Front end developer is one of the most demand jobs over the software development industry.
It’s almost every single site involved with front end developer works. However, a front end developer isn’t a web designer.
A web designer is more like using the drag-and-drop page builder to build your site without deep technical knowledge. However, a front end developer builds the site with technical skills with HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Front End Developer Required Skills
If you are interested to become a front end developer, here are front end developer required skills that you can follow them to help you get a job as a front end developer.
HTML CSS JavaScript
Front end developer deals with HTML, CSS and JavaScript almost every single day.
- HTML: To build basic structure of the site to be displayed in a web browser.
- CSS: To make the site more beautiful with CSS style.
- JavaScript: To dynamically control HTML and CSS code and make site more interactive.
- JQuery: One of the most widely use JavaScript library that you need to know that helps you to build site faster without building from scratch.
Then go deeper with JavaScript. Learn ES6+ and train yourself to write clean code and follow the best practices.
JavaScript Framework
Once you get good at the fundamental of JavaScript, It’s highly recommend you learn at least one or two JavaScript frameworks. Most company don’t build their own framework from scratch, but they learn and use someone else framework.
- Vue.js
- React.js
- Angular.js
- Backbone.js
- Node.js
Write Clean Code
One way to differentiate a professional developer and a novice developer is checking their code. A good programmer is able to write clean code, while novice developer only writes code that works without consider the future readability and maintainability.
If you would like to get your JavaScript into another level, learn to write better JavaScript code.
Build Projects
Learning all the JavaScript fundamental and framework doesn’t prove that you’re able to implement them into a real world project.
To prove that to employers, it’s highly recommend building projects. You will test your skills immediately and get yourself into another level.
Version Control
Git is one of the most popular version control tool that front end developer uses. It lets you to track your code and changes over time. If something goes wrong, it allowed you to revert back to the previous version. It’s one of the most required skills a front end developer should learn.
Involved in Open Source Project
Many employers are counting on a plus if you are involved in an open source project, especially when you are doing good with it.
Involved in Discussion Forums
Joining and actively involved in a programming forums not only will help you to improve your skills, it’s also helps to get public exposure, reputation and networking to anyone who is working in the same industries. Who knows, you get a new offer to join a company when helping someone.
If you are looking to become a front end developer from your desired location, it’s highly recommend checking the front end developer job description of the area you are living or planning to work.
What makes a Good Front End Developer?
I know everyone have difference view of the traits of front end developer that should have. There is no right or wrong answer, but how would you grade the developer as a good front end developer?
Becoming a good front end developer can challenge if you didn’t have any direction here is some characteristic that I would consider the front end developer is good.
Optimize for Page Speed
Did you notice some websites that loads fast and some don’t? It might happen to you, especially when you are surfing the website with slow mobile data.
A good front end developer not only builds a website that looks good, they also optimize the code for faster load time by reducing all the unnecessary code.
To find out whether there is unnecessary code running on the site, it’s recommend using the Coverage Tab of Chrome DevTools.
To test the web page speed, it recommend using Google Page Speed insights. It will show you all the page speed problems of the website has according to the latest Google benchmark.
Write High Readability and Maintainability Code
If you are a programmer, I believe that you might have read someone else code that you can’t understand the code at all. Sometimes, it is a very simple thing, but that someone else writes it in a complicated way?
It’s not just you. Almost all of us face it before, including me myself. It’s not the false from the developer, it’s just someone developer are over-engineer.
To write a simple and easy solution to achieve the same task, it’s required years of experiences to get that. It’s also one of the reason that I build JavaScript Code Optimization course that helping people to learn to write a better code that is high readability and maintainability code that every programmer should know. I have combined all the beginners and intermediate mistake that I always see into the course to guide developer to avoid all the bad practices by showing a better way to write it.
Product High Quality Work
Good front end developer produces high quality works. They don’t build a website that just okay, but they do something beyond and optimization for both user experiences and page speed. Good front end developer Build high quality works by listening to users feedback, not developing the works for themselves. This is because they know the works they produce are serving their users, not build for themselves.
Eagle To Learn
The technologies are keep growing and things can get outdated, it’s important for a front end developer to learn new technologies to keep the site up to date. One of the most important thing that a good developer should have is the willingness to learn new technology.
Sometimes, front end developer might need to know some back end technologies to get themselves into another level. It’s important for them to learn new things to go beyond themselves.
Join Developer Community
A good front end developers are often active on at least one programming forums. During their free time, front end developer might answering and asking the questions that help them to build a reputation and sharpening their skills.
Front End Developer Jobs
If you are looking for a front end developer job, here are the lists of job searching site that help you land front end developer job.