How to get into Full-Stack Development?

What is a Full-Stack Developer?

A full stack developer is someone who works with both the front end and back end of a web application. The front end is responsible for the visual look and feel of the website, while the back end is responsible for the behind the scenes logic and infrastructure of the site.

What Does a Full-Stack Developer Do?

Their working knowledge of both front and back end development grants full-stack developers a remarkable level of occupational flexibility. They can build web applications and websites without any help at all, as well as move freely throughout large scale projects offering help in all areas.

Frontend vs Backend

How to Become a Full-Stack Developer

Learn more about learning resources, program languages, portfolios, as well as  essential full-stack developer skills.

Self Learning about Full-Stack Development

You could save yourself some money by teaching yourself. The internet is a veritable treasure chest of learning material just waiting to be absorbed by self-starters like yourself. Books, YouTube tutorials, podcasts, and at-home practice projects are a great way to inch you closer to that professional goal line and compliment more traditional learning methods nicely.

Full-Stack Developer Internship

Full stack internships offer up-coming developers a chance to learn on the job and get paid for it. A lot of full-stack developer internships are made available to students actively pursuing a computer science degree. 

Full-Stack Developer Certificate

Remote and in-person certification programs are a favorite across all proficiency levels. Whether you’re looking to start from scratch or brush up on a selection of skills, certificate programs offer flexibility and structure for those that crave both. Certificate programs are relatively contained too, with most boasting completion times of as little as a few months. 

Full-Stack Developer Bootcamp

Enrolling in a full-stack development bootcamp is an effective way to sharpen existing skills or learn new ones. Their three to six month timelines make for an efficient learning experience too. Bootcamps cater to those looking to learn fast, and can cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. They’re also a lot less expensive than degree programs.

Full-Stack Developer Courses

Self-guided courses are affordable too. Some even come with instructor support and access to a community of eager full stack students to engage with. Course quality can be inconsistent, so you’ll want to do a lot of research before enrolling. Having said that, individual full-stack development courses offer time conscious students a much more palatable serving size. 

Full-Stack Developer Degree

If you have the time and resources, a bachelor’s degree in web development, computer science, or programming might make sense. Formal education certainly looks great on a resume. And though it is possible to learn all of the required skills independently, there’s something to be said for a proven, college-style methodology.

Learn the Necessary Programming Languages

The more programming languages that you know, the more useful you are to a potential employer. Web development is far from immune to the ever-changing nature of the tech industry.

Front End Programming Languages

Front end development describes what the end user sees, hears, and does. You’ll need a full grasp of the programming languages that ensure the functionality of an app’s visual aspects if you’re ever going to earn the title of full-stack developer. 

A full-stack developer is expected to understand the following front-end languages and frameworks: 

• HTML & CSS – HTML and CSS make the building blocks of full stack development. Irrespective of the back-end language or frameworks you use, you always need HTML and CSS for front-end development.
• Javascript – JavaScript is a programming language that assists prototype-based object orientations. It helps in the development of interactive pages for all devices.
• React JS – React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces.React is used to build single-page applications.React allows us to create reusable UI components.
• JQuery – JQuery is a fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library. It makes things like HTML document traversal and manipulation, event handling, animation, and Ajax much simpler with an easy-to-use API that works across a multitude of browsers. 

Back End Programming Languages

The user experience doesn’t mean much if the behind the scenes machinations aren’t in working order. A knowledge of the primary back end programming technologies and frameworks is critical to ensuring that the websites remain functional. 

A full-stack developer is expected to understand the following back-end technologies and frameworks:

• Python – Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability with the use of significant indentation. Python is dynamically-typed and garbage-collected. It supports multiple programming paradigms, including structured, object-oriented and functional programming.
• Java – Java is the high-level, object-oriented, robust, secure programming language, platform-independent, high performance, Multithreaded, and portable programming language.
• PHP – PHP is a server scripting language, and a powerful tool for making dynamic and interactive Web pages.PHP is a widely-used, free, and efficient alternative to competitors such as Microsoft’s ASP.
• SQL – Structured Query Language, abbreviated as SQL used in programming and designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS), or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system (RDSMS). It is particularly useful in handling structured data, i.e. data incorporating relations among entities and variables.
• Ruby – Ruby is a dynamic, open source programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity. It has an elegant syntax that is natural to read and easy to write.

The Main Technology Stacks to Learn

Websites and web applications require a collection of components to function properly. Specifically, they require an operating system, a database software, a programming language, and a server. That collection of components is called software stack, and a successful full-stack developer would do well to master the use of at least one of the three listed below. 

LAMP Stack

The LAMP software stack is one of the most popular and most trusted stacks. All of the components listed below are available for free too, making it easy for a novice to learn and experiment with it at their leisure.

• Linux – Linux is an open-source Unix-like operating system based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution.
• Apache – Apache is a Web server, Apache is responsible for accepting directory (HTTP) requests from Internet users and sending them their desired information in the form of files and Web pages. Much of the Web’s software and code is designed to work along with Apache’s features.
• MySQL – MySQL is a widely used relational database management system (RDBMS). MySQL is free and open-source.MySQL is ideal for both small and large applications.
• PHP – PHP is a server scripting language, and a powerful tool for making dynamic and interactive Web pages.PHP is a widely-used, free, and efficient alternative to competitors such as Microsoft’s ASP.

MERN Stack

The MERN software stack is lauded for its customizability. The popular JavaScript-based stack is comprised of the following components: 

• MongoDB – MongoDB is a source-available cross-platform document-oriented database program. Classified as a NoSQL database program, MongoDB uses JSON-like documents with optional schemas.
• Express – Express.js, or simply Express, is a back end web application framework for building RESTful APIs with Node.js, released as free and open-source software under the MIT License. It is designed for building web applications and APIs. 
• React – React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces.React is used to build single-page applications.React allows us to create reusable UI components.
• Node.js – Node.js is an open-source server environment. Node.js is cross-platform and runs on Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS, etc. Node.js is a back-end JavaScript runtime environment. Node.js runs on a JavaScript Engine and executes JavaScript code outside a web browser.

MEAN Stack

The MEAN software stack’s popularity is surging as of late. It’s considered the ideal JavaScript software stack because it streamlines the development of websites and web applications quite well. This stack is built using the following: 

• MongoDB – MongoDB is a source-available cross-platform document-oriented database program. Classified as a NoSQL database program, MongoDB uses JSON-like documents with optional schemas.
• Express – Express.js, or simply Express, is a back end web application framework for building RESTful APIs with Node.js, released as free and open-source software under the MIT License. It is designed for building web applications and APIs. 
• Angular.js – Angular is a TypeScript-based free and open-source web application framework led by the Angular Team at Google and by a community of individuals and corporations. Angular is a complete rewrite from the same team that built AngularJS.
• Node.js – Node.js is an open-source server environment. Node.js is cross-platform and runs on Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS, etc. Node.js is a back-end JavaScript runtime environment. Node.js runs on a JavaScript Engine and executes JavaScript code outside a web browser.

Build A Web Development Portfolio

Every web developer and engineer—front end, back end, full stack, haystack needs an online portfolio that showcases their work. Make sure to update it with your strongest projects before you start applying. If you’re new to learning front end development and/or back end development, you can add mock projects to your portfolio based on the work you’re doing in your courses.

Common Full Stack Web Developer Job Titles

• Junior Full Stack Developer
• Full Stack Developer
• Full Stack Engineer
• Software Development Engineer
• Full Stack Software Engineer
• API Engineer

Growth and Future Scope of Full Stack Developer

A full-stack developer’s career is the most demanding and fulfilling one. It involves a combination of work at the front-end and back-end to build website applications.

Full-stack developers can work with multiple technologies, and so, they can handle more aspects of a project than an average programmer.

Full-stack developers are in high demand since they are a tremendous asset to any business. Their broad expertise enables them to be adaptable, flexible, and agile, which are crucial characteristics for working on software products in both the startup and non-startup worlds.

According to a report from LinkedIn, the demand for full-stack developers has been increasing at 35% each year since 2015. Another report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the number of jobs available for these professionals will increase from 135,000 to over 853,000 by 2024. So, in addition to the many job options available, this specific career option is also amongst the best-paid ones. That is why the future of MERN stack developers is quite secure.

Conclusion

A full-stack developer is an invaluable asset for companies seeking greater success in the technology sector. As companies are relying more and more on technology and the web, the demand for such experts is increasing.