To become a junior web developer, learn HTML/CSS/JavaScript, ship small projects, and present a tight portfolio with links and code.
New to coding and aiming for your first paid role? This guide gives you a clear path from zero projects to a portfolio that hiring managers can scan in minutes. You’ll see what to learn, how to practice, how to prove it, and how to pitch yourself without fluff.
Steps To Land A Junior Web Developer Role
Here’s the simple arc: set up your tools, learn the web basics, build tiny apps, push code often, assemble a lean portfolio, and apply in focused batches. Each stage below includes tasks that lead to real output.
Set Up Your Gear
You need a code editor, a modern browser with DevTools, Git, and a GitHub account. Keep everything lightweight so you can start fast and avoid tinkering loops. Turn on autosave, install a Prettier-style formatter, and learn the keyboard shortcuts you’ll use every hour: open file, search in project, rename symbol, toggle terminal.
Core Skills And Proof Checklist
Use this table to plan the first month. Treat each row like a deliverable you can link on a resume.
| Skill | What To Learn | Proof Of Skill |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | Semantic tags, forms, media, metadata | Landing page with accessible structure |
| CSS | Box model, Flexbox, Grid, responsive units | Fluid layout that adapts from 320–1440 px |
| JavaScript | Syntax, DOM, events, fetch, modules | Interactive widget with API data |
| Git | Init, branch, commit, merge, pull request | Public repo with clear commit history |
| Accessibility | Headings, labels, contrast, focus order | Page that passes basic checks in DevTools |
| Performance | Image sizing, caching hints, Lighthouse | Report with scores and fixes applied |
Learn The Fundamentals
Start with markup and styling, then add interactivity. Follow a structured track such as MDN Learn web development for step-by-step modules backed by reference docs. Keep notes inside your repos: what you tried, what broke, and how you fixed it. Those notes later become bullets on your resume and talking points in interviews.
Build Micro-Projects Fast
Small apps teach faster than long courses. Aim for five to ten bite-size builds that each show a single concept. Ideas: a color contrast checker, a tip calculator, a notes app with localStorage, a movie search page with an open API, and a personal site with a contact form. Keep scope tight: one afternoon per project, two at most. Ship, write a three-line README, and move on.
Version Control And Workflow
Create a repo per project. Commit in small slices with clear messages: “style: header layout with Grid,” “feat: fetch film list,” “fix: debounce search input.” Open pull requests even on solo work; write a one-paragraph summary of what changed and why. This mirrors real-world habits and gives reviewers something easy to scan.
Frontend Frameworks, Lightly
You don’t need an entire framework to land an entry role. Still, a single-file “Hello API” in React, Vue, or Svelte helps you speak the same language as teams. Keep it simple: one component, state for form inputs, a fetch call, and routing with two pages. The goal is literacy, not depth.
Portfolio, Resume, And Profiles That Get Calls
Your site should load fast, read clean, and link to code. Keep the home page short: a one-line value statement, three project cards, and a contact link. On each project page add a GIF, a short note on goals and tradeoffs, and a link to the repo. Pin your top three repos on GitHub. Trim your resume to one page with a skills section, three projects with metrics, and links at the top.
What To Show On Each Project
Recruiters scan. Make their scan easy by including these items:
- One-sentence summary: what the app does and who it helps.
- Stack: HTML/CSS/JS and any library.
- Link to live demo and repo at the top.
- Two bullets on choices made and tradeoffs accepted.
- One bullet on testing, a11y, or perf improvement you shipped.
Practice That Matches Real Work
Balance coding drills with tasks you’ll do on the job: reading a failing bug report, tracing a DOM event, cleaning CSS, and handling a slow API. For language details and browser APIs, the ECMAScript spec and MDN reference pages are the single source of truth. When you need a curated path with real projects, add a track like freeCodeCamp’s responsive curriculum. This mix keeps you from getting stuck in tutorial loops.
Accessibility From Day One
Add labels to inputs, keep heading order logical, and make focus states visible. Use the browser’s built-in a11y pane to check roles and names. Keyboard-test every interaction. Small habits here save time later and make your work usable by more people.
HTTP, APIs, And Data
Learn GET vs. POST, status codes, JSON parsing, and error states. Build a tiny fetch wrapper that shows a loading spinner, handles timeouts, and renders friendly messages when the network fails. Cache small responses in localStorage or IndexedDB when it helps the user. Keep secrets out of the front end.
Testing For Confidence
Start with the simplest checks: a script that lints, a run that builds, and a smoke test that loads the home page. Add one or two unit tests to cover a pure function, such as a price formatter or a date helper. Your goal is a green check on pull requests to show you ship with care.
Market Reality And Where Jobs Sit
Titles vary: “junior developer,” “front-end developer,” “UI engineer,” or “web designer/developer.” Job postings often mix skills; read the bullets, not just the title. For a data snapshot on demand and pay bands, see the Occupational Outlook for web developers. Use that page to guide salary ranges and location choices during your search.
Entry-Level Job Hunt, Step By Step
Batch your search so you can improve between rounds. Each batch: apply to 10–15 roles that match your stack, send a short note to the hiring contact, and share one relevant project link. Track responses in a sheet. After each batch, upgrade one project and sharpen one part of your pitch.
Application Playbook
- Find a posting with skills you can show in code.
- Tailor the top half of your resume to mirror the posting’s terms.
- Open with a four-line note: the role, your stack, one project that fits, and links.
- Attach a PDF resume under 200 KB and paste links in the email body.
- Set a reminder to follow up in four business days with a single line and your links again.
Networking That Doesn’t Feel Salesy
Keep it simple: comment on a team’s public repo, answer a small open issue, share a demo that fixes a bug you spotted, and send a short, polite note. This builds proof and rapport at the same time. One solid interaction beats dozens of cold messages.
What To Learn Next (Without Getting Lost)
Start with the trio that runs every site: semantic markup, CSS layout, and scripting. Add modern layout first (Flexbox and Grid), then forms, then fetch. Sprinkle in a light framework sample. Learn just enough build tooling to run a dev server and bundle a small app. When stuck, cross-check with MDN and a spec page before reaching for random snippets.
Time-Boxed Study Plan
Give yourself a weekly cadence you can keep for months. Here’s a simple schedule:
- Mon–Tue: Learn one concept (Grid, fetch, or forms) and clone a tiny example.
- Wed: Build a micro-project that uses that concept.
- Thu: Polish styles, add a README, and push.
- Fri: Open a pull request on an open source repo or log an issue with a suggested fix.
- Weekend: Review notes, write one post on what you learned, and prep the next topic.
Common Pitfalls For New Devs
- Endless courses with no shipped work. Fix: one small deploy each week.
- Fancy tooling before basics. Fix: plain HTML/CSS/JS first, then layer tools.
- Overbuilt portfolios. Fix: three sharp projects beat nine half-done ones.
- Messy repos. Fix: clear folder names, short commits, and a top-level README.
- No contact info. Fix: email link on every page, above the fold.
Project Ideas And What They Teach
Pick items that map to real features you’ll build at work. This table helps you choose by skill payoff.
| Project | Core Concepts | Stretch Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe Finder | Fetch, search, pagination, loading states | Offline cache with IndexedDB |
| Issue Tracker | Forms, validation, list rendering | Drag-and-drop with keyboard support |
| Budget Dashboard | Charts, date handling, formatting | Export to CSV and print styles |
| Photo Gallery | Grid, lazy images, modals | Client-side filters and aria-labels |
| Workout Timer | Timers, audio cues, state machine | Share preset via URL params |
Interview Prep For Starters
Expect a short screen, a take-home or live exercise, and a chat with the team. Keep your answers grounded in shipped code. Talk through tradeoffs you accepted: layout choice, naming, network handling, and accessibility. Bring a short checklist for the exercise: set up the repo, run the app, read the spec, write a failing test or console check, deliver a working slice, and leave notes on next steps if time runs out.
Topics That Show Up Often
- Layout choices: when to use Grid vs. Flexbox.
- Event flow: capturing vs. bubbling and how to stop propagation.
- Data flow: props vs. state in a small component tree.
- Fetch patterns: loading, error, and empty states.
- Accessibility basics: labels, roles, and focus order.
30-60-90 Day Plan For Your First Role
Days 1–30: Set up your dev box, learn the stack, read the docs, and fix two tiny bugs. Ask for a small feature that touches UI and data. Keep notes in a doc you can share with your mentor.
Days 31–60: Own a user story end-to-end. Write the plan, break it into tasks, ask for a review early, and ship behind a flag. Pair once a week with a teammate in a different area so you see new parts of the codebase.
Days 61–90: Lead a tiny refactor with clear before/after measures: fewer lines of CSS, fewer reflows, or faster load on one page. Write a short post in the team wiki on what you changed and why. Volunteer for a bug triage session so you learn how work is prioritized.
Proof Beats Promises
Every recruiter glance is a mini audit: Do you show the web basics? Can you ship? Can someone run your work and read your code? Stack your portfolio and profile to answer “yes” to those three checks in under a minute. Link a demo, show the repo, and write crisp commit messages. That trail of proof does the talking for you.
Where To Keep Learning
Bookmark two anchors: MDN for daily reference and a short list of trusted tracks for guided practice. Keep a running list of “things to look up” as you code, then review in one sitting to avoid constant context switching. When a topic feels fuzzy, read the spec summary and verify in DevTools. A little bit of depth here pays off across every project.
Quick Recap And Next Steps
Pick a weekly cadence, ship small, and keep links handy. Start with markup and layout, wire in a little script, and publish a demo. Repeat until you have three tight projects with readable code and clear READMEs. Send focused applications in batches, improve between rounds, and let your work speak for you.