Front-End Essentials for 2022

Front-End essentials for 2022

Front-End Essentials That Boost A Full Stack Developer’s Career 

By Lissette Maduro

With the rise of smartphones ( 3.8 billion smartphone users this year), social media, and company websites, the front end of web development is constantly evolving and the demand for web developers keeps increasing. The required skills to stay on top of the newest technologies in the field can be demanding. Some current areas of expertise considered the essentials of front end development include:

• The basics: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These three primary coding languages are used to create websites, web applications designs and are the building blocks for a front end developer. They direct the layout of the computer’s content, and command how computers recoup information, and respond to user input.
• JS frameworks. Web development continues to evolve at seemingly warp speed, new technologies keep emerging to speed up development by minimizing the amount of coding that needs to be done from scratch. JavaScript frameworks such as Angular, React and Vue.js  offer a ready-made layout for JavaScript code. There are different types of  frameworks for different needs and skills in the top frameworks are highly recommended.
• REST Services and APIs. Rest architecture represents guidelines and practices that simplify network web communications. It facilitates improved web service performance, better scaling, function reliability and easier modification or movement in web spaces. An emerging alternative to the standard REST API is GraphQL which finetunes the delivery of client requested data increasing efficiency and speeding up feature development. Skills in both technologies are a definite plus for front end developers.
• Responsive and Mobile Design. With more people accessing the internet via mobile devices than from desktop computers, demand is high for front end developers skilled in responsive design technology which programs adjustability of a site’s layout, content and functionality based on the screen size and mobile device of the user. Mobile design expertise, which may include responsive design, focuses on creating designs specifically for mobile devices.

Why Become a Front-Ender?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 13% employment growth from 2020 to 2030 for web developers, a much faster growth compared to all other occupations. 

How To Become Or Skill-Up As A Front End Developer?

Learning to code is the obvious launching point for becoming a front end developer. Although traditionally acquiring coding knowledge was through a computer science degree, nowadays you can quickly build the required knowledge base and technical skills by enrolling in an online course, bootcamp or a training program. 

Next you’ll want to do some upskilling. In the constantly-evolving world of web development, getting ahead of the curve as a web developer means being competent in the latest developments in the field. Based on your specific job and preferred function you may need to become skilled in areas such as SEO, graphic design applications, testing and debugging. Proficiency in content management systems, cross-browser development and e-commerce platforms is also a front end essential. 

 Additionally, you’ll need to build a portfolio that allows you to showcase your skills and expertise to potential clients or employers. Start with smaller projects so that you become comfortable with the basic micro components of web development and once you are confident in those skills, move on to building websites with more complex functionalities such as apps. You can also include completed projects from your online courses or training as part of your portfolio.

Don’t forget to improve your soft skills. A major soft skill for web development is problem solving as it is required in most daily tasks. Other crucial soft skills include critical thinking, being detail oriented, flexibility, being a team-player and effective communication with all the partners and players involved in the development process.

Since staying on top of the curve in web development requires continued learning, feel free to explore our various online courses that will round out your skill set at whatever level of skill development you are at right now.

Your front end developer job awaits…

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