How To Become a Java Developer in 2024 (Learning Roadmap)

After building 30,000+ tech careers in different domains, including Java training, and preparing them for high-paid jobs, we understand that nothing is difficult to achieve if you have the passion and dedication to it. 

We have constantly followed our students’ learning patterns over the last 5+ years, from their enrollment in the course to their landing a good job. 

I thought of putting their journey into a career guide for aspiring Java developers to make their way to success, organised.

Here’s a learning path to become a Java developer at a glance:

Before you explore the Java career learning path, I want to share the resources (online and offline) that will help you become a top Java developer and earn a high-paying job in the next 100 days (already trained 30,000+ students in India):

Here are the steps to become an expert Java developer in 2024

Step 1: Take a beginner Java Developer course

If you have a college degree and want to become a coding pro, start with Java programming. Does this mean you cannot start immediately after class 12? You can! But it’s important to choose the right course and watch their eligibility criteria. 

For CSE students or computer science engineers, Java programming can be a part of their syllabus. But in the job market that isn’t enough! You need to upskill yourself to match the current industry requirements. 

Students often ask me what the difference is between taking our Java programming course and reading blog posts or YouTube videos. I don’t know about the difference, but here are a few reasons why I don’t recommend such resources. 

• You won’t understand where to start, and how to proceed 
• Recorded sessions or written notes might not be as interesting as live classes
• You won’t get a chance to clear your doubts immediately 
• Some posts or videos are uploaded long back and the process they use might be outdated now
• How to trust these sources?

We solve all these problems! What’s more interesting is that you can sit at home and take our live interactive online courses. I personally recommend you visit our training center and enroll in offline classes. It is not because our teaching standards or facilities vary, but you can use our free lab facilities. 

Here are the first two lessons you will learn with us:

Step 2: Work on real-world projects using Java skills

If you aim to work in the industry you need to gain sufficient hands-on experience on real-world Java projects. No matter how many books or resources you read, videos you watch, or enroll in a course, if you don’t have the practical knowledge you cannot make a good career in Java development.

You may ask me now, isn’t learning theoretical concepts important? Yes, it is! But you also know how to implement them into projects and solve real-world challenges. 

Most Java courses expose students to industry projects. However, you can also create individual projects that are applicable to the current market. Host your application on Hostinger; it is quite affordable for beginners. 

Now, let me share with you some Java projects suitable for beginner programmers, along with their source code. I hope these projects are going to enhance the value of your resume in the job market. 

Building currency converter 

• About the project

For a beginner Java programmer, building a currency converter can be an excellent project to apply core programming concepts to building a useful tool. This project aims to build a web-based interface that looks like a calculator that can help users convert currencies and provide regular updates on any changes to a country’s currency and the conversion rate.

• Basic features

The basic features of a currency converter must include selecting currencies, input amount to be converted, display the converted amount based on the current exchange rate.

It requires handling multiple currencies and handling errors for invalid input.

You can also add features like a historical conversion rate tracker to view conversion history.

• What you can learn from it

You will use core Java programming concepts, and knowledge of Java Servlets web features, Applet, and Ajax. 

Knowledge of Java Swing is good for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

Additionally, you must know RESTful APIs and JSON to fetch and process real-time exchange rate data from external sources.

• Real-world application

It has some true applications in the market, especially in finance, travel, E-Commerce, and banking sectors, where currency conversion is essential for international transactions, budgeting for tours, and online shopping across different currencies. 

Find out the source code

Building word counter

• About the project

This is again a basic Java application that can develop your core programming skills. This project is basically about counting words in a paragraph or content. For example, if you are writing an essay, you can use this tool to count how many words you have written.  

• Basic features

The basic features of a word counter are to read input from a text file or user input, count the number of words, and display the number of words.

You can also add advanced-level features to tell the number of characters, and paragraphs in it, the frequency of words used, case insensitivity, exclusion of common stop words, and exporting results to a file.

• What you can learn from it

You must have knowledge of Java I/O streams for reading and writing files.

Java developers can implement collections like HashMap to store word frequencies.

To implement this project, you need a basic understanding of text processing, algorithm implementation, data manipulation, and knowledge of Java’s standard libraries. 

The technologies you will use here are Java Swing, JFrame, and Applet.

• Real-world application

You can integrate this application with other third-party tools to analyze text documents, evaluate content for SEO, and help students improve their writing skills. 

Find the source code 

Developing an attendance management system 

• About the project

Now that you have gained adequate knowledge in core Java programming and want to know more about software development or the use of Java build tools, I suggest you create a simple attendance management system. This project aims to build a web application that helps users manage the attendance of students, employees, or participants in any event. 

• Basic features

Keep the application simple by adding features like creating users (admin, students, and faculty), recording attendance, generating reports, viewing attendance summaries, and managing user profiles. 

You can also add a notification system to notify absentees and biometric integration or mobile app synchronization. 

The admin will have the main access to any kind of changes in the database, like updating, deleting, and adding user records to the list.

• What you can learn from it

The technologies you require here are Java Servlet, MVC architecture, Maven, MySQL, Tomcat Server JSP, and web development technologies (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). 

Knowledge of database management system is also important for storing and retrieval of attendance records.

Additionally, you must know file handling in Java for generating reports and managing data backups.

Basic knowledge of networking is also helpful for multi-user access. 

• Real-world application

This application can be used in schools for student attendance and at workplaces or for employee attendance. Event management teams can also use them to track the number of attendees in workshops, seminars, and webinars.

Find the source code

Developing a Java chat application 

This project can be a bit difficult if you are a beginner programmer. However, I believe trying some of these advanced projects and adding them to your portfolio can attract recruiters from top companies. 

• About the project

This project is about building an interactive chatting application that allows real-time communication between users. Besides creating a functional application, this project teaches it how to utilize Java’s networking capabilities and Swing framework to make it interactive and responsive. 

• Basic features

The basic features of the application include user authentication, sending and receiving messages in real-time, displaying a list of online users, and managing chat rooms or private messaging. 

You can also add features like handling multiple user connections simultaneously and message history storage.

• What you can learn from it

Some of the skills to learn from this project include establishing client-server connections, managing action and window events, applying principles of Swing GUI design, and understanding multithreading.

Additionally, the knowledge of networking protocols like TCP/IP and related concepts is essential for implementing efficient and reliable communication between clients and servers.

• Real-world application

This application can be integrated with numerous platforms for customer support, social networking, and collaborative work environments to allow real-time communication and better user engagement.

They can be used for team collaboration, social networking, and online gaming.

Find the source code

Building a supermarket billing system

This is also an intermediate-level project that you can try if you have the basics of Java development mastered. 

• About the project

The project aims to build an application that regularly stores users’ sales records in a database, shows the status of product orders, and displays user history. 

• Basic features

The system’s basic features include user authentication, adding, updating and removing products from inventory, calculating total prices, applying discounts or gift coupons, generating bills, printing receipts, managing sales reports, and supporting multiple payment methods.

• What you can learn from it

Some of the basic technologies you need here are core Java concepts, JDBC (for database management), MySQL, JSP, JavaScript, Servlets, HTML, and Ajax. 

Additionally, you need knowledge of Java Swing for creating Graphical User Interfaces.

• Real-world applications

This can be a great real-world application in supermarkets and retail stores to automate their billing process, reduce human errors, and provide a seamless checkout experience for customers. 

Find the source code

Step 3: Create an attractive portfolio

Whenever you apply for a Java developer job vacancy, potential recruiters will want to verify whether you are suitable for the industry. They won’t be satisfied if you tell them how much you know about Java unless you show them some real skills. 

As a fresher, you won’t have relevant work experience to showcase in your portfolio. But you can do individual projects or work in a group and share your work on GitHub. This will not only prove your efficiency in developing backend applications with Java but also your experience with version control systems and managing public remote repositories. 

It means you need to create an account on GitHub. Below, I have shared the login page of GitHub.

While looking for the top Java developers, I found a few trending developers’ profiles on GitHub. Each of these profiles is an expert in developing applications and has shared them on GitHub, which you can check out. 

You can also share your Java projects on GitHub and add the profile link to your resume. It allows recruiters to visit your account and see your previous work. 

Anyone who is new to GitHub can learn its essential tools from this link. 

Step 4: Get an entry-level Java Developer job

After you complete a Java programming course and gain practical experience with real-time projects it’s time to apply for an entry-level Java developer job role. Here is why you need to do so 

• You can earn while you learn. Sitting at home and watching videos on Java backend development will increase your knowledge but will not give you the money that a real job can. 
• While working in the market under your senior developers, you will gain better hands-on experience and learn other soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and teamwork. 
• You can build credibility and reputation by working in a team developing top industry projects. It will not only enhance your experience level but also create trust among future clients or employees and bring a positive impact on your development plans. 

You can search traditional job boards and social networking sites for Java development job opportunities. For example, I prefer looking for jobs on Indeed and LinkedIn. 

On LinkedIn, I found 4000+ Java development job opportunities, while multiple of them are for entry-level developers. 

Now let me share with you the requirements for a junior level Java developer job 

Besides these job boards, you can also search for top software companies and check their career pages. 

You can find entry-level job opportunities, and if no such opportunity is available, it is still worth emailing them your resume and asking for any future openings. Make sure you mention all Java-based development projects that you have completed to showcase your skills and expertise and your current learning status. 

👉 Read our 120+ Java interview questions to prepare for your next interview

Step 5: Upskill Yourself 

Java developers require continuous learning to stay updated with the market trends. 

Here are a few ways to upskill yourself 

• Join any advanced-level Java programming course 
• Solve programming challenges on platforms like HackerRank, Codeforces, and TopCoder that expose you to new challenges every day
• Attend Java-related conferences or local meetups to learn about the latest market trends and company requirements 
• Learn from expert notes available on the GitHub repository 

Here I am sharing you with one such popular Java repositories

• Signup for a popular Java newsletter that provides you with the latest resources 

I recommend you subscribe to Baeldung’s “The Java Weekly” newsletter or go to their Archive section and read articles on multiple Java-related topics. 

• Join a Java Community as they help solve challenges, provide learning opportunities, and help you network 

For example, as a beginner coder you can join “The Java Community”, and “Beginning JAVA”

You can follow a few Java experts on Twitter. Let me suggest some:

1. Joshua Bloch
2. Martin Fowler
3. Arun Gupta
4. Josh Long
5. Antonio Goncalves

How to Get Into Java Development with no experience?

Here’s a step-by-step process on how to get into Java development with no experience.

Step 1: Complete your graduation and enroll in a Java programming course

If you are someone who has absolutely no experience in Java, I recommend you first complete your graduation and then join our beginner course. You can do a BSC in computer science, BCA, and BTech before enrolling for our course. These academic courses will prepare your foundational knowledge of Java and our course will make you job-ready. 

Even if you don’t have these majors, our curriculum is suitable for all. See what you get from us:

Step 2: Apply Java theories into practice 

We know how difficult it is for you to get into Java development without any experience. So, what we have done is, we added multiple practical sessions in our curriculum that allow you to implement theoretical concepts into practice. Let me share what you will start with:

This can be a great start as you will learn the basic implementation of Java programs, object-oriented programming fundamentals, inheritance, interface, and different library functions. It will prepare you for deploying bigger projects. 

Step 3: Knowledge of web design technologies 

Developing a project often requires knowledge of web design technologies. This includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They ensure your web application looks good, is user-friendly and responsive to all devices. You can do these courses simultaneously or after completing your Java course. 

What we do is, provide you self-paced courses at an affordable price where you can learn these technologies in your free time. 

Check out our HTML and CSS, and JavaScript self-paced online courses

Step 4: Learn basic database management 

Now, to run an application properly you need a database for data storage and retrieval. This means you need to have a basic idea of database management, including MySQL operations, use of operators, constraints, string functions, data types, MySQL joins, and more. 

We understand learning a new topic is hard and choosing the right platform to learn makes it worse. So, our experts have created a self-paced MySQL course at an affordable price.

Step 5: Create a GitHub profile to share projects

As I said before, having a GitHub profile is an advantage for beginners. You can add your projects to that account to showcase your skills and expertise. Additionally, you can contribute to open-source projects which helps you build trust and credibility in the market. These projects are backed by an active community that can rescue you from any troubles you face while executing the project. 

Here’s how creating a GitHub account looks like:

After logging into your profile, you need to create a private repository where you will upload your projects. The screen looks like this:

Learn the whole process now!

Let me suggest you some beginner-level Java projects that you should start with:

• Develop a tool to find the result of two numbers addition
• Create an application to reverse a string 
• Create a number-guessing game 
• Build a calculator 
• Build a simple banking application 

Step 6: Prepare an eye-catching CV 

Whenever you apply for jobs or internships on different platforms or within your professional network, you need to submit an attractive resume to potential recruiters. This resume must include details about your qualifications, skills, certifications and basic details. Adding links to your project work can enhance the appeal of your resume.

Here’s an example of a Java developer resume with an internship experience. 

Want to check how developers are creating their portfolios? Visit this GitHub public repository!

Step 7: Apply for an Internship program

As an individual with no previous experience, it can be a little difficult for you to find a full-time job opportunity with an attractive pay scale. I suggest students apply for internship programs. It is the best possible way for you to earn while you learn. During the internship period not only do you get hands-on experience with real-time projects but expert guidance from industry professionals. 

An internship program can last 3-4 months or more, depending on the company’s criteria. It can be a paid or unpaid opportunity, but it is definitely a great resource for preparing yourself for the market. 

Look for traditional job boards to find such opportunities. I prefer using Internshala as it gives my students numerous opportunities from time to time. 

I am sharing a post from Internshala about an internship opportunity for Java developers that gives you an overview of what are the basic requirements.

Step 8: Build bonds with domain experts 

I believe if you have a good network you can launch a good job faster and find multiple opportunities to learn about the latest trends. One such professional networking platform is LinkedIn. 

Let me share you the login page of LinkedIn 

Once you create a LinkedIn profile, you can add all your qualifications, projects, skills, and achievements. To build trust and credibility around your profile you can put a direct link to your projects. Then start connecting with people in your domain. Following top developers can keep you updated with the latest tools in technology in the industry, and software companies can provide you job related updates regularly. 

Step 9: Attend seminars, webinars, and workshops 

Upskilling yourself to keep up with new trends is necessary. You can attend seminars, webinars and workshops online and offline to learn from industry experts. These events are usually organized by top-tier professionals who not only share the latest Java-related updates with you but also help you improve your professional network and find better work opportunities. 

Are you looking for some upcoming events, find them here

Another reason to join such events is you can learn different solutions to real-world problems that Java developers usually face during their Java career path.

Step 10: Earn global certification 

Most reputed institutions provide learners with a course completion certificate. We do the same! Our certificate can help you land a good job. However, I recommend that learners also appear for global certification examinations to enhance job opportunities. 

What are the skills required to become a Java Developer?

Here are the top skills required to become a successful Java developer based on job descriptions.

1. Learn the Java ecosystem 

To start a career in Java development you must first know about the Java ecosystem for designing, developing and testing applications. 

The Java ecosystem contains multiple resources and essential tools for creating various applications. It mainly contains the Java Virtual Machine(JVM), Java runtime environment(JRE), and the Java developer kit (JDK). 

The JVM provides developers with a runtime environment for loading, verifying, and executing Java bytecodes. The JRE links your program to the operating system and provides the necessary libraries to run the program. Together, they form the JDK. 

2. Understanding operators and expressions in Java

These are the symbols used within statements or expressions that help developers instruct the machine to perform a particular task. You will learn about arithmetic, boolean, logical, and binary operators, and how they are used to get the desired output. 

3. Use of control statements 

You need to make decisions using coding and their control statements do the work. However, you need to first understand the logic and then create a specific condition for which the program will execute a series of true statements until the condition becomes false. This saves a lot of time in writing the same statements multiple times to perform the same task. You need to know about branching and iterative statements, the use of Break and Continue, the Goto statement, and While, For, and Do..While loops.

4. Understanding of object-oriented programming 

The basic knowledge of OOP concepts is introduced in Java which talks about classes and objects formed by data and functions. The main concepts of OOP are inheritance, polymorphism, interface, encapsulation, abstraction, and classes and objects. You need to individually understand how to implement them within a program to get the desired output. 

5. Understanding of exception handling 

While executing a program you can often encounter runtime errors. To handle such errors you need to learn exception handling. It will teach you about different types of exceptions, the use of try-catch keywords, the use of nested try blocks, using throw and throws keywords, and using Finally block. Additionally, you must learn about the predefined exceptions in Java and the user-defined exceptions. 

6. Learn multi-threaded programming 

Multi-threading refers to executing complex processes using independent virtual processing entities called threads. Learning multi-threaded programming ensures you can minimize program execution time and maximize CPU utilization.

You need knowledge of threads, their lifecycle, how they execute independently, using multiple threads, thread synchronisation, and some popular methods of multithreading. 

7. Knowledge of predefined Java libraries 

You don’t always need to write codes with the predefined Java libraries. They contain codes of different classes written by someone else and you can call them within your program to execute similar tasks.

Some of the popular library classes you need to know are string class, java lang package, date and time package, utility framework, collection framework, and I/O framework. 

8. Knowledge of system design and architecture 

You must know the design patterns and software architecture principles to create the best solutions for handling large volumes of data.

This helps you develop your project’s modular structure so that an error can easily be detected and you only need to change a single module without restructuring the whole project. 

9. Use of Java build tools

If you aim to start working with larger projects, you must know Java build tools like Maven and Gradle. These tools can automate multiple tasks, such as downloading dependencies, compiling source code into binary code, packaging it, running tests, and deploying applications into the production environment. 

10. Gain familiarity with SQL databases 

As applications work with databases to store and retrieve user data, you must know the basics of SQL databases and their CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.

You must know the JDBC API (Java Database Connectivity) to connect applications with databases.

11. Knowledge of code version control 

Knowledge of version control systems is essential for Java full-stack developers, but you must also know how to use them. A version control system monitors and manages code changes throughout the project. One popular example is Git. 

12. Use of web technologies 

Knowledge of web design technologies, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, is essential when working on an industry project. It helps you build good-looking, intuitive, user-friendly and dynamic applications. 

13. Additional skills to acquire

Here are a few additional skills for Java developers 

• Knowledge of the Spring framework 
• Understand Java EE components 
• Use of agile methodology 
• Understanding of containerization with docker and Kubernetes
• Practice unit testing using JUnit and Mocking framework 
• Knowledge of microservices architecture and RESTful API Development
• Use of cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud 
• Essential soft skills including communication, problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and attention to detail 

Can you become a Java Developer with no experience?

Yes, you can become a Java developer with no experience. But you need to enrol for a good Java programming course from any reputed institution. The certification courses provide hands-on training on live projects to help you prepare a portfolio of good real-world projects and attract recruiters. 

As a fresher, these projects are equivalent to industry experience and showcase your skills and expertise. But there are thousands of people like you in the queue applying for the same job. You can create a difference by doing individual projects. 

Many people question whether they can be programmers without a CS degree, and I always tell them YES!! 

Here’s a post from Reddit in which experts discuss getting programming jobs without a CS degree. 

How long is the Java developer course?

The Java developer course takes 30 days or 1 month. At Codegnan, you can learn Java development in one month where our experts provide a practical approach to learning Java programming. Beside giving you a clear understanding of core theoretical Java concepts, they also provide you practical sessions to implement your knowledge into practice. 

We thoroughly prepare you to get an entry-level job immediately after completing our course. All our learners can earn an industry-accredited certification after the course that helps in building trust and credibility in the market. We have 2600+ students placed in top startups and MNCs, and you can be the next one.

How long does it take to become a Java developer?

It takes 3-6 months to become a Java developer, but to become a professional you need continuous learning and regular practice. This may take you one year or more to excel in the domain. However, during this period you can apply for internship programs to learn from seniors, join events arranged by domain experts, and solve programming challenges on HackerRank to earn badges. 

The time period to become a Java developer isn’t the same for everyone. It depends on your dedication to learning, how much you practice, what advanced courses you are taking, and how you upskill yourself. 

Become a Java expert in 30 days and get a high-paying job with Codegnan

Codegnan offers a 1 month Java training course in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Vijayawada. We also provide students with live online classes, such that geographical boundaries don’t stop you from getting a quality education. There are separate doubt clearance sessions that allow students to speak to their instructors and get their doubts cleared immediately.

The course fee is ₹24,999 but we are giving a discount of ₹4999 for a limited period. So you can enrol for the best Java training in Codegnan at ₹20,000. Book your seats faster!

We assign industry experts as your course instructors so that you learn trending Java concepts instead of outdated topics. Plus, the language of course delivery is English, which is suitable for national and international students. 

Besides teaching the theoretical concepts of Java programming, we provide multiple projects to enhance your practical skills. Our main motto is to reduce the skill gap in the industry by making our learners job-ready from day 1. 

After course completion, we provide you with an industry-accredited certification. It will enhance your portfolio and help you land good jobs. 

Sairam Uppugundla

Sairam Uppugundla is the CEO and founder of Codegnan IT Solutions. With a strong background in Computer Science and over 10 years of experience, he is committed to bridging the gap between academia and industry.

Sairam Uppugundla’s expertise spans Python, Software Development, Data Analysis, AWS, Big Data, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and more.

He previously worked as a Board Of Studies Member at PB Siddhartha College of Arts and Science. With expertise in data science, he was involved in designing the Curriculum for the BSc data Science Branch. Also, he worked as a Data Science consultant for Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC).