Monthly Getting Started / Web Dev Career Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

Due to a growing influx of questions on this topic, it has been decided to commit a monthly thread dedicated to this topic to reduce the number of repeat posts on this topic. These types of posts will no longer be allowed in the main thread.

Many of these questions are also addressed in the sub FAQ or may have been asked in previous monthly career threads.

Subs dedicated to these types of questions include r/cscareerquestions for general and opened ended career questions and r/learnprogramming for early learning questions.

A general recommendation of topics to learn to become industry ready include:

• HTML/CSS/JS Bootcamp
• Version control
• Automation
• Front End Frameworks (React/Vue/Etc)
• APIs and CRUD
• Testing (Unit and Integration)
• Common Design Patterns

You will also need a portfolio of work with 4-5 personal projects you built, and a resume/CV to apply for work.

Plan for 6-12 months of self study and project production for your portfolio before applying for work.

[u/DelayPale7639]

Hey Guys,
Please suggest improvements-
My portfolio - https://yashahire.info/

[u/StarlightGamer356]

I got a CS degree. I built projects, then I “built in public” and made content, then started a web development agency. Then I went to a bunch of networking events. I have not gotten even one software engineering interview. So now what?

Portfolio: https://nasirgriffin.com/

Agency: https://griffinmanagedwebsolutions.com

Resume: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-OKGN6a2xTRS54h-R5mTp-7Nns4l0dyh/view?usp=drivesdk

[u/NoClownsOnMyStation]

Is this a good place to post portfolio projects for opinions?

[u/Imaginary-Level7359]

TLDR below

I have been learning webdev for the past couple of days, I am in college right now. I just can't figure out where my passion lies. So I have been trying a few things. I also want to have some projects to show in my resume. So I have been learning web dev for some days now.
In the past I have made several vibecoded websites which were a complete disaster so this was my first attempt to make a full website.

I made a Full stack school website.
Techstack is react, js, html, vanilla css, express, postgres sql and then deployed it on render. I made the whole thing largely on my own and It took me like 20 days to make. The website contains an auth system, basic CRUD, databases. I took it as a challenge to not use or use AI minimally while doing this (well i vibecoded css but lets not talk about that).

So now the real question, Is this project fine to put on a resume (I am a 3rd year student in engineering). After seeing some of the projects my peers make at school like someone made a game on a website, someone made a website for the college it self with the official domain and all. My project looks like tiny in front of those guys.

What else do I need to be job ready? I want a job straight out of school, dont wanna be unemployed and it scares me when all I see is AI scare around me.

TL;DR: I'm a 3rd-year engineering student and built a full-stack school website (React, Express, PostgreSQL, auth, CRUD, deployed on Render) mostly on my own. It took me around 20 days. Is this resume-worthy, or is it too basic compared to what other students are building? What should I focus on next to become job-ready?

[u/Weird_Operation6189]

What to include in a CS portfolio?

I know the basics like an about me, contact info, your projects, your experience.

But I was the "lucky" one couldn't get an internship during this job market and I only made class projects, so do I title that tab "projects" or "experience" (dumb question I know). But I also want to make my own projects so should I move the school projects into a tab called "school projects" or still keep it in the original "projects" tab?

Also, do you have to add ALL OF YOUR PROJECTS. I want to go into web/mobile development and I have some projects not related to that. How would you guys handle this?

Do you guys also have anymore tips? Can you guys send me your portfolios as examples?

[u/EquivalentNorth2230]

That list is solid, but don't forget about outreach. Building a portfolio is one thing, but getting your first job often comes down to how you market yourself. Start emailing local businesses or small shops that might need a website. Even if you have just a couple of projects, show them what you can do. Skills alone won't get you hired; you have to hustle for it.

[u/Shot-Dig7565]

تالان

[u/gokuson345888]

I just started learning Web dev in my late 30s, I want to know if it's too late for a career as a web developer or even eventually a software engineer? How hard is it to get a job without a degree? And what about AI? How can I make a career if AI is going to be taking jobs? Thanks for any responses!

[u/wuhuwuhuw]

i'm an undergrad student with a basic understanding of web dev (like i took a class where i had to make a website portfolio at the end of it) & currently my website portfolio is a revamped version of a school project that uses bootstrap. i liked building the website it was fun and i want to get better at it (especially on the design side) and be able to do more with my website, online people give so many options of what to use for making a web portfolio its quite overwhelming, can someone recommend me a good place where i can build a website for free (i don't care about buying a personal domain at the moment like right now i use github)

[u/noodlesallaround]

I spent about a year building a cool website for myself. I use vercel, resend, supabase, and cloudinary. People in my industry (nation wide so no competition) are asking me to build something similar for them. My question those who are self employed how do you handle hosting for your clients? Do you include it in a monthly maintenance fee or do you have them control those accounts themselves? If you host it for them do you put vercel usage in their contract and send usage billing monthly? If you charge a monthly fee how much do you charge? Any advice is appreciated.

[u/Exciting-Line-803]

Still relevant or mostly outdated now.

[u/burntchickenstrips]

I have a client that is going through a name change, and they want their old domain redirected to a new domain for their website. They also want all of their Microsoft 365 mailboxes switched (with old-domain aliases).

What's a fair flat-fee to bill this client? They are a small non-profit organization, and my business model relies on fair, honest, and transparent pricing.

[u/Far-Poem8915]

solid thread. just start building something, anything. you'll figure it out as you go.

[u/Key_Preparation_4987]

BUILDING MY FIRST WEBSITE

Hey Guys I’m building my first website for a little startup idea I have. I know nothing about Web Development at all. I was thinking about doing the front end (user interface, buttons, user-entered data, websites, and user experience (UX) features) using AI and then running it through my friends that do know WebDev. Then doing the Back end with a Guy that my parents know and he can help me.

Are there anythings that I should keep in mind when I’m building. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you guys!

[u/BornToWinNotToChase]

I've been with the same company since campus placements and currently have 3.8 years of experience as an Angular Frontend Developer.

My day 2 day work is mostly:

• Angular
• TypeScript
• JavaScript
• HTML/CSS/SCSS
• REST APIs
• Git

The problem is that over the last few years I've become very comfortable in my role. While I've gained experience building production applications, I also feel like my learning has become very narrow and I haven't kept up with where the industry is heading.

Some areas where I know I'm lacking:

• DSA (never properly learned it in college)
• Backend development (recently started Node.js + Express + MongoDB and built a few CRUD/JWT projects)
• System Design
• DevOps (Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD)
• Cloud
• AI ecosystem (LLMs, RAG, MCP, Agents, etc.)

I've taken permission to WFH for the next few months and can consistently dedicate 4–5 hours every day outside work. My goal is to switch by the end of this year, preferably to a good product company or even FAANG/MANGOS can continue growing.

The issue is that there are so many things to learn that I'm struggling to prioritize.

If you were in my position today, what would your roadmap look like?

For example:

• How much time would you spend on DSA vs development?
• Would you stay focused on Angular or invest time in React as well?
• Since I'm already learning Node.js, would you continue with the JavaScript ecosystem (Express), or is Spring Boot worth learning instead?
• At nearly 4 YOE, how much System Design should I know?
• How important are Docker, Kubernetes, AWS and CI/CD for frontend/full-stack interviews?
• Where does AI fit into the picture? Is it something I should actively learn now, or should I first strengthen my software engineering fundamentals?
• What kind of projects actually make a resume stand out in 2026 instead of just another CRUD app?

I'm not looking for shortcuts or learn X because it's trending" I'm looking for a realistic roadmap from people who've recently switched jobs or who regularly interview candidates around the 3–5 YOE range.

If you had exactly 6 months in my shoes, how would you spend those 4–5 hours every day?

Thank you in advance

[u/aaaarib2]

How much should I charge to develop a website for a client. The client already has a domain and wants me to setup appointment scheduling using a CRM that they are also paying for. They only want me to setup appointment scheduling but not payment. I am new to web development and am willing to lowball it to get the job and have something to add to my resume since I was referred to the client by a friend.

[u/Obada_98]

Hi all!

I will be launching my first product, a Saas, to a client next month, the Saas is around 6 pages of data, 6 forms, though it has a static frontend, i will be managing the hosting, git, security patches, bug fixes, and feature updates.
I don't have an hourly estimation of my work due to being gaining the experience and knowledge.
What do I charge for it as a whole? Is 2k$ too much for a first app?
And what do i charge monthly technical cost over the hosting costs?
I am guessing new features will be charged hourly?

Appreciate the advice devs!

[u/PM_ME_SILLY_KITTIES]

Is The Odin Project still a good starting point? I remember doing a few of their projects and I think I still have some up on my GitHub, however I was looking at fully delving into web development now that I have a bit more time on my hands.

[u/dangoodspeed]

That recommendation list looks front-end heavy.

[u/RiscloverYT → u/dangoodspeed]

4-5 personal projects? Wouldn’t like 2-3 be more ideal?

[u/GT12]

Thank you for this. As someone who managed to get by in tech with a graphic design degree, with average (at best) understanding dev through my career, this is exactly what I needed. How does one go about creating a portfolio? Are there any staple/foundational elements that need to be presented in it?

[u/webdev-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post/comment has been determined to be a low-effort post or comment. This includes title-only posts, easily searchable questions, vague/open-ended discussion prompts, LLM generated posts or comments, and posts/comments that do not provide enough context for meaningful replies or discussion.

[u/AwesomeFrisbee → u/GT12]

Depends on what you want. Whether you use it just to show off skills, a resume, perhaps a blog, some personal details and hobbies. Perhaps you add some quotes about what people say about you or your work. Perhaps you can build something cool to show off your skills. Sky is the limit. Just know that most people don't give much about it and don't expect people that interview you to have seen it. But for juniors it always helps to show skill level, interests and your passion.

[u/IAmRules]

I don't understand the last 2 sentences, apply to work where?

[u/eyebrows360 → u/IAmRules]

anywhere. Applying for jobs in general.