Front End Development Skills – Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Full-stack Developer – Part 1

If coding is the language of the future, as many IT experts believe, then full-stack developers are at its forefront. But what does it mean to be a full-stack developer? Simply put, these developers are proficient in both front-end and back-end technology. This includes coding and having in-depth knowledge of numerous frameworks, servers, and networking. Obviously, this implies being a jack of all trades and a master of all. Such skills are highly sought-after in the industry and with a broad knowledge base, full-stack developers often wear the hat of problem solvers for almost any development-based difficulty, rendering them absolutely invaluable.  

In fact, in the US, the average salary for a full-stack developer is USD 91,123, making it a highly rewarding career. Job satisfaction levels in this field are also high and your skillset opens doors to numerous income-generation options. Data shows that there is a 40% growth in demand for full-stack developers from just 2019 to 2020, further highlighting how lucrative this field can be. 

However, a truly valuable full-stack developer is one that embraces learning as a profession rather than programming itself. This is why becoming one in the first place may seem like a herculean task, and it is. 

Here is the Part I of the roadmap to becoming a full-stack developer.

Part 1: Front-End 

Step 1: Identify Gaps In Front-end Development Skills

The first step is self-analysis. Take note of all your existing proficiencies and skills while also highlighting areas that can be improved upon. For developers with some experience in back-end technologies or none at all, there are a number of vital front-end skills that need to be developed in order to complete the journey. 

• Must-have Front-end Skills
  Aside from being proficient with the required programming languages, front-end developers are responsible for the ‘presentation’ of an application. For this reason, to become a front-end developer, it is important to have or develop the creative vision required to deliver a polished experience to the end-user while having adequate technical mastery. This job profile handles the visual implementation of code and requires extensive knowledge of navigation, layouts, and cross-device experience.
  
  Aspiring front-end developers also need to have experience with CSS preprocessors, cross-browser development, content management systems, debugging code, and UI or functional testing.   
  
  
• Must-know Programming Languages
  To become a front-end developer, there are 4 primary skills that you need to focus on. These are HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Typescript, and JavaScript (JS). When designing a website or application, these are the basic tools required to put together the foundation and build functionality. Here, HTML and CSS are the most basic to coding, allowing developers to structure information and add visual elements as well.
  
  JS, on the other hand, is advanced and offers a ton of functionality to work with. For instance, JS allows developers to code and control elements that update in real-time for a more intuitive and easy experience. Pinterest is a perfect example of this as users don’t have to constantly reload pages as they pin their favorites.

Step 2: Work On The Front-end Frameworks And Operational Concepts In Demand

With a basic understanding of what is expected of front-end developers, the next step is to employ a targeted effort to meet these expectations. 

Popular Frameworks

Before diving into the most popular frameworks, it is key to understand their role. Simply put, a framework is a collection of CSS or JS files that give developers a starting point when trying to achieve specific goals. This helps because most projects share many common coding elements and having to rewrite lengthy lines of code is time-consuming and leaves room for error. Further, having in-depth knowledge of frameworks and their application allows for time-efficient development, which is an asset in today’s industry. 

These are the popular frameworks aspiring front-end developers should focus on. 

• React
  It is among the simpler frameworks to learn and one that offers exceptional functionality while facilitating easy collaboration. React is definitely a framework that you must be proficient with as it is particularly good at handling high traffic in a stable setting. Popular sites made using React include Netflix, Pinterest, and Dropbox. 
  
  
• Angular
  Angular is a very popular framework in the industry and features a unique two-way data binding feature. With real-time synchronization, any changes made to the code instantaneously reflect on the application. This is especially beneficial for mobile or web applications and well-known companies like BMW, Forbes, and Xbox use Angular in their applications.
  
  
• Vue.js
  Vue.js is a straightforward network designed to simplify complexities and optimize performance. It has a simple syntax, meaning that it is easy to pick up and developers with JS background can easily take to it. Popular pages that are built using Vue.js include 9GAG, Xiaomi, and Reuters.
  
  
• jQuery
  As one of the first front-end frameworks, jQuery is easy to use, simple to understand, and has a large community to offer solutions. It helps optimize the functionality and interactivity of websites. Even though it’s been nearly 15 years since its launch, sites like Uber and Twitter were built using it.
  
  
• Testing
  Being able to test code reliably and minimize errors is an important skill for front-end developers. So, learning the best practices that can help achieve this should be the next step in your learning process. Those with JS and React knowledge can consider Jest or Enzyme to complement their efforts.
  
  
• HTTP And Client-server Architecture
  While server-side development is usually more fitting to back-end developers, there is value in understanding the client-server architecture and how it is handled. Here, HTTP requests are sent over from the client to the server, where the information returned are resources such as HTML or CSS. Understanding this relationship is key for a full-stack developer and it helps to start with the basics while learning front-end development principles.
  
  
• Version Control Systems
  These are software tools that help developers manage changes to source code over numerous versions. The benefits of learning this has uses for both, front and back-end development and many employers look for developers with experience on version control systems like Git.

Step 3: Keep Abreast Of Emerging Front-end Development Trends

In around 2018, Machine Learning was a trending topic for both front and back-end developers. It promised developers more time for creative pursuits. Today, there are plenty of emerging avenues for front-end developers to explore. The goal here is not to just ‘sound smart’ in developer circles. It is to own the skills of the future. Take the field of web components, for instance. Svelte’s game-changing features allow for applications without framework references, putting this language at the forefront of the embedded web.

From component-driven libraries to micro frontends and tools like Bit, there’s plenty you can explore to stay at the front end of developments in your field. So, as you study the must-knows, React, Angular, Typescript, etc., add to your credentials by keeping tabs of the year’s emerging trends.

Step 4: Create And Build A Web Development Portfolio

For a front-end developer, the portfolio is quite literally the most important part of any job application as employers expect to see the skill in action. This is where projects should be put on display and the ability to be creative with web development should be the first priority. The more exciting portfolios on the internet are websites created by developers themselves showcasing exactly what they’re capable of. 

In Part II of the road map to becoming a full-stack developer, you’ll learn what it takes to complete your skillset.

Until then, why not look at giving your front-end skills an avenue for growth? Sign up with Talent 500 and allow our dynamic skill assessment and machine learning algorithms to match your front-end skills with opportunities in Fortune 500 companies!