A little over a decade ago, I took my first (of many) Greek classes in grad school. I was also working at the local YMCA in an after-school program for kids. One day, I was reviewing my vocabulary words during a break and one of the kids (a sweet child names Mariah) asked to help me. I started with the word ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrinomai "to answer"). When I said the word, she smiled broadly and responded, "Oh, that's easy. Apple Cream Pie!"
It was all Greek to me, but it worked. I've never forgotten that word!
When I am faced with an expert in the Tech industry, I become instantly intimidated. Python, C#, PHP: they might as well be Greek. That's why I surround myself with experts like my friend Matt Nigh. I can't tell you much about IT training, but he can!
So today, we welcome Matt as our guest blogger for MaxxContent. A seasoned expert in this field and with over a decade of leadership in this industry, Matt provides an overview of how to get started, show off your work, and engages with tons of resources. Glean from his experience and enjoy!
4 Projects for Junior Developers to Create
Matt Nigh
Starting to develop development skills can be daunting. Especially if you are in a company trying to get to the next level with no experience. One of the best ways to start is by building applications to show off.
Below are four projects that can help any junior developer get started.
Creating a Portfolio Website
Before beginning projects you need a place to show your work off. For example, I spend time writing articles on software development which I feature on my site: www.mattnigh.net
For the majority of engineers, you want to feature projects or code you can share. For others, you might want to share your learnings through a blog.
There are a number of different technologies, stacks, and infrastructure you can use. Select technologies you are most interested in learning.
Resources 10 Awesome Web Developer Portfolios
Build an Awesome Developer Portfolio Website Using React
10 Web Developer Portfolio Tips
Six steps to building your website from scratch
Creating Application to Manage Project Inventory
These types of application teach a number of basic concepts. They help teach juniors an understanding of classes, how to perform basic math (like summing inventory), and creating an interface to the backend.
Resources
Java Product Inventory Project
How to Make an Awesome Inventory Management Application
Creating a Page Scraper
These are applications that connects to websites and pulls information from them. Often that information takes the form of text, links, and images and puts them into a list. You can continue to make the application more complex by making it user friendly. Another way to make scrapers more advanced is to improve its parsing and organization ability.
Resources
Build a Web Scraper With Python
Creating a CMS
Every developer should develop a CMS to understand why they shouldn’t. But it will teach you how to build databases, tables, sessions, and much more. Almost all developers need a basic understanding of CMS functions and components.
Resources
How I built a CMS, and why you shouldn’t
Build your own CMS in an Afternoon with PHP and MySQL
PHP for Beginners: Building your First CMS
A huge thanks to Matt for this information and guidance from an industry expert!
If you are looking for training for your team or in-depth self-paced coursework and certification, let us know at MaxxContent - we can help!