Front-End Developer Skills

Searching  for your favorite movie, browsing a digital catalog, or navigating  between blog posts needs to be effortless. Even the slightest  frustration can cause lost sales and hurt the brand. Front-end  developers are largely responsible for creating that ideal user  experience.  

Talented  front-end developers craft customer-facing websites and apps. They play  a key role in the web development process by ensuring websites are  aligned with company branding. Front-end development also involves  aspects of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.  

Businesses  are realizing the importance of their digital presence, and as a  result, the demand for front-end developers is booming.  

If you’re an aspiring front-end developer and want to get started in the  field, here are some of the skills you’ll need to be successful. We’ll also cover online UX/UI design courses and software engineering bootcamps you can join to learn these skills and fast-track your way to a high-paid developer position.

Must-Have Front-End Developer Skills

Anything that the user can see or interact with is handled by the front-end developer. They focus on site design, layout, navigation, structure, fonts, colors, images, and content.

If you're angling for a developer job, getting up to speed with front-end development skills is a great place to start your journey. While the required knowledge for entry-level developer jobs can vary from company to company, many skills are common across the industry. Focusing your efforts on learning these common skills can boost your chances of success in the job market.

Hard Skills Needed for Front-End Development

Here’s a list of core front-end developer skills that are often required by employers in the space:

• HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the standard language used to build documents that are translated into web pages. HTML code is interpreted by your web browser to generate images, animation, text, and other components. The properties of each element are defined by the HTML code you write. You'll need to understand the code if you want to fine-tune pages or fix errors.
• CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used with HTML to define consistent styles and formatting rules through an entire site. HTML dictates what to display, and CSS dictates how to display it. For example, you can create a text heading in HTML and then make it blue using CSS. The main advantage of using CSS is that you can change all heading colors at the same time, rather than going through HTML code and changing several headings separately. CSS is a powerful tool to create consistent themes on your site.
• JavaScript is another indispensable skill that every front-end developer should master. While HTML and CSS play an important role, they're extremely limited when it comes to developing more advanced user interfaces. JavaScript is needed for websites that incorporate interactive elements and features. Whether you feel the need to use animation elements, audio, video, or even games, JavaScript is the go-to tool to bring your vision to life. It includes a built-in library called jQuery which can dramatically speed up development work.
• Version Control (GIT) helps developers track and control changes that have been made to the code. If something were to go wrong, you can simply restore a previous version of your work without having to endure the pain of starting over. GIT is an open-source version control system that performs this vital function and can save you a lot of time.
• Web Performance Optimization (WPO) is the process of increasing the speed of a website. Faster downloads can improve visitor retention rates and ultimately provide a better user experience. This is especially true on mobile devices or when the user has a slow internet connection. Programs like Grunt and Gulp provide automated image optimization, tweak your CSS and JavaScript code, and perform many other web performance optimization tasks.
• Graphic Design plays an important part in the web development process. Websites are more than just text. They need to stand out and engage the user. Displaying unique and bold graphics can help you achieve this. Figma, Photoshop, InVision, and Sketch are common design packages used by front-end developers.
• Responsive Design has become a must-have skill in the last ten years. ]There's now a wide range of internet-ready devices that can be used to access websites. As a front-end developer, you’ll need to understand how to accommodate these devices using responsive design techniques. They allow the layout and design of a site to change depending on the type of  device accessing it. For example, a mobile site may have larger text and  a simplified drop-down menu system. A desktop site has more screen real-estate to work with and can include larger images and smaller fonts.
• Testing and Debugging are extremely important for delivering a positive user experience. You’ll need to know how to check for JavaScript errors and debug code. You should learn how to perform effective cross-browser compatibility testing.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making sure a site is accessible by search bots and optimizing its ranking in search results. SEO is a separate specialization, but as a front-end developer, it doesn’t hurt to learn the basics. You’ll be mostly concerned with on-page SEO. This includes various design features you can build into sites to help them get discovered by Google and Yahoo. Internal linking structures, breadcrumb navigation, and the use of friendly URLs are all examples of on-page SEO concepts.

Soft Skills Needed for Front-End Development

Technical knowledge can only get you so far. Front-end developers must also have excellent soft skills. You’ll be working in teams, communicating with other departments, and even discussing requirements directly with clients. All this requires people skills and a positive attitude.

Here are some soft skills you should perfect to become a successful front-end developer.

• Learn to Listen: Front-end developers need to be effective communicators. This means being able to pay attention and listen to clients and colleagues. Part of your job will be to capture requirements and empathize with user problems. You’ll also need a solid understanding of the brand image you’re trying to achieve.
• Manage Your Time: Time management, organization, and the ability to prioritize tasks is of utmost importance to become a successful developer. You’ll often be tasked with multiple jobs simultaneously.
• Adaptability: Front-end development is a fast-changing world. To be successful, you’ll need to adjust to your environment and constantly learn new approaches. Always be flexible, respond effectively to your working conditions, and be willing to let go of outdated technology.

Entry-Level Front-End Development Skills

To take the first step toward your new career, you'll need to develop some of the basic skills employers will look for in a Junior Front-End Web Developer.

Some of the tools and languages you'll need to learn right off the bat are:

• HTML, CSS and JavaScript
• The basics of UX design
• Git and how to manage version control
• How to test your own work
• Fundamentals of writing clean code with clear comments

Once you've grasped those skills, you'll be in a good position to interview for entry-level positions and impress your next employer.

Advanced Skills

One of the great things about front-end development is that it'll continue to challenge you and offer new opportunities. Learning the basics of HTML and CSS is just the beginning.

As you become more advanced, you'll want to get skilled in React, a JavaScript library that's become popular for a variety of coding projects.

You'll also start to explore some basic terms and tools of UX design. Once you know the process of wireframing, user testing and designing, it'll be easier for you to execute projects according to the design team's vision.

And of course, you can always advance your coding knowledge by learning some back-end languages as well. Even in a front-end developer job, your employer and the rest of your team will appreciate it if you can also jump in on smaller back-end projects when needed.

How to Develop Your Front-End Coding Skills

Degrees have traditionally been the most common path for aspiring web developers. However, they can take up to 4 years to complete and cost around $30,000 per year in tuition fees. Even computer science, software engineering, or other design-related degrees cover a wide range of topics, many of which aren't actually relevant for a future in web development.

Fortunately, you've got some alternative ways to learn front-end development.

Education Options

You don't necessarily need a degree to get hired as a front-end developer. An online web development course or coding bootcamp can be equally effective.  Just be sure to choose a format that gives you a structured curriculum and career support.

Self-Teaching

If you're motivated enough to teach yourself to code, then there are plenty of free online resources to choose from. This is the most cost-effective (read: free) option. The downside is that you'll have to keep yourself accountable in order to learn the skills you need to get hired.

Hands-On Practice

Make sure to practice your front-end coding skills by creating your own web pages. You can also volunteer your coding expertise and help out at a local organization or non-profit. Every project you take on will help you become a better developer, and add experience to your resume.

Pursue A Career in Front-End Development

If you’re looking for an affordable, focused, and fast route to kickstarting your tech career, consider enrolling in our Software Engineering bootcamp. Our online program was designed by leading experts to teach you career-ready skills. Our goal is to take you from beginner to hired in just a few months.

You’ll receive personal mentorship from experienced professionals as you work your way through our curriculum. And it all results in that coveted prize: a full-time, front-end developer job.

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