Being new at anything can be overwhelming, especially if it is in something as niche as being an Umbraco web developer, which is going to require a lot of technical know-how.
Umbraco web development is a very rewarding job as you know that your end product is always going to be better than that generated by a CMS like Wix or Wordpress which is bogged down, slow and nowhere near as customizable compared to what an Umbraco web developer can create with customized coding that does exactly what you or your client wants, nothing less, nothing more.
That being said, it can be a bit tricky with less resources available to you and a smaller community to call upon. Though, you will soon find that quality beats quantity when it comes to these considerations.
So here are some tips to help you get started…
Embrace the Umbraco web developer community
As stated above, the community may not be as big as, say, the WordPress community, but remember that the WordPress community is full of people who don’t really know what they are doing, just smashing together plugins to achieve what they want, normally within the limitations of their themes, templates and add-ons due to them not knowing enough about coding to dig in deep and infinitely customize. This generates a lot of useless noise to dig through and disregard.
An Umbraco CMS developer on the other hand has to be adept in .NET framework and coding to make the most of the system. For this reason, the community is full to the brim with Umbraco developers who really know their stuff.
On top of that, the community values encourages its members to become Umbraco certified developers which further increases the faith you can have that you are getting strong responses when you ask questions.
So join some communities, whether it be Facebook groups, sub-Reddits or the official forums and discover how friendly everyone really is. Because you are not just an Umbraco web developer, you are family.
Keep up to date with Umbraco CMS development
As with everything in the tech world, Umbraco CMS development is constantly changing to keep up with the ever-changing terrain of the internet, trends and customer requirements. By signing up to newsletters, regularly checking in on blogs and diving into the community, not just when you need them, you can stay abreast with the latest Umbraco CMS development tips, tricks and requirements.
Making sure you are on the cutting edge will give you the lead when it comes to securing Umbraco developer jobs by being able to show and impress with your knowledge. The first job is always the hardest to get, and when you get it, you want to please them. So absorb as much as you can, understand it and, where you can, practice it.
Become a certified Umbraco web developer
I have talked about the Umbraco certified developer program in several articles before, mainly because it generally is completely worth mentioning in most conversations regarding Umbraco CMS development.
There are a few reasons why becoming a certified Umbraco web developer will help you with your career as an Umbraco web developer…
You will learn a lot along the way
It’s not all about being able to flex your tech skills, they actually are educational training courses which serve up a lot of knowledge for you to absorb. Chances are that there is quite a lot you will learn about Umbraco CMS development while doing the courses.
You will become a proven Umbraco expert
The most obvious advantage, but still a strong one. Having the certificates will prove you are a legit Umbraco developer and not just someone claiming to be one in your resume. This will set you apart from other developers applying for a job position or Umbraco freelancer role.
You can help an Umbraco web agency join the official Umbraco partners program
For a development agency to join the official Umbraco partners program they are required to have at least two certified Umbraco web developers working for them. By becoming an Umbraco certified developer you could potentially set yourself apart from other applicants by bringing their numbers up to enough without them having to pay for someone to do the course themselves, giving you a big advantage.
I'm an entrepreneur and web developer with a passion for coding. I absolutely love working with Umbraco CMS and appreciate the Umbraco community even more.
I've got 10 years+ .Net experience and 7 years+ experience working in the recruitment industry, both coding and marketing job websites. I wanted to use my skills to help give something back to this awesome community and so I decided to build UmbraJobs.com.
My vision & fundamentals
I want this website to be a place where Umbraco Professionals and Umbraco Partners can advertise their services but at the same time I want to filter out all the under-qualified freelancers & agencies that take up the biggest part of other job & freelancer websites. We've all worked hard to gain our Umbraco certifications, partnership status, and help build the Umbraco community to what it is today. I want to see everyone get rewarded for their efforts.
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