On this week’s episode of Digital Dialogue, we sat down with Yelling Mule’s new web developer, Collin McMahon. After studying graphic design and website development at Johnson & Wales, he’s sharing some helpful tips for anyone who’s interested in starting a career in coding. 

Have a basic understanding of graphic design 

Understanding the whole website process including the design elements of a website is key. When it comes to front end and backend coding, design plays a huge role in each development role. Front-end coding is responsible for the look of the site and backend coding is responsible for the functionality. Having a basic understanding of design helps coders fulfill the overall goals of the website. 

Utilize online tutorials 

You don’t necessarily need to go to a four-year university if you are interested in coding. There are thousands of resources available that will help you get started. Online tutorials are also really valuable because updates are constantly being made. YouTube videos and webinars are ideal tools for helping to stay up to date on these changes.  

Get hands-on experience 

Nothing compares to hands-on experience. While watching and listening to others may be a helpful place to start, one needs to experiment and actually start implementing code to fully understand it. There are a number of ways for this to be executed. Codecademy is a great tool that offers users hands-on tasks. Its online interactive platform offers free coding classes in 12 different languages. Another way to gain this kind of experience is by developing your own site. It can be a simple project geared around something you are interested in.