Introduction
Recently, the Front-End Development space has started getting flooded with a vast plethora of new JS frameworks, package managers, and 3rd part libraries.
It might be safe to say that Front-End might have become more complicated and confusing than Back-End; however, that might have also made it more sought-after.
Despite the extended search for Front-End Developers, there will always be more demand for masterful Front-End developers, as there is generally more demand for quality than quantity, at least in the Software Development space.
So, with that said, I want to list a couple of things that might briefly and probably help you excel as a Front-End Developer.
Quick disclaimer: This information is solely based on insight and knowledge I gathered, so it might not be accurate in all cases.
1. Mastering The Basics
This one should be a no-brainer, but it's one pitfall I've also felt into. It wasn't until I had an interview where I was asked about basic JavaScript that I found out how much more I had left to learn:
- '-What's the difference between
varandlet?' - '-
letis more modern?'
You can't advance much more than Junior level if you don't know what's happening under the hood (I am talking about Framework X developers).
It's easy to get lost in the abstractions, especially where there are so many of them that it's primarily abstractions nowadays. But master developers know that understanding the basics of the platform (JavaScript, in our case) will always give you the upper hand.
I can come up with a lot of examples here, but here's a handful:
Using GraphQL when not correctly understanding HTTP and other communication protocols
Using React/Vue.js/Angular when not understanding how lifecycle methods work, what their equivalent would be in JavaScript, and not understanding what problem they were created to solve, not understanding what the Virtual DOM is, why it was created, and how it works, etc.
Using pre-created components but not being able to build them on your own (I understand it might be business requirements not to use custom ones, but a little research into how they're done would be helpful)
2. Knowing multiple JS Frameworks but mastering one
You can't progress much as a Front-End Developer without knowing or having worked with a JavaScript framework, but there's also the other extreme, having worked with all but not having mastered any.
This is because when you've worked with multiple JavaScript frameworks, you will have been able to distinguish between their perks and understand why one would be better suited over another.
You will eventually come to a point when you have to give some feedback on the Front-End technologies a project should be based upon, and not knowing the differences between them will leave your opinion less worthy in the future.
But still, this shouldn't bring you too far from the main Framework you might have mastered. As you still have to be an expert in something; the industry no longer needs generalists.
3. Basic knowledge of the Server-Side / Back-End
You don't need to become a Full-Stack Developer, but basic knowledge about the Back-End will go a long way.
Things such as how data is stored, how to set up some endpoints, how to host an application, how to work with a NoSQL / SQL database, what are the differences between the two, etc.
It's not necessarily a must-have, but rather a nice-to-have, as it's going to allow you to understand a lot more about the whole ecosystem of an application and might allow you to scope whether there a solution would be more viable to be developed on the Back-End, rather than the Front-End, etc.
4. Be Creative
And no, it's not something you are born with; if you don't, you have nothing to do. It is possible to improve your creativity, and Excellent Front-End Developers do precisely that.
Besides Back-End Development which implies science and more theoretical knowledge, Front-End Development consists of creativity & artistic skills. What does an artist do? He creates beautiful things. But more than that, he knows how to pick the right tool for the job, and, oh boy, there are a lot of them.
A great Front-End Developer knows what to pick from the vast amount of technologies available for Client-side development, which is more complicated than it seems, as he must not lose himself in the background with all of the shiny and always-appearing new tools.
5. Have an eye for design
To stick with the theme from the previous point, a Front-End Developer, in contrast with a Back-End Developer, must have an eye for design.
That's either by experience, developing various design and UI components, or being born with that trait.
He knows what makes for a good-looking UI component, what colors roughly match, possibly some design theory, etc.
Note: I also noticed from my experience and more senior colleagues conducting interviews that Front-End Developers who excel in CSS (Styling/Design) are more sought-after than those who possess JS or any JS Framework prowess.
Final Word
The world is and will always be in search of industry-leading professionals, and by choosing to master these five key areas, you will surely be much closer to becoming one.
I hope you enjoyed the read. I hope this article gave you some insight and motivation to advance and become the professional Front-End Developer every company is looking for.
Soon I will also come up with a similar article for Back-End Developers.
Cheers, all!