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Front End Developer

Also goes by: Front-End Engineer, UI (User Interface) Developer, Client-Side Developer, JavaScript Developer, HTML/CSS Developer, Front-End Web Designer, UI (User Interface) Engineer, Web Developer, User Experience (UX) Developer, User Interface Designer,

What Is a Front End Developer?

Front end development is a subset of software development that uses the coding languages HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build websites for the internet!

How much will I make?

Salaries can range by location and years of experience, but these are averages for the US.

$119,224​
according to Salary.com

Will I get a job?

Projected job growth is 13% for the period 2020-2030 in the US, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

64,957
Total Openings
according to comptia.org

Who will I work for?

  • Tech Companies
  • E-commerce Companies
  • Digital Marketing Firms
  • Design Agencies

Front End Developer’s Daily Activities

No Front End Developer works alone! Front End Developers spend their days collaborating with designers, other developers, and product or project managers to bring web applications to life. Below you will get a sense for what a day-in-the-life of a Front End Developer could be:

Collaborate With Your Team Members to Build web applications

Front End Developers work hand-in-hand with their team members to create web applications. In order to do this, you’ll need to have an understanding of a wide variety of skills including HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Collaboration can take many forms, including planning and strategy meetings, design brainstorms, reviews, and pairing.

Code Your web application

Much of a Front End Developer’s day is spent coding. In practice this means having a development environment set up on one’s computer that allows you to track your progress as you go.

Test Your web application

One of the joys of working as a Front End Developer is that web applications are ALWAYS breaking! As a Front End Developer one of your core duties is testing your web applications for bugs and errors and working to fix them

How To Become a

Front End Developer

It’s absolutely possible to become a Front End Developer even if you have no prior experience in tech and no degree. In fact, a career as a Front End Developer is one of the best entry level jobs in tech. Read on to learn how to do it!

1

Learn The Required Skills

First things first, in order to become a Front End Developer you have to learn the required tech skills!

HTML

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a coding language used to define parts of web pages or mobile apps to the web browsers that visit them, for example HTML tells browsers which part of a webpage is a header, which is a footer, where paragraphs belong, where images, graphics, and videos are placed, etc.

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CSS

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets with an emphasis placed on “Style.” CSS specifies your document’s style — page layouts, colors, and fonts

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JavaScript

JavaScript is a scripting language used to create and control dynamic website content, i.e. anything that moves, refreshes, or otherwise changes on your screen without requiring you to manually reload a web page.

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Responsive Design

Adapts web content to different devices, optimizing user experience and ensuring proper display on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

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ReactJS

ReactJS is a JavaScript library used for building user interfaces in web applications, offering a component-based approach and efficiently updating the user interface based on data changes.

Git

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in source code during software development, facilitating collaboration among developers and enabling code management across different versions.

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User Interface Design

UI stands for user interface, and user interface design is the field that involves planning, creating, and improving this aspect of websites and applications.

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Cross-browser compatibility

Cross browser testing is the process of testing a web application or website on multiple browsers and operating systems to ensure that they work correctly on all platforms.

AJAX

AJAX is an acronym that stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, and it’s core function is to update web content asynchronously (the “A” of AJAX), meaning a user’s web browser doesn’t need to reload an entire web page when only a small portion of content on the page needs to change.

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CSS pre-processors

CSS Pre-Processing is the process of transforming non-CSS code into CSS before it is applied to a web page. CSS pre-processors are used to add features to CSS that are not natively supported by browsers. Sass and Less are two popular CSS Pre-Processers.

Testing and QA

Testing involves systematically verifying and validating software to identify defects and ensure it meets requirements. QA focuses on preventing defects and maintaining high standards. Together, they ensure reliable, user-friendly, and bug-free software products.

Debugging

Debugging is the process of finding and fixing errors in code. Debugging is a critical skill for anyone who works with code.

Package Managers

Package managers are software tools that automate the installation, upgrading, and removal of software packages and dependencies. Examples include: npm, pip, apt, brew, yarn, nuget

User Experience Design

UX design is a user-centric approach that design teams take to account for the user’s experience, with the goal of creating accessible and usable applications that do not neglect functionality for design.

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Front-End Frameworks

Front-end frameworks are software libraries that are used to create web user interfaces (UIs). Popular front-end frameworks are React, Angular, and Vue.Js

Version Control

Version control is the management of changes to documents, source code, or other files, allowing multiple users to collaborate and track revisions, facilitating teamwork and preventing conflicts.

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JavaScript Frameworks

JavaScript frameworks are collections of JavaScript code libraries that provide developers with pre-written JS code to use for routine programming features and tasks—literally a framework to build websites or web applications around.

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JQuery

jQuery is a collection of pre-written JavaScript code (known as a JavaScript library) that you can add to your own coding projects.

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Web Accessibility

Web accessibility is the inclusive practice of removing barriers to web applications for people with disabilities.

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2

Build A Portfolio

The best way to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills—especially when you have no prior experience—is with a portfolio of professional quality coding samples.

Check out these blog posts for more:

3

Apply For Tech Jobs

Once you’ve learned all the required technical skills and built a killer portfolio, it’s time to dust off that old resume and LinkedIn profile and hit the pavement, or Internet superhighway as it were, in search of your first job as a Front End Developer!

➡️ Prepare Your Resume, LinkedIn, and Portfolio

Although your most valuable asset as you job search is your portfolio, you do have to cross your t’s and dot your i’s and when it comes to the job search that means optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile. Tech employers expect you to have all three!

Check out these blog posts for more:

➡️ Build Your Network

Your net worth is in your network, which can be hard when you’re changing careers! But don’t worry, the tech industry is incredibly welcoming to newcomers. Whether you prefer in-person meetups, Slack channels, coffee-over-zoom chats, conferences, hack-a-thons or a little bit of everything, there are tons of opportunities for you to meet fellow techies.

Check out these blog posts for more:

➡️ Find Good Jobs To Apply For

A good job can be hard to find—or is it? The good news about tech is that there are so many openings at so many diverse companies that your biggest challenge will most likely be keeping up with all the opportunities!

Check out these blog posts for more:

➡️ Practice Interviewing

Whether you’re a season pro, or brand new to the tech industry: interviewing for a new job is tough! Add to that technical interviews…and you’ve got a recipe for heartburn, practically guaranteed. Luckily there’s an antacid on the market that works every time: practice. Read on for expert guidance on how to prepare for your next tech job interview.

Check out these blog posts for more:

➡️ Prepare for Technical Tests

Ah the dreaded technical test! Technical tests can come in many different forms: whiteboard tests, pair programming tests, take-home tests, algorithmic tests…just to name a few. Luckily, getting good at technical tests is a skill, just like anything else, and it’s one you can absolutely practice ahead of time.

Check out these blog posts for more:

Keep Exploring

You Might Also Be Interested In Learning About:

Full Stack
Development

Full stack web developers are programmers with a full complement of front end and back end skills. That means, along with knowing how to write backend languanges such as Python, SQL and PHP, a full stack developer is equally at home building front end code with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Learn More

UX/UI
Development

UX/UI developers focus on designing and implementing user interfaces that provide a good user experience. They work closely with front-end developers, but are also often involved in design decisions.

Learn More

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FAQ

  • What does a Front End Developer do?

  • How much do Front End Developers make?

  • Is a Front End Developer the same as a Front-End Engineer?

  • Are Front End Developer in demand?

  • Is a Front End Developer a good job?

  • What skills does a Front End Developer need?

  • Is it too late to become a Front End Developer at 35?