Hacker News reader Matt says that it’s worth considering whether or not you should go into the business of web development.
“The idea of web design is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the industry has really taken off over the last few years.
But the problem is that it can be incredibly stressful, especially for those who are young.
As an adult, your brain starts to shrink and you’re more likely to make bad decisions than good ones.
I’m not saying it’s impossible to get your career going and work out the kinks but I’m also not saying you should just start out.
You may find yourself doing the wrong things, but if you have enough experience and discipline, it’s not that hard.”
Matt says he likes to make things simple and make sure his clients know what they’re getting into.
“There are a few things you need to make sure of.
First, you should have a clear goal.
This is a big deal for anyone working in web development: you’re looking for a good career path that can pay a lot of money.
The second thing is that you need an established project and a good track record.
You’ll want to have something to show for your efforts.”
In terms of earning a decent salary, Matt says it depends on how long you’re planning on working on the project.
“Most projects are five years, but that doesn’t mean you should stop doing what you’re doing,” he says.
“You should make sure you’ve put enough work into the project that you can afford to keep doing it, but you can still get a decent paycheck from the project.”
When it comes to making sure you can pay for the project, he says it’s important to understand how much it will cost to keep the job open.
“When I was first starting out, I didn’t know much about how to calculate the cost of web projects.
So I just made an estimate and it came out to $1,000 a month,” he explains.
“So if I were to do the same thing for an 8-week project, I would need to pay a little over $3,000 to keep it open.
If I wanted to stay in this job for six months, I’d need to charge about $6,000.”
You can also make sure that your project isn’t going to be abandoned, says Matt.
“If it’s something that you’re passionate about, then it can work out pretty well for you,” he adds.
“But if it’s a project that’s not going to get you very far, it might not make much sense for you to continue working on it.
If you’re thinking about starting out in web design, Matt recommends starting out with a project at home. “
Even if you’re not making any money from it, it’ll probably be a good idea to keep going and try to find a way to get paid for it.”
If you’re thinking about starting out in web design, Matt recommends starting out with a project at home.
“It’s a really good way to learn about the industry and it’ll give you a really solid foundation that you’ll build from there.
If you want something a little more formal, then you could start with a small business,” he points out.
Matt says there’s a wide variety of web and mobile development projects out there, but he also offers tips for working with different developers.
“I find that most people start out with one web project, and then move on to something like Drupal or Angular.
I recommend that people start off with one thing and then try to expand on that,” he advises.
“This way, you’ll have a foundation of skills you can build from that one project, so you’ll be better prepared for the future.
You should also pay attention to the language you’re working in.
There’s a lot that you have to learn from different languages, so if you know a language, then there’s more opportunity for you.
Also, try to be selective about your clients.
If there’s something you know you can do well, then don’t give up, but keep doing what’s important.”
If there are any problems with your job, then Matt suggests that you contact your employer and get advice.
“Ask your boss for a job guarantee, so that you won’t be let go if you don’t do everything right,” he concludes.
Read more about career development and web development in the Hacker News community.