Member Avatar for AmySmith

Hello, my name is Amy Smith and I have just recently started looking to return to the workplace after raising my children. I joined this website because I thought it might help to chat with others in the field to get advice. My experience is in mainframe development and I am pursuing a career in web development but I am having a hard time figuring out where to start. I thought I might try and get a certification of some sort. I've researched a little bit, but there are so many certifications out there it is quite overwhelming!! Does anyone have any suggestions as to what web development certifications are most reputable in the field these days, or if certifications hold any weight with employers at all?

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Practical, focused steps for and others moving from mainframes into web development — building on points from , and . The best return-to-work path is practical: translate mainframe strengths into short, demonstrable web projects, make those projects easy to review (live demo + code), and use one targeted credential only if it helps produce visible work or matches job listings.

  • Month 1 — Foundations and workflow: refresh HTML/CSS/JavaScript fundamentals, learn Git, and deploy a simple static site. Keep notes that will become README content.
  • Month 2 — Two portfolio projects: (a) “legacy-to-web” project that turns a typical mainframe report or batch task into a web dashboard or REST endpoint; (b) a small CRUD app showing frontend + backend. Put both on GitHub and host a live demo.
  • Month 3 — Polish and apply: craft a one-page project snapshot for each project (problem, role, tech, measurable outcome), update the resume to show outcomes rather than job titles, and start applying to junior/full-stack roles and modernization projects.

Project choices should surface transferable skills: data modeling, ETL logic, performance tuning, and error handling. Document each project with clear steps to run it, screenshots, and 2–3 bullet points quantifying impact (e.g., "replaced nightly batch with 5-second query for X records").

Certifications: treat them as structured learning, not shortcuts. If an employer will pay or a cert requires a real project you can include in your portfolio, it’s worthwhile. Otherwise prioritize demonstrable work, small paid/volunteer contracts, or returnship/return-to-work programs that value proven outcomes.

Helpful evergreen resources: MDN Web Docs, freeCodeCamp, and GitHub for hosting code.

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Member Avatar for MVied

The importance of certifications will vary from employer to employer. But it never hurts to have as many as possible. For Web Development, I would suggest going for your CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster).

Member Avatar for jounik

Hi Amy,

I've been thinking about getting some certifications as well, so I had some thoughts about it I would like to share.

The main advantage of having certifications that you can show is that the employer can "really" see what you are capable of. I ,for example, am self-thought and that's a bit of a problem since I can't "show" on paper what I am actually capable of. So that's the added value an employer can get from seeing a certification in a certain area.

A disadvantage could be that you already have some knowledge in a certain area and you want a certification and follow classes but the classes just seem to easy, because you are already (maybe) pretty good in that area.

What you could also try, is getting a starting job at a small webdevelopers company (if you already have some experience) and then make an arrangement with your boss that you can get certain certifications on his expences, which would be good for the company...

Just proposing some things out of the blue here :P Hope it helps getting together what you would like to do.

Member Avatar for espmartin

Still, nothing beats experience. If you have any, I'd list it as the top priority on your resume.

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