the startups.com platform about startups.comCheck out the new Startups.com - A Comprehensive Startup University
Education
Planning
Mentors
Funding
Customers
Assistants
Clarity
Categories
Business
Sales & Marketing
Funding
Product & Design
Technology
Skills & Management
Industries
Other
Business
Career Advice
Branding
Financial Consulting
Customer Engagement
Strategy
Sectors
Getting Started
Human Resources
Business Development
Legal
Other
Sales & Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Public Relations
Branding
Publishing
Inbound Marketing
Email Marketing
Copywriting
Growth Strategy
Search Engine Marketing
Sales & Lead Generation
Advertising
Other
Funding
Crowdfunding
Kickstarter
Venture Capital
Finance
Bootstrapping
Nonprofit
Other
Product & Design
Identity
User Experience
Lean Startup
Product Management
Metrics & Analytics
Other
Technology
WordPress
Software Development
Mobile
Ruby
CRM
Innovation
Cloud
Other
Skills & Management
Productivity
Entrepreneurship
Public Speaking
Leadership
Coaching
Other
Industries
SaaS
E-commerce
Education
Real Estate
Restaurant & Retail
Marketplaces
Nonprofit
Other
Dashboard
Browse Search
Answers
Calls
Inbox
Sign Up Log In

Loading...

Share Answer

Menu
Front End Development: To be a front end wen developer with ZERO experience.
KL
KL
Kelly La Belle, Passionate startup lover with Fortune 500 results. answered:

What a coincidence! I also have an undergrad degree in Management Information Systems. I actually got another degree in web development with a minor in software development at the same time, so I skipped a step, but I made a similar jump from being a software engineer to being a creative designer.

I was working as a software engineer when I decided to move to a design profession instead. I worked as a Front End Web Dev in the interim.

You will need to start with the basics. Look up W3 schools and start with their HTML, CSS, PHP, and Javascript tutorials. They will take you step by step and offer the basic principals of web development.

Once you have those skills mastered, look into learning Wordpress or other CMS platforms. Wordpress will offer lots of design flexibility and it will be a great sandbox for you to start out your web development career. Wordpress has many tutorials that will walk you through the basics of web hosting and set up.

Familiarize yourself with web design standards and accessibility standards. You want to make sure your web designs follow basic hierarchy rules and provide a good user experience. Accessibility is often overlooked, but extremely important. Your potential clients could fall victim to lawsuits if your web designs don't follow accessibility standards. It will be partially your job to make sure this doesn't happen.

Make yourself a portfolio. Employers will expect you to have a portfolio in most cases. This will help you a lot if you have no professional experience because it offers you a chance for personal learning experience. Make a few demo websites in Wordpress to add to your portfolio.

Include at least one blog, 2 different e-commerce layouts, and an agency style template. You can find some great examples on Themeforest. These do not have to be real companies, of course, just some projects to get you started and set you up for success.

Once you have your portfolio together, start applying for entry level front end development jobs. Remember to never stop learning and improving your craft.

Talk to Kelly Upvote • Share
•••
Share Report

Answer URL

Share Question

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Google+
  • Share by email
About
  • How it Works
  • Success Stories
Experts
  • Become an Expert
  • Find an Expert
Answers
  • Ask a Question
  • Recent Answers
Support
  • Help
  • Terms of Service
Follow

the startups.com platform

Startups Education
Startup Planning
Access Mentors
Secure Funding
Reach Customers
Virtual Assistants

Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.