What qualifications do you need to get a job as a web developer? How do I get started if I'm learning through online courses? Any other comments on the career?

Hello! If you are keen on web development, there is a company called Smartcademy which offers a comprehensive 3-week course. I think their courses are unique because it is conducted by a trainer real time over online video platforms rather than recorded and uploaded! So it's more personalised and helpful especially for beginners.

In addition, there will be a project for you to work on which can form your portfolio. This will also provide you with a proper web developer experience, which I think will be beneficial given that you want to break into the industry (:

Here is their URL if you are keen! All the best :D
https://smartcademy.sg/

Hey Anon! Firstly, identify what kind of developer you would want to be. Frontend? Backend? QA Engineer? Full Stack? React? A lot of developer begin with a wide spread of knowledge in multiple languages and choose to specialise in one.

Depending on where your end goal is, it will determine if you need a qualification or not. For startups, I would say if you can get the job done, you are definitely hired. That said, startup engineers would often require the understanding of full stack (back and front) as they're often shorthanded.

For MNCs, go do a specialise course. Be it from G.A, polytechnic night classes, a cert still matters for them. I once heard of a company that does recruitment and removal of applicants based on the certificate. MNCs often hire specific roles to fill the hole. So be prepared to have deep knowledge in the area before applying. Otherwise you can apply to know where you stand too.

In addition, companies will require you to take a test to see your ability. I think this is also a good gauge of your ability and also if you like the company. Lastly, certs and qualifications matter but experience is equally important.

Go for internships. Try backend, frontend, QA, big company, startups, agencies!