How to Become a Full Stack Developer
When you’re starting to work in your first full-time job, you feel like you can handle anything. You want to be a good developer, so you want to go full stack. What’s that exactly? Well, bring together all the books relevant to information technology and bundle them together. That tower of information is what you call a full stack. So, once you realize that, ambitious as you are, you know deep down that it is probably a pipe dream. Or is it?
Take Small Steps: Web development is Easy, Full stack Isn’t !
Web development is a relatively easy task today, but coping up with emerging technologies as a full stack developer is not everyone’s cup of tea.
- In fact, many even call it a myth!
The ever dynamic I.T industry has so much to offer in terms of technology stacks, mastering all of them does sound rather daunting, if not impossible.
As a full-stack developer, you should be acquainted with all the front-end and back-end technologies. So basically, It would demand you to know all programming languages-Or at least the most used ones.
Question Yourself
- Are you comfortable working with everything, ranging from databases to user interfaces and the stuff in between?
- Doesn’t it sound unrealistic to expect someone to be good at everything?
- Will the client still require different experts for that one project?
Tips & Tricks to Get You Started on Your Tour of Becoming a Full-Stack Developer
Here are some tips & tricks to get you there at the ultimate destination of being a full-stack developer.
1. Analyse Your Interest
Most pursuits for success start off without knowing where you want to be. True! You may argue, full stack is all about learning pretty much everything. Well honestly, that’s where you’re mistaken. Full stack means identifying the domain where you want to excel and then creating the path that gets you there.
Decide your area of focus.
Web technologies such as JavaScript for example, are today a lucrative path for most of the people out there. If you too relate to this domain, then your full stack would probably consist of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, general-purpose programming languages, database systems, web server, deployment operating systems, payment systems and a version-control system. Considering these related areas of operation on their own will get you a long way.
2. Focus On One language, Not all
When your set target is identified, you should focus on zooming in on the technologies your stack would concern.
Here too, most developers would jump in trying to learn all that they can. Doing that seems quite overwhelming but given the kind of technology range available out there, it’s close to impossible.
What needs to be done now is focusing on learning a few important technologies. For example, if it seems hard to master all general-purpose programming languages. You can choose to learn either Python, Ruby, PHP or others related.
3. Take a Course
You should be ready to learn new things on demand. By new things, you need to be prepared to learn anything and everything that comes your way. To do this, consider taking up an online course.
4: Building a Network
The best way to stay relevant in the market is to stay up to date. In this digital age, connecting online with a network of peers online can help you gain useful insights. I specially recommend looking at various groups or forums for a community of developers.
5: Make Something On Your Own
It’s finally all about creating a good quality product, a simple & interactive end-user experience with great functionality.
As a full stack expert, the diversions with so much technology can be tempting. But, it is important not to lose focus on what your end product should look & operate like.
You must be able to see, feel and experience your product. It must serve the purpose it was conceptualized for. In any case, it can always function as something you can show off.
Key To Success
The path to becoming a full stack developer take sheer effort & time. It’s not only about learning various front-end and back-end technologies. It’s also about mastering those areas in more detail and making communication between them seamless and smooth. Here, patience is the key. You also need to be eager to learn, and your attitude should always remain positive while targeting the ultimate goal.
The dynamics of the market are ever changing, and you never know what technology you’ll be implementing next, so it is better to gather knowledge about most of them.
A Friendly Suggestion:
- Be persistent and stay focused. As they say, the fastest way to learn something is to enjoy it, so have fun with what you do & you’ll get there.