Full-stack developers are one of the market’s most sought-after profiles right now. As a full-stack developer, you must have knowledge and skills that make it possible to design, plan and create competent and user-friendly web applications that reach a large number of people and create satisfied users.
Being a full-stack developer means that you can code anywhere and together with specialists in all development areas. You feel at ease with databases, server environment, front-end, and back-end. Your acquired skills should also make you suitable to lead the development of the team, and efficiently plan projects.
In order to become a successful full-stack web developer, there’s a certain versatile and non-negotiable skill set you need to acquire first. Below, we look at some of these skills.
The Basics
Before we dive into what skills and languages you need to know to become the ultimate developer, you might wonder how to go about learning them. You can take the traditional route and obtain a college degree in computer science but you can also take the self-taught path, as there are great full stack developer courses available today to expand your knowledge online that cover JavaScript, open-source databases, NodeJS, etc. This is an excellent choice for those who want a flexible schedule and still want to become well-rounded engineers.
Learn Front-End and Back-End Development
If you’re looking to become a full-stack developer, the first step is to learn the basics of front-end and back-end. Front-end development is key for the web project’s visuals, structure, design, and user experience.
You must first learn HTML which is the building block used for structuring web pages, CSS which is used to style the display of HTML elements, as well as JavaScript which is the web programming language used to make web pages interactive. JavaScript is crucial when transforming simple websites into web apps where users are allowed to interact with each other and collaborate.
A skilled full-stack developer should also learn version control which will allow you to organize different versions of your code immediately.
When it comes to back-end development, the main task is to maintain the processes that create an easy user experience. As a result, you should learn Python which has one of the most significant ecosystems, open-source software, and strong community involvement across different levels. NodeJS is equally important to master if you want to become a well-versed full-stack developer as it’s a runtime environment used to run JavaScript outside of the browser. In addition, try to learn PHP which is easy to learn yet quite useful.
Understand the Web Infrastructure
The basics of web infrastructure are something a full-stack developer should understand as this is where the front and back-end technologies fuse and the project becomes a reality. For starters, you can do your best to understand the web as a system of technologies and familiarize yourself with how browsers operate, why HTTPS is important, what DNS means, and much more.
Learn About DevOps
DevOps is an acronym that stands for development and operations. Many people misinterpret this merger and believe that if you operate and develop, you use the DevOps flow. But DevOps means so much more than just development and operation. Roughly speaking, this means that a team develops, operates, tests integrates and monitors the application in an automated flow. It’s a way to develop software. It means a full life cycle management of an application.
DevOps is increasingly important to master as a skill, especially when working with larger projects. It might not directly help in web development but helps you understand the business sides of the web project work.
Learn Basic Design Skills
A full-stack developer should also have a certain understanding of basic design skills so they can make an appealing and interactive website. Design fundamentals help developers understand the user psychology for the client side of the application, so you should gain knowledge about the principles of responsive design and implement them accordingly.
Soft Skills
If you want to become a full-stack developer, it’s not enough to just rely on technical skills. You must maintain a balance of technical knowledge and soft skills, while also having an analytical mind, curious personality, a creative vision, and a sense of good time management.
Final Thoughts
Many people are aspiring to become good full-stack developers. However, it does take time and effort to learn the necessary skills, but if you do your best and dedicate yourself to the abovementioned skills, you will become a versatile and marketable talent who will be ready to tackle any development project.
