If you are diligently learning front-end web development as I am, it is easy to become so absorbed in mastering the skills needed that you lose focus of the goal of obtaining a job in tech. Navigating the job search can be frustrating and perplexing. There are a myriad of job titles, roles, requirements, and expectations. So you ask, “If I am learning front-end web development, what sorts of jobs are potentially available to me?” Well, let’s go through some common job titles that you could reasonable expect to be qualified for.
Project Manager
A project manager in tech requires advanced technological skills as well as managerial know-how. This person is responsible for making sure the project stays on track. The responsibilities include planning, activity planning and sequencing, resource planning, developing schedules, estimating time and cost, developing a budget, and documentation, among others.
User Experience
UX Designers are concerned with the user’s satisfaction with a product. As such they are specifically concerned with the look, the feel, and the usability of a website. They need to conduct research, such as creating user personas and stories, talking to and/or observing users, performing usability tests, etc. With this information, they aim to create a website that addresses the users’ needs.
Web Designer
Web designers are responsible for designing, coding and maintaining websites. They strive to create aesthetically pleasing, functional, and easy to use websites.
Front-end Web Developer
Front-end web developers are responsible for creating the visual elements that the user interacts with. They usually work with a back-end web developer who handles the server side logic.
Content Manager/editor
Content managers oversee the content that is presented on websites and blogs. They may write, edit, and publish content, and also update outdated content.
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance is concerned with verifying that software performs according to quality criteria through test planning, test execution, quality assurance and issue tracking. The quality assurance engineer tries to find the places where the software may break in order to alert the developer.
My ultimate goal is that of software developer, and as such, of all these job titles, I gravitate toward quality assurance. This role will allow me to gain experience with code and work closely with developers in order to gain the experience that I need to move toward development. Codetalk, the coding boot camp I am attending, is not my first foray into coding; I took various courses in college and I have practice coding in C++ and knowledge of object-oriented programming and data structures. This background is definitely a boon for the role of quality assurance.
Here is an example of the requirements for a QA job:
- Bachelor’s degree in any field
- Familiarity with SaaS-based products; Previous Web QA experience is a plus
- Familiarity with scripting (Ruby preferred), HTTP protocols, test frameworks
- Communicate effectively (written and verbal) on an individual basis, as well as with larger groups
- Ability to utilize analytical thought processes
I have the Bachelor’s. I am analytical and I can communicate effectively. So now I am going to practice scripting and read about test frameworks and SaaS-based products!