Masood Fareed @mfareed / 3.25 PM EDT. August 09, 2021
Are you planning to shift or start a career as a Front-End Developer?
The goal of every software developer professional is to equip learners/students with the right skills they need to create or develop different websites and applications for end-users.
If you have a wide range of interests in coding, you are passionate about technology, you think problem-solving is your thing, and your mind always juggles and then gets to a solution to the complex problem before others, then becoming a front-end developer would surely resonate with you. This article will guide you on how to start and become a professional Front End Developer.
A common perspective is that you need to have a Computer Science degree to be a software developer, but in reality, this is not the case. If your skills are on point, you can achieve what degree holders cannot.
A Career in Software Development
Software development is a vast field, with a whole world in it. But to be precise, you can bring in your creative skills along with your problem-solving skills and opt to be a front-end developer. Many questions may arise in your mind while switching to front-end development. Leaving an already flourishing career and acquiring new skills is a decision of a lifetime, but if you get the right guidance, the decision will be worth it.
Who is a Front End Developer?
A front-end developer, also known as a front-end web developer, is a professional responsible for the design and implementation of the user interface. The user interacts with an interface to access software applications or websites. Think amazon.com; a front-end developer developed the interface you use whenever you buy something on Amazon.
A web designer is a professional who creates a website’s appearance and design. The front-end developer also has some web design skills. It is not necessary for a front-end developer to be as creative as a web designer however you will be required to bring the ideas of a web designer to life. A Front End Developer makes sure that the design works by using coding languages such as CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.
What is take to be a front-end developer?
Ability to learn coding skills.
A creative mind with critical thinking skills.
A problem solver with a can-do attitude.
Basic Front-End Development Skills
Step 1: To begin, you first need to design the basic skeleton of a webpage(s). HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the first and foremost language you need to learn. HTML creates the basic structure of a page.
Step 2: Then comes CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), which is like sugar, spice and everything nice added to the skeleton created with HTML earlier.
Step 3: After HTML and CSS, we have JavaScript (JS for short). Do not confuse it with Java (programming language). JS adds interactivity and makes your web pages dynamic.
These three basic skills are enough to get started with your front-end development career, but of course not enough to rely on. All job openings for front-end development have these three requirements, so regardless of what expertise you plan to opt for, these basic skills are a must-have in any case.
Frameworks and Libraries
jQuery is a JS library. It provides all the functionalities that JS already has, but makes work easier with built-in functions for particular tasks.
Then we have front-end frameworks, the most common of which is Bootstrap. It is kind of a combination of CSS functionalities combined with particular classes, to achieve whatever CSS does, but with fewer lines of code and more efficiency due to accuracy. It also adds responsiveness to your webpage that makes it fit any screen size and device.
We also have JavaScript frameworks, each one of which is used for different needs. The most common frameworks are React, Angular, and Vue. However, the scope definitely does not end here and JS is too vast to be covered in a short time. But once you get done with learning any one of them, understanding others becomes relatively easier.
Other Required Skills
Apart from the skills needed for coding, you should also have knowledge of APIs and how to integrate them with your website. The most demandable APIs these days are REST and RESTful APIs.
You will need some knowledge of Git and other version control systems as you will be coding extensively.
Front-end developer salaries can vary widely based on factors such as location, experience, skillset, and the specific company or organization. However, I can provide you with a general salary scale for front-end developers in the United States, which can serve as a rough reference. Keep in mind that these figures may change over time.
Entry-Level Front-End Developer:
Salary Range: $50,000 to $75,000 per year
Job roles: Junior front-end developer, web developer, intern
Mid-Level Front-End Developer:
Salary Range: $75,000 to $100,000 per year
Job roles: Front-end developer, UI developer, UX developer
Senior Front-End Developer:
Salary Range: $100,000 to $150,000+ per year
Job roles: Senior front-end developer, lead front-end developer, front-end architect
Front-End Development Manager:
Salary Range: $120,000 to $180,000+ per year
Job roles: Front-end development manager, director of front-end development
The knowledge shared in this blog will not make you an expert but will get you started. You can learn more from me by enrolling on my instructor-led Front-end Development Course. In there I will get you from beginner to advanced using our Consulting project case studies.
HAPPY FRONT-ENDING!!!