How To Become a Front-End Developer?

Whenever you visit a website, the first thing that makes you determine whether we are going further with the specific website or not is the look and feel of that website. Certainly, no one chooses an application or website having a substandard design or user interface.

And Front-End Developer is the one who ensures a better user interface, look, and feel for the websites. Thus, Front-End Developer is one of the most rewarding career options. In fact, various IT organizations like IBM, Oracle, Capgemini, and many more offer many career opportunities for Front-End Developers. 

Now you might be thinking about How to become a Front-End Developer? That’s why we have designed this “How to Become a Front-End Developer” blog to make you aware of the skills and qualifications needed for a front-end developer.

Front-End Developer - Table of Contents

• What is a Front-End Developer?
• What Does a Front-End Developer Do?
• How To Become a Front-End Developer?
• Prerequisites & Skills To Become Front End Developer
• Salary of a Front-End Developer
• Organizations Hiring Front-End Developers
• Companies Hiring Front-End Developers
• Tips To Become Front-End Developer
• Front-End Developer FAQs

What is a Front-End Developer?

A front-end developer, also called front-end web developer, is a specialist responsible for designing and implementing the interface. The users need this interface such that they can evaluate the application in question. A web designer is a specialist who creates the website’s user interface and design. The front-end developer assures that the design works online through web design languages like Html, CSS, and JavaScript.

First, we should know the differences between front-end developers, full-stack developers, and back-end developers. A front-end developer is accountable for developing the parts of the website or application that users view and interact with. A back-end developer looks after the backend matters like databases and infrastructure. Full stack development is a blend of both front-end development and back-end development; a handyperson can handle the whole website development process from start to end.

Nowadays, there is a trend where the line between back-end development and front-end development has been confusing. It is mainly because front-end developers increasingly manage the tasks that come under the domain of back-end developers. Finally, there are full-stack developers. Full-stack developers are those who have project management experience and expertise in configuring, maintaining, and handling computer systems and networks.

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What Does a Front-End Developer Do?

Front-end developers, which are also called client-side developers, build websites through programming tools and languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to develop the website’s user interface elements and features. The work of the front-end developers reflects what website vendors can view and do on their visits. A Front-end developer’s job responsibilities include:

• Creating and Implementing the graphic design elements
• Finding the page structure
• Monitoring website performance and user data and conducting testing
• Connecting the front-end features to the back-end technology for functionality
• Handling the page load times
• Resolving the usability issues
• Coordinating with the web development team to ensure accuracy in all stages of website or software development.
• Creating the tools that improve user experience
• Coordinating with the business and marketing teams to transform requirements into functionality.
• Maintaining updated knowledge of web design innovation and trends.

How To Become a Front-End Developer?

Following these steps will help you become a front-end developer:

Step #1. Acquire Education

Generally, web developers will have different educational backgrounds. Particular employers may require their candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or web development and related experience. Obtaining a formal education may help you advance your career. 

Becoming a front-end web developer without formal education is generally possible. We can get advantages from on-job experience and independent studies while doing a job in web development. We can progress our careers by learning the basics of the programming languages, website frameworks, and frontend development using classes. We can also join a short-term web development course, which can be free or inexpensive.

Step #2. Enhance Your Technical Expertise

Web development needs building several hard skills for success. For developing these skills, we can develop mock websites through programming frameworks for front-end web development, like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. By doing that, we can build confidence in our developing skills. Consider accepting volunteer jobs at enterprises that require front-end web developers to allow you to get more experience.

Step #3. Practice

Developing the code rapidly and effectively is critical for the front-end developer, and practicing in our free time can help us to enhance it. Various online training programs enable us to practice our coding skills to help us to master HTML, CSS, and JavaScript syntax. These coding sites provide novice, intermediate, advanced, and beginner to help you improve your career.

[ Related Blog: How To Become a Web Developer? ]

Step #4. Learn Version Control

One of the risks of coding is breaking it when we modify one small thing. Even after trying to resolve the problem, things are never the same. Hence a good front-end developer will learn version control. This is a splendid choice of version control systems to select from, but if we want to use popular version control, we can use Git. 

Step #5. Build a Portfolio

Employers ask to see the samples of the websites you have developed. While creating your portfolio, we have to provide the results of the project that covers all your relevant work and contain a short biography that explains your work and areas of proficiency. This can make you look more professional, enhancing your chances of getting a job interview.

Step #6. Get Engaged in a Web Development Community

After learning the skills that we can develop, building skills and engaging in online coding communities where developers share their projects and work and receive peer comments on work can help you improve. These online platforms enable us to get the experience and receive useful tips and feedback. We can also develop useful connections in the industry, which will help you search for more job opportunities.

Step #7. Search For the Open Positions

We can see open front-end web development throughout several industries. Consider involving the web development community for gaining information about every industry and what qualifications they need. We can also research the companies we are interested in to see whether they are recruiting front-end web developers.

Prerequisites and Skills To Become Front End Developer

Front-end developers must have knowledge of technical skills like particular types of code, basic industry conventions, and digital tools. Soft skills are also as essential as these technical skills. Following are the important technical skills and soft skills:

1. Technical Skills

Front-end developers should learn coding languages that are useful on client side. These include HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. HTML is used for creating a website’s body, then CSS, sometimes called “clothes,” is used for styling the website.

2. Frameworks

A front-end developer should also learn frameworks. Every year some new frameworks are created; however, the most famous ones will have longevity. Frameworks include React.js, Angular.js, Node.js, jQuery, Ember.js, Backbone.js, and Vue.js. They also have to learn Bootstrap.

3. Industry Conventions

Frontend developers will code the website with these frameworks and languages; however, they still have to acquire a few more skills. Among those skills, industry conventions are important. They must understand how to build responsive designs, test and debug their code, and develop websites that are suitable for all browsers.

Moreover, they should be aware of APIs and work with the command line. Every front-end developer should know how to utilize the version control systems like GitHub, Git, etc.

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4. Soft Skills

As a front-end developer, you must be able to communicate with both technical teams and clients or the company you are working for. This means you require more verbal and written skills. For the written communication, we may be missioned with producing the slide decks of the proposals, progress reports, or wireframes for our projects. We may have to present our projects or talk on conference calls for the verbal interaction.

Frontend developers must also be strong communicators in their code. This skill is required to write comments for themselves to refer to later or create the documentation for their teammates.

Attention to Detail and Problem-solving will go together for the frontend developers. The end user can see everything the front-end developer does; thus, it has to be executed well.

Finally, front-end developers have to be creative and adaptable. Professionals will constantly evolve across their careers. We have to learn new libraries and programming languages to stand out in the competition.

Salary of a Front-End Developer

As per Indeed.com, the average salary of a front-end developer in the US is around $102K per annum. The salaries can differ as per the industry, business, geographical location, and employment status, among other factors. Several organizations recruit front-end developers for staff jobs, while others may provide their services on a project base as freelancers, which also can impact the salary they get. In India, the average salary for Front-End Developers is around 5 to 7 lakhs per annum.

Types of Organizations Hiring Front-End Developers

Front-End Developers are specialists in implementing web designs through coding languages and building the parts of websites that show information to users. Front-End enables us to access and interact with the back end of the product. Leading organizations like AlphaSights, Amazon, Finoit Technologies, and IndiaNIC Infotech Limited from different industries like retail, computer software, product engineering, electronic transaction management, and recruiting firms hire front-end developers and offer a rewarding career.

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Top Companies Hiring Front-End Developers

Following are the top organizations that recruit Front-End Developers

1. Deloitte

Deloitte is the largest professional services company with over 3lakh employees operating in 150 countries worldwide. It offers services to different industries like financial advisory, technology, tax consulting, and risk advisory.

2. Autodesk

It is a tech organization that offers digital products like 3ds Max, Infraworks, Revit, and Inventor. These software development tools are utilized in architecture, design, and engineering.

3. IBM

International Business Machine Corporation, generally called as IBM is one of the biggest technology companies worldwide. IBM sells software and hardware products and provides consulting services. IBM is headquartered in New York, with offices in more than 170 countries.

4. Amazon

Amazon is one of the most famous e-commerce platforms. This company has its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, and it serves in more than 30 countries. In Amazon, the average salary of a Front-End Developer is $121K per annum.

5. Oracle

Oracle Corporation is a technology organization that was constituted in 1977. The company provides cloud systems, databases, and other software development products. Oracle is accountable for the online presence of LinkedIn, eBay, Bank of America, and Netflix. Oracle pays front-end developers an average salary of $116K per annum. 

Along with these companies, some other top companies like Tesla, SAP, Accenture, and Microsoft also recruit Front-End Developers.

[ Check out Web Developer Job Description ]

Tips To Become Front-End Developer

Here are the five tips that will help you in front-end development and web development.

Tip #1. Automate

Every front-end developer should look after minute details that can be startling at times. They have to spend time on different aspects like testing, Boilerplate, dependency management, optimization, performance, deployment, build, etc.

Using Automation, you can look after the things like testing, optimization, etc., and you can also concentrate on the critical areas of front-end development like HTML, CSS, developing the client-side software, improving the user experience, etc. By doing that, you can increase productivity and enhance the overall functionality of the website.

Tip #2. Refactoring the Code

By refactoring the code, we are only improving the code without meddling with the functionality. This will enhance the readability and quality factor of the code; the more often we do it, our code will constantly be updated into a fresher and cleaner version of what it was before.

Tip #3. Learning Command Line

It is a traditional convention among the developers using the GUI tool for supporting the terminal. By doing so, we will spend more time in managing the GUI tools than progressing the terminal. The best way to deal with it is to learn the command line. Begin with the command line basics and proceed to high-level concepts as you go so that you can complete various tasks with more efficiency and ease through command line tools than the GUI tools. Furthermore, automating the terminal using proper command line tools is the best way to save energy and time.

Tip #4. Learn Production Tools

Internet is collaborating with a host of web development tools, from browser add-ons to the smart plugins; the number of selections available now is huge. Thus, we have to learn productive tools that will help you enhance your front-end development skills. Tools like jQuery, Sublime Text, Bootstrap, Sass, and GitHub are helpful for front-end developers.

Tip #5. Always Be Passionate

A front-end developer has to keep himself updated constantly with the latest innovations and tools in the domain. We have to be proactive and learn new things in front-end development from informative videos and blogs. Further, make it a point to attend the webinars and conferences. These conferences and webinars will offer some amazing opportunities.

These tips will help you become a great front-end developer. While developing the platform, we must remember two things - keep it neat and simple, and do not forget to create your signature style.

[ Also Check out Java Developer Job Description ]

Front-End Developer FAQs

1. How long does it take to become a front-end developer?

With perfect plan and practice, you can become a front-end developer in six months. Learning coding through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will take at least three months. After that, learning any front-end framework like Angularjs, Reactjs, or Vuejs will take around 45 days to 60 days. So, overall it will take six months to become a front-end developer.

2. Is Front-end coding hard?

Generally, it is easy to learn front-end development because there are fewer technologies we have to understand to get started. Technologies like HTML, CSS, and Angularjs are simple compared to other programming languages.

3. Which language is easiest for the front-end?

Programming languages like CSS, HTML, and JavaScript are among the easy languages to learn for front-end development. Coding can be challenging, but if you start, it is simple to learn and achieve your goals.

4. Which degree is best for Front-end web development?

In the past, to become a front-end developer, you needed to have an IT, Software Engineering, or Computer Science. But, nowadays, we don’t require a formal degree to become a front-end developer. It is the skills that are truly required to be a front-end developer. You can join Bootcamps or adapt a self-learn route to get the skills needed for a front-end developer.

5. What Education do we require to become a front-end developer?

Having a degree in computer science or the same field and possessing expert-level knowledge in jQuery, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will help you become a better front-end developer.

6. How to become a front-end developer from scratch?

Follow these steps to become a front-end developer from scratch:

Step 1: Learn the technologies(HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Angularjs) needed for front-end developer
Step 2: After that, practice those skills and build your portfolio.
Step 3: Clear the job interviews and become a front-end developer.

Conclusion

In this “How to Become a Frontend Developer” blog, we have covered all the approaches that are necessary to make you a Front-End Developer. But, you have to master the above-mentioned skills or adapt the approaches with dedication & consistency to get success, keep learning, and stay updated. If you have any queries, let us know by commenting below.