Life as a Web Developer

Have you ever wondered what life as a Web Developer is really like here in the South West? What does one do? What does it take to become one and what to stay top of the game?

We caught up with James Williams, Web Developer at Silver, to get the facts for you – regardless if you are thinking of becoming one or adding one to your team – some insights for you right here:

ADLIB: In approx. 30 words and plain English, what do you do?

James Williams: I bring our design team’s concepts, ideas and designs to life. Through the creation of things like landing pages, large corporate websites, and mobile apps.

ADLIB: In a nutshell, what has been your career journey so far?

James Williams: My first exposure to web development was during my A-Levels back in 2010. I created a website for a submission instead of a Powerpoint and from then on I kept experimenting.

I then went on to graduate with a 2:1 from the University of Gloucestershire with a degree in Web development. Following my degree I had a few roles with some agencies before landing where I am currently, with the digital team at Silver.

ADLIB: What do you like most about your job?

James Williams: We’re a small team, and with that we enjoy a lot of freedom with our projects. Each new project we take what we learnt from our previous one and adjust. Often experimenting and refining our process with every project we work on.

ADLIB: What are 3 key things you consider when choosing an employer?

James Williams:

• Passion for the creative/art – A healthy obsession with the creative is vital. Passion is hard to fake and an employer who lives and breathes the subject matter you work with is an incredible motivator.
• Core Values – The drive behind their work; what they stand for, what they believe, and why they do it. These values will be behind all of their decision making and sticking to these values builds a deeply rooted sense of trust with the team.
• Integrity – Honesty, transparency, and accountability build better teams in my experience. It’s the understanding that feedback is honest and valued and not just personal. Being upfront about what the role involves and the challenges the company is experiencing is a good signal for this.

ADLIB: What 3 top tips would you give someone to ensure that their skills and knowledge as a Web Developer remain top notch?

James Williams: In no particular order:

Ask all the questions. Always ask for clarification or more information when it comes to a task or project. It’s always better to ask than to assume and miss something.

Have a side project. Have something outside of work that you can try new things with and keep experimenting. I have always found these side projects help me take a different perspective on how I approach work and difficult tasks.

Take a break. When you are having a tough time with a piece of code, take a break. Read some articles, take a look on CodePen, and come back to it. You’ll come back with a fresh approach and more often than not come up with a solution.

Thank you James for sharing!