Today, a career in IT interests many people. Those who dream of working in IT often wonder: what profession should I choose? There are many options, as the IT industry is very diverse and constantly evolving. One of the most interesting specialties can be called Full-Stack Developer. In the world of web development, it is considered universal, as such a specialist is capable of independently creating a full-fledged product. Of course, this also imposes a certain responsibility, but if you are not afraid of difficulties, then it is quite possible that the profession of a Full-Stack developer is perfect for you. It only remains to clarify in more detail what exactly a specialist of this profile does, what skills and abilities he should possess, and what is needed to obtain this profession.
Who is a Full-Stack Developer?
A Full-Stack Developer is a programmer who deals with both the software and hardware part of the service, namely Back-end, and the user interface, namely Front-end. In general, until the 2010s, such a division did not exist, and it can be said that all developers were such universal specialists. Later, when the distribution appeared, a logical question arose: what is the need for a Full-Stack Developer? There are still debates about this today, as this specialty not only did not disappear, but is also quite popular. In fact, it is in demand in some situations. For example, the position of a Full-Stack Developer will be relevant if the project itself is not too complex, but requires frequent changes, as it has a complex domain logic. In such a situation, it is desirable to have one person who will understand all the nuances well and know exactly what needs to be done.
In addition, the presence of a Full-Stack Developer is reasonable in the case when it is necessary to make changes both in the front-end and in the back-end simultaneously. Especially when it comes to the development of not a full-fledged product, but an MVP.
Duties and tasks
Full-stack Developers have a wide range of responsibilities and tasks. During their work, they perform the following:
- Formulate client requirements into a standard working format.
- Manage projects and maintain constant communication with clients.
- Write back-end code using required programming languages.
- Develop front-end code.
- Provide debugging.
- Test the product and make necessary adjustments according to client requirements.
Pros and cons of the Full-stack Developer profession
The Full-stack Developer profession is of great interest to those who dream of starting a career in IT. And it's not surprising, as it has many advantages.
- The ability to make decisions independently without the need for constant communication.
- Flexibility in choosing projects.
- High demand on the market.
- No burnout due to the variety of tasks.
- Constant career growth.
- High salary.
However, there are also disadvantages. People who have been working in this position for a long time note that it requires a lot of learning compared to other specialists, as it is necessary to know the peculiarities of both Back-end and Front-end. Even an experienced Full-Stack developer will still be at a disadvantage compared to a specialist who is specialized in one area. In addition, Full-Stack specialists always have a high workload and responsibility, which is not within the capabilities of everyone.
Salary level of Full-Stack developers
A good salary for a Full-Stack Developer is one of the main advantages of this profession. Even newcomers can expect to earn between $1000-1500 per month. For more experienced workers, the average salary is between $2000-3000. Overseas, the situation is significantly better, and Full-Stack Developers can expect to earn $6000-7000.
Professional development for Full-Stack programmers
Since Full-Stack developers are considered versatile workers with a lot of knowledge in various IT fields, their career prospects are greater. For example, they can become Full-Stack Engineers. This specialist combines the functions of a developer and project manager in system administration. It is also possible to change specialization, as Full-Stack Developers make great team leads. With the desire to do so, a specialist in this field can completely switch to management. In principle, for professional growth or a change of activity, Full-Stack developers have all the advantages, so it is quite easy for them to progress up the career ladder, both vertically and horizontally.
How to become a Full-Stack Developer
Becoming a Full-Stack Developer is a challenging task as it requires a lot of learning and a willingness to regularly improve one's professional level. To begin with, it is worth familiarizing oneself with the skills and abilities of this specialist. The Soft Skills of a Full-Stack Developer include the following qualities:
- Attention to detail and thoroughness;
- Critical thinking skills;
- Ability to solve problems quickly;
- Communication skills;
- Management and organizational skills;
- Ability to work in a team.
As for the Hard Skills of a Full-Stack Developer, there are quite a few, as they face many tasks in their work. If we talk about the basic set of skills and knowledge, it is worth mentioning:
- HTML and CSS styling language;
- JavaScript and TypeScript programming languages;
- Programming algorithms and patterns;
- Version control systems;
- SASS and LESS preprocessors;
- jQuery library;
- Bootstrap framework;
- Angular/Vue.js framework or React library;
- DOM, AJAX, JSON technologies;
- Adaptive and cross-browser layout skills.
As experience and statistics show, most Full-stack Developers are specialists who have already learned and worked with Back-end. Therefore, many experts recommend starting with this direction. If you already have a certain foundation, you can try to master the new profession of a Full-stack developer on your own. Moreover, in this case, it is clearer which knowledge needs to be improved. For such people, there are also special courses that take into account their level. For example, "The Advanced Web Developer Bootcamp" from Udemy.
Many people want to become Full-stack Developers "from scratch." Then it is worth choosing offline or online courses where you can get all the necessary knowledge for this. There are quite a few of them:
- "Full-stack developer" course from Prog Academy;
- "Beginner Full-Stack Web Development: HTML, CSS, React & Node" from Udemy;
- "Full-stack developer from scratch" course from GoIT;
- "Full-Stack developer" course from IT Step Academy;
- "JavaScript Full-stack" from DEVICO COURSES.
Learning on such courses is quite intensive, so you need to be prepared to perceive and assimilate a large amount of information. But the knowledge gained will provide an opportunity to start the desired career as a Full-Stack developer and soon get your first offer in this direction.
