZATIONS FOR COMPUTING PROFESSIONALS

WEB DEVELOPMENT
Web development is one of the most interesting career paths for a computer science major
because it combines analytical and technical skills with creative design and development. Web
developers work with professionals in IT, sales and marketing, and other departments to build
websites that attract and keep customers, contributing to a business’s sales growth or a
government agency’s effectiveness. Websites are so crucial to a company’s success that the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the demand for web developers to grow 8% between
2019 and 2029.
There are three types of web development roles:
 developers who specialize in the user interface (“front-end”),
 those who write the underlying code for running all website operations (“back-end”), and
 those who manage all aspects of a website (“full stack”).
Each type focuses on a different area of web development, but they all have one thing in
common: coding. A Bachelor’s in Computer Science is a great way to learn the programming
skills required for a web development career.

What are the Different Types of Web Development?

When users click on a website link, such as a “Pay Now” button, they rarely think about the
underlying code that takes them to a payment page. Web developers are responsible for creating
the look and feel of that button, as well as the logic that drives the website.

Here are the three main types of web development:

Front-End Web Development

Front-end web development is responsible for the look and feel of a website. This means how
colors, types, icons, and images appear. Increasingly, front-end development has to account for
how a website looks on all devices, from desktops to tablet to phone. Typical programming
languages include HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Front-end developers keep up with cutting-edge
trends in web design and development to make sure websites are optimized for users and search
engines and with security best practices in mind.

Back-End Web Development

Back-end web development is responsible for building and maintaining the code that runs a
website. This code connects the website to the server and ensures that data flows properly to the
website and that transactions are processed correctly. Typical programming languages include
Java (different from JavaScript), PHP, and MySQL; newer tools include Python and Golang.
Back-end web developers can keep up with changes in technology by participating in networking
communities that share coding tips and support.

Full-Stack Web Development

Full-stack web development covers both front-end and back-end responsibilities. Depending on
the complexity of a website, a full-stack developer may be responsible for all facets of its
development, from the server side to the user interface. Many full-stack developers may still
specialize in one aspect of web development, but their broad experience is useful in
troubleshooting or speeding up a build or redesign. Full-stack developers are often responsible
for identifying cutting-edge technologies, such as enhanced programming languages (or even no-
or low-code trends) and blockchain, that can be used to strengthen websites’ business
capabilities.

Skills Needed for Success

What defines a successful website developer? The following are just a few of the skills that can
help professionals advance their careers in web development.

 Programming abilities: Strong coding skills are essential. Mastering programming languages
such as HTML and CSS is just a start. Technology changes fast, so a willingness to always
be learning new coding techniques is important.
 Attention to Detail. Testing and debugging code require patience and analytical skills to
understand what went wrong and how to fix it.
 Creative Thinking. Successful websites have to attract and keep users, as well as be visible
to search engines. Web developers have to be creative in how they pull together user
experience, search engine optimization, and other factors in building a good site.

While many web designers work alone, most work for an organization. Understanding the needs
of the sales department, for example, is crucial in creating a successful website. Collaborating
with user experience or content creation experts is also a necessary skill.

Web developers can rely on a variety of community resources for everything from finding a job
to helping with tough coding problems. Web experts advise new developers to become part of
these communities.

Different Web Development Careers

Just as there are different types of web development, there are different web development
careers. While they do overlap, each role has different responsibilities and requires different
skills.

Web Designer

A web designer (also called a digital designer) is responsible for a website’s look and feel. They
should have skills in design, art, and coding, as well as an understanding of best practices to
build a site that is functional, appealing, and successful at drawing users. Web designers use a
variety of graphic design software programs to build their sites. While coding isn’t their sole
responsibility, a background in programming is useful to communicate their goals to the web
programmer. The median starting web designer salary is about $43,000 per year, according to
PayScale.com data from April 2021; with experience, the median salary is about $60,000 per
year.
Web Programmer

A web programmer or web developer writes the code that brings a website to life. Front-end web
programmers build the pages the web designer creates. Back-end web programmers write the
server code that runs the website. Web programmers are often familiar with web design concepts
since they are responsible for making the user interface appealing to site users. The median
starting salary for web programmers is about $49,000 per year; with experience, the median
salary is about $64,000 per year, according to PayScale.com data from April 2021.

Content Developer

A web content developer creates the content that goes on the website. That may include blog
posts, product descriptions, images and videos, and news stories. Content developers may also
have programming skills such as HTML and search engine optimization (SEO) that they use to
make sure their websites are best positioned in search results. According to PayScale.com data
from April 2021, the median web content developer salary is about $49,000 per year.

Webmaster

A webmaster is responsible for all aspects of an organization’s website, including design,

architecture (the way information is organized on the site), coding, security, and more. The
webmaster works with the programmers, designers, and marketing teams to ensure the website is
effective at attracting and retaining users and is successful as part of an organization’s business
strategy. A webmaster must understand design, coding, sales, and marketing. The median
starting salary for webmasters is about $49,000 per year; with experience, the median salary is
about $59,000 per year, according to PayScale.com data from April 2021.

Software Developer

A computer programmer, sometimes referred to as a software developer, a software engineer,

a programmer or a coder, is a person who creates computer programs.

A programmer is someone who writes/creates computer software or applications generally by

providing instructions (commonly through the use of a specific programming language) to the
computer or by configuring already existing code (such as a framework or existing code base).
Most programmers have extensive computing and coding experience in many varieties of
programming languages and platforms, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), Perl,
Extensible Markup Language (XML), PHP, HTML, C, C++, and Java.

Mobile App Developer

A mobile app developer can create software for phones and tablets and is familiar with the
newest technologies in the mobile world. Mobile development requires staying in the mobile
headspace, meaning that it’s even more important than with other hardware contexts to optimize
performance, battery, network, and memory management. A developer must be also aware of
how to deal with device fragmentation, often working closely with a designer to achieve the best
user experience (UX) results.

“Mobile app developer” is a very wide term, because it’s not limited to developers who write
native code for platforms like Android and iOS. It can also include hybrid app developers
working with frameworks such as Cordova or Ionic, and JavaScript and C# developers, who are
using React Native and Xamarin to write mobile apps. These are distinct specializations, so it’s
crucial to either specify what technology you intend to use in the app or make it clear that you
are open to technology propositions.

NETWORK ENGINEER

A network engineer is a technology professional who has the necessary skills to plan, implement,
and oversee the computer networks that support in-house voice, data, video, and wireless
network services.

Although the job titles network engineer and network administrator are sometimes used as
synonyms, a network engineer usually has more executive responsibilities than a network
administrator. The engineering side deals more with planning, design, and technical
specifications. The administration side deals mostly with day-to-day maintenance, management
and troubleshooting efforts.
DATA SCIENTIST

A Data Scientist extracts, analyses, and interprets large amounts of data from a range of sources,
using algorithmic, data mining, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistical tools, to
make it accessible to businesses. Once a Data Scientist interprets the data, he presents the results
using clear and engaging language.

Data Scientists normally use their technical, analytical, and communication skills to collect and
examine data to help a business find patterns and solve problems. This can be for many purposes,
for example, predicting what customers will buy or tackling plastic pollution.

Types of Data Scientist

A Data Scientist can work across a range of areas, including but not limited to the following:

 Finance
 Academia
 Scientific research
 Health
 Retail
 Information technology
 Government
 E-commerce.

ting system environments like iOS and Android and often take into account UI and