What Is a Front-End Web Developer?

Front-end web developers build and integrate components that impact a website or app’s look and feel. They oversee a site’s graphics, interface, appearance and more. This is an attractive career in tech but learning the necessary skills and programming languages before starting in this role is essential.

You’ve probably looked at a website before and thought, “This website is so easy to use.” You can thank the?front-end web developer ?for that.

In web development, there are?front-end and back-end work tasks . On the back end, programmers do a lot of behind-the-scenes work that the end user doesn’t see. On the front end, however, the focus is on different parts of a website or app that people actually use.?

Front-end web developers ensure websites are attractive, functional and user-friendly. If you want to learn more about the career path to becoming a successful web developer, this article will give you some useful information to consider.

What Does a Front-End Web Developer Do??

Front-end web developers create the?user interface (UI) ?that indicates what different parts of apps or websites do and how they look. For instance, someone might hire a front-end web developer if they want to build a website and need help with optimizing its layout for a better?user experience (UX) . In a more general sense, the front-end web developer would decide how to present the site to users.?

Why Become a Front-End Web Developer?

Anyone looking for a job with plenty of flexibility and demand will benefit from becoming a front-end web developer. This role is necessary across many industries and regions of the world as more and more businesses go online. Additionally, plenty of front-end web developers work for themselves as self-employed?freelancers , which provides even more freedom in this role.

Some of the other benefits of becoming a front-end web developer include:

• High wages.
• A wide variety of possible work environments.
• Opportunities for innovation.?
• Transferable?technical ?and?soft skills .

What Technical Skills Does a Front-End Web Developer?Need?

Front-end web developers are specialists in creating functional, attractive websites. However, there are?many skills necessary to make this happen .?

Here are just a few technical skills front-end web developers must have to start a career in this field.?

CSS, HTML and JavaScript?

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) are two of the keystones of web development. People can make websites with just these two programming languages.?

While CSS impacts the visual layout of a website, HTML provides the foundational structure.?

However, these tools alone create a really basic website. To make it interactive, JavaScript allows developers to run animations, quizzes and other multimedia.

Any developer should have?experience with these tools ?before entering the field.

Libraries and Frameworks

Libraries provide extensions and plugins that allow various tools to run faster. Further, many frameworks will enable developers to perform more tasks to enhance their websites or apps.

Even though front-end web developers don’t start from scratch to create many features,?using these types of frameworks ?to make a website more user-friendly is important for improved functionality and UX. A successful front-end web developer will know which frameworks to use for which tasks and how to combine frameworks for additional options.

Testing and Debugging

Testing is an essential part of web development. Front-end web developers must know how to test and debug code.?

There are many testing approaches, like functional or unit testing. However, developers must also know?how to use testing frameworks ?to make this process easier and more accurate. Some frameworks allow a developer to test a small unit of an app rather than the entire app, for example, which is more appropriate for certain situations.

Responsive Design

Consumers now use many devices to view apps and websites, which means front-end developers must understand?responsive design . The pages of the site should adapt based on the user’s device.?

Web Performance?

To ensure tools like JavaScript, CSS and HTML operate at their best, front-end web developers must be experts in web performance and automation.?

Creating the best website in the world doesn’t matter if poor performance leads to negative UX. People?will abandon a site ?altogether if it doesn’t load fast enough. To be an effective front-end developer, you will need to be able to improve a website’s performance without losing functionality (and vice versa).?

Job Outlook and Salary for a Front-End Web Developer

The job outlook for front-end developers is excellent, with projected growth of?about 23% between 2021 and 2031 . This is much faster than the average change for all occupations. Since the necessary skills and talents of web developers are so specific, the demand for experienced front-end developers will continue to rise.?

Salary levels for front-end web developers vary based on experience, industry and other factors. However, the?median annual salary for web developers in 2021 ?was $78,300.?

How to Become a Front-End Web Developer

Entering the web development field takes dedication and persistence. Here are the basic steps to becoming a front-end web developer:

1. Fulfill minimum education requirements.
2. Gain technical skills.
3. Join a developer community.
4. Build a portfolio.
5. Create a resume and begin job searching.

Education

Education requirements in the tech industry are looser than they once were, meaning employers today?may not require a formal degree .?

There are various ways to obtain a web developer’s education, including self-learning or?online boot camps . However,?obtaining a degree ?in?web design ,?computer science ?or?information technology ?will also help future web developers learn what they need to begin their careers.

Technical Skills

Practice makes perfect when it comes to web development. To become a professional front-end web developer, one must first learn and practice all of the necessary technical skills,?such as coding , using frameworks and building with HTML, CSS and JavaScript.?

Additionally, staying up to date with new syntax, approaches or technologies will help professional developers understand the latest trends and grow their skills even faster.?

Developer Community

One way to learn about current tech or developer trends is by?joining a developer community . In these communities, front-end developers share and learn from one another.?

Joining a developer community earlier rather than later will help someone grow their career and gain support from other experienced professionals.?

Portfolio

A front-end developer’s portfolio demonstrates their expertise.?

New front-end web developers may not have much to add to their portfolio yet, but this is an opportunity to be creative. Use the tools, libraries and practiced technical skills to create something unique specifically for the portfolio. As new developers take on more projects, there will be more opportunities to highlight specific pieces of work.

For inspiration,?take a look at other portfolios ?of fellow front-end developers from developer communities or online searches.

Resume and Job Search

Front-end web developers must create a succinct and relevant resume to find a job in tech.?Highlighting skills, experience and programming language knowledge ?is key. Additionally,?structuring the resume correctly ?and using the right key phrases ?will help even new developers land interviews.?

Once the resume is ready, it is time to apply for jobs. Check out job requirements first to see if there are any shortcomings on your resume before applying. But limited experience shouldn’t stop you from applying for jobs that may seem like a great opportunity for growth.?

As career coach and LinkedIn Top Voice,?Emily Liou ,?writes , “I can’t stress enough that a resume is a marketing tool.” Short stints, gaps of employment, or additional experience are not show stoppers, says Liou.“But you must be prepared to give context in the interview. Be ready to share what’s in between the lines of the resume that positions you as a safe, qualified candidate.”?

Final Thoughts on Web Development

As technology evolves and revolutionizes our world, there will always be plenty of opportunities for people who?want to work in tech . Web development can be an extremely rewarding career path.

Front-end web development is an excellent career option for people that want creative work tasks that solve problems and generate positive online experiences for others. If you like coding, problem-solving and web design, this may be your ideal career path.?

To become a front-end web developer, start by learning programming languages, libraries and frameworks. Practice using these tools and develop skills that translate into real-world apps and websites. With these in hand, you can create a portfolio, gain support from other developers and land a great job in the tech industry.

Top Takeaways

What is a front-end web developer?

• Front-end web developers build the part of websites and apps that people see and use.?
• Front-end web development is a rewarding career path, especially for those that want to work in tech.
• Web developers need many technical skills, including HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• To become a front-end web developer, one must obtain the right education, skills and experience before landing a job.?

(Reporting by NPD)