Meet Ben, a fresher software project developer who is wondering how to become a full-stack developer.
Ben aspires to become the most desirable full-stack developer in the IT community. That one day, Ben’s phone would receive endless calls from headhunters in need of full-stack developers.
Yet Ben’s resume has been remarked as green and inexperienced. The project Ben received so far has been low-key and modest in the sense of project complexity and budget generosity. Ben also has not decided if he wanted to specialize in web development or mobile application development. International work experience would be fascinating to Ben’s career development. Yet he lacks fundamental guidance on where to start and what skills to grow.
So let’s help Ben get some quality advice from experts on how to become a full-stack developer.
The 4 Steps on How to Become a Full-Stack Developer
1. Programming language
The most basic step of becoming a top-notch full-stack developer is to get a good grip on programming languages. Including Java, PHP, C#, Python, Ruby, and Perl.
Learning to code is not sufficient! Ben needs to excel in each of the specific coding languages that his aspired employer demands. A skillful full-stack developer must know that programming languages evolve over time as there is a new coding language emerging every day with a new operating platform.
Given the fact that Ben intends to be employed in the tech industry. He ought to understand that most of the business’ systems and tech products would be operated and implemented based on a certain type of programming language.
For example, PHP is used by 75% of all the websites being developed on average. As a result, Ben should look closely at how to master writing codes using PHP principles. Especially in website development.
2. Front-end technology and languages, including HTML, CSS, and JS.
While website design tends to be showered with all the attention in website development. A skillful full-stack developer should also pay heaps of attention to front end development.
By focusing on front-end development. A good full-stack developer could control how the website design can actually be presented and implemented on the website surface.
To be specific, by using programming languages like HTML, CSS, and JS. Ben could work out different layouts and navigation of the website if he truly understood his choice of programming language.
Another example of how front end development would help a full-stack developer implement his website development strategy in a more comprehensive method is that he could design a mobile web/app. First version of the website as well as exercised the responsive design for the final product.
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3. How to Find Software Engineering Internships? |
3. Back-end server and language such as C#
Just like front-end development, back-end development could really mess with the full-stack developer’s head if not paying attention to its application and coordination with front end development simultaneously.
In order to efficiently operate a back end server. Ben needs to take a full grasp of how the server works. From URL to the user as well as how the database was formed and running.
Ben also needs to be aware of the ‘grey area’ between front-end and back-end development, the middleware. This section tends to translate the output of the application’s front end to its back end. Taking charge of all communication and informational exchange between your server/database and your application/website.
4. Data query languages like SQL or NoSQL
As a full-stack developer, Ben ought to differentiate data query languages like SQL – relational database and NoSQL – non-relational database. In particular, SQL is formed like a traditional directory where details are stored in the same way that phone numbers and addresses are stored in a phonebook.
Meanwhile, NoSQL is structured like a folder on your computer which means each user’s details are elaborated in the non-relational database. The most prominent SQL databases are namely Oracle, MySQL, and Microsoft Azure. Non-relational database samples could be referenced by Facebook. Online shopping websites and WordPress.
Source: https://hackernoon.com/6-essential-tips-on-how-to-become-a-full-stack-developer-1d10965aaead
How Ben Can Stand Out as a Full-Stack Developer in the Eyes of Recruiters?
1. Management skills
Ben could pursue a challenging yet rewarding career in full-stack development if he started fresh with the skill of managing server infrastructure and solving problems regarding server performance.
Long gone is the time when a software developer would only need to master. His engineering skill in order to fit into an organization and carry out satisfying products.
High demands of the current tech industry would require full-stack developers to acquire both technical and soft skills in order to secure a position in product development. Management skill is the equivalent of a universal language in the tech business.
2. Keen eyes on details
Being attentive to front-end and back-end technology. As a specialist would certainly help Ben become a highly-desired full-stack developer. By concentrating solely on front-end technology and language. Only back-end technology and language would only cause Ben to miss out on the ability to really understand his final product.
Having a keen eye on little details and using sharp knowledge on both sides of the technology would really set Ben aside from other developers in the business. It takes passion and real personal motivation to stretch oneself out to different domains of a business, which also indicates a various sets of challenges for those who aspire to become a great full-stack developer.
3. Team effort
Being a team member means being closely connected with other members within an organization in business matters. Such as customer support, operation, research, development, sales, and marketing. This was a decade ago when the terminology ‘full-stack developer’ was not coined.
Software engineers and product developers would only need to improve their technical skills since they would only engage in developing software end-to-end. However, thanks to the emergence of customer-centricity in the software development industry. A full-stack developer would not only excel in his technical profession. And knowledge but also have to be a team member who truly cares about his people and his product.
4. Having entrepreneurial spirits
Being well-equipped with entrepreneurial skills would be another key factor in how to be a full stack developer. Entrepreneurial skills, or 21st-century skills. Including interpersonal, problem-solving skills, time management, and critical thinking. The role of a full-stack developer has drastically changed since customer service had a realization that only the product creator. The know-it-all full-stack developer would truly understand the shortcomings of the product and make adjustments to product development. By learning about the function of each unit within an organization. The full-stack developer could gain a comprehensive look at the company. And the product development process from the perspective of an entrepreneur. A technical specialist, and a customer.
Recommended reading: How Much Does Google Pay Their Software Engineers?
Job Requirements of Full-Stack Developers in Tech Giants
Long ago, there lived an ongoing heated debate over the alleged announcement that Facebook only recruited full-stack developers. However, the job title “full-stack developer” can vary from one business to the next.
People at Designveloper made a brief consolidation of what it takes to be a full-stack developer at tech giants, like Facebook and Apple.
Either marketing or technology domains have shifted from the product-centricity approach to the customer-centricity method. So Ben should also adopt the same pattern. By analyzing what his desired employer wants, he could complement the necessary skills to his already-possessed skill set in order to be valuable and irreplaceable in the eyes of employers. Extra layers are added to the term “stack” as clients’. It demands inevitably grow over the years. It is significant for Ben to collect as many quality and necessary skills as possible in order to stand out as a ‘hot-shot’ full-stack developer.
For the time being, if you see yourself in Ben’s aspiring path to becoming a consummate full-stack developer. It is important to join vibrant and quick-to-response full-stack teams in companies that treasure the element of humans as well as put clients first.
Get To Know What Full Stack Means
Full-stack developers are developers who work with both the front and back end of a website or application. They’re familiar with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and one or more back-end languages.
1. Is a full-stack developer different than a software engineer?
Yes and no. The title “full-stack developer” describes a programmer who’s qualified to work on both the “front-end” and “back-end” of websites and mobile applications (a type of software). This means full-stack developers working on apps can also be considered software engineers.
The title “software engineer” itself simply describes a programmer who works on some aspect of building a software program, meaning not all software engineers are full-stack.
2. What’s the difference between a full-stack developer and a full-stack engineer?
This one’s easy! Full-stack developers are web or app developers who can work on all parts (front end and back end) of a web development project. Full-stack engineers are usually more senior full-stack roles that combine development know-how with skills like project management and DevOps.
3. What’s a full-stack developer’s salary?
As of this writing, Indeed cites average full-stack developer salaries at $109,508 per year. That’s compared to only $71,130 per year for web developers in general. So yes, like most things tech-related, having more skills means being able to pay more bills.
4. Skills required to become a Full-Stack Web Developer
- Front-End Development
- Back-End Development
- Databases
- Version Control System
5. Is full-stack web development right for you?
You may have heard whisperings that full-stack developers aren’t necessarily beloved. Here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons of full-stack.
Pros
- They can solve all problems at once—not just surface-level development needs.
- Full-stack developers know how to communicate with both front-end developers and back-end developers, helping cut down on lots of confusion.
- Work more easily on small teams or tech startups where there are fewer developer jobs to go around.
Cons
- It’s hard to prioritize projects.
- The biggest argument against full-stack (we think) is this: If you’re not specialized, is the quality of your code ever going to be as good as it could be?
- You may find that companies that hire you for both front-end and back-end development expect you to do more work than you can complete in a 40-hour workweek.
We hope this article has successfully explained to you how to become a full-stack developer. Just ping us if you have any questions or concerns.
Currently, people at Designveloper are looking for talents in full-stack development as well as those who are new to the game. If you find yourself relatable to the description, reach out and see it for yourself as our next full-stack developer and full-stack intern.
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