Becoming a Full Stack Developer: The Ultimate Career Hack

By Manas Kochar Category Full Stack Reading time 10.5 mins Published on May 28, 2023

Becoming a Full Stack Developer: The Ultimate Career Hack

Discover the steps to a lucrative full stack career!

Full-stack development jobs have gained everyone's attention with lucrative pay scales and steep career growth. Nowadays, it is every techie's ultimate goal to become a full stack developer. At the same time, how to become a full stack developer is still a perplexing question for many.

There is no conventional full-stack career path you can choose to reach the peak of success. All it requires is hard work, constant practice, and continuous skill development. And yes, keeping yourself updated with the ever-changing industrial needs

To be more precise, one needs to hone their technical skills for a successful full stack career. Companies look for talented individuals to work on the whole application, so knowledge of both the front and back ends is crucial.

Because full-stack engineers are highly valued developers in the IT business, candidates can negotiate a lot. But at the same time, with more candidates than ever before, the industry has grown more competitive. As a result, you must grasp the best learning approach to showcase your talent and gain your desired role.

There are different approaches to considering how to become a full-stack developer. First, you must follow the steps provided below to learn full-stack development. It will help you prepare for a full-fledged career as a full-stack developer.

Steps To Becoming A Successful and Recognized Full Stack Developer

  1. Establish important skills

  2. Identify a suitable timetable

  3. Create an online portfolio

  4. Begin with the job search

  5. Crack the full-stack developer interviews with tricky and smart answers

1. Establish Important Skills

The first step to the answer 'How to become a full stack developer' is to start upskilling yourself. A Full-stack developer needs knowledge of specific coding languages. They also should keep updating themselves with new skills depending on the current market trend. However, these few key skills can greatly help you in the interview process.

Here are some skills you should consider:-

• Front End Development Skills

Starting from scratch, you must learn the important front-end developer stacks. As you'll work on client-side web applications, HTML and CSS are the priority building blocks. You should also understand some JavaScript languages, like Angular or React. Along with them, knowledge of APIs can strengthen your basics in full-stack development.

• Back End Development Skills

Backend development often comes in handy when considering how to become a full stack developer, as you'll work on server-side web applications. Node.js and Express.js are two basic but important full stack tools to master for any professional. Programming and web development languages are part of every developer's backend stack, such as PHP, Java, and Python.

Backend operations keep an application running smoothly. So optimizing the backend for maximum efficiency is of priority.

• Database Skills

Your knowledge of databases is much needed as a full-stack developer. You can use the information from databases to execute relational mapping. Some popular databases are MongoDB, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle Database.

• Version Control Skills

Tools such as GitHub are common in every developer's skillset. Git and Subversion are also some additional version control tools you can master. Before being ready for deployment, an application goes through many versions.

These tools are helpful for developers to add code to the current version of the source code without any concern about misuse of the main source code.

• Soft Skills

Time management, analytical skills, creativity, problem-solving, and planning are top skills that are equally important for a full-stack developer.

2. Identify a Suitable Timetable

If you're an early-level aspirant wondering 'how to become a full stack developer' try following a set timetable. Find out what you need to learn and what skills you lack or need to develop, and create a timetable based on those needs.

You should analyze everything, such as the learning medium (coding Bootcamps, online courses, etc.), before continuing your educational journey.

Working professionals must allocate proper time to learning and make a suitable timetable for them. They can consider part-time courses alongside their current job. This will enable them to pursue their study without compromising other commitments.

Also, check-out this blog: Top Courses in 2023 for a Full-Stack Software Developer.

3. Create an Online Portfolio

An interviewer always needs viable proof of knowledge and skills of an interviewee. You should also have a portfolio showing your finished projects along with your resume. Portfolios are most important, as they form the first impression on a recruiter.

You may describe your work in the interview, such as the tools and technologies employed, the resources allocated, and the time taken to complete the project. This shows your capability to handle complex projects and defines the nature of work.

Here are some tips on becoming a full stack developer with a top-notch portfolio:

  • Start with your best work. It creates a great impression of your skills and abilities.

  • You can add mock and real-time projects you are presently participating in.

  • Add relevant screenshots to demonstrate your work. It shows your design skills and helps the recruiters understand your project easily.

  • If you work with a team, make sure that you clearly define your role to the recruiters. Let them know your strength as a team worker.

You can begin your job search once you have a professional work portfolio and resume with multiple projects to showcase. You will catch the attention of recruiters with an impressive resume showing relevant skills.

The following points will help you effectively search for a job:

  • Define your professional goals ahead of time. It will be useful in finding relevant jobs.

  • Get input on your cover letter. Valuable feedback from a professional will take your cover letter to the next level.

  • Customize your CV according to the particular job specifications.

  • Apart from online searches, you can also contact firms, participate in full stack career expos, and register for weekly job notifications.

5. Crack the full-stack developer interviews

Preparation for a job interview should start well before you begin a job search. Apart from technical skills, recruiters will look for your interpersonal skills.

Strategies To Crack Full-Stack Developer Interviews.

  • Prepare for technical rounds: Sharpen your programming abilities by participating in mock interviews. Recruiters use technical rounds to assess your level of coding, so make sure you practise for these rounds thoroughly.

    Platforms like HackerRank, LeetCode, etc., and books like 'Cracking the Coding Interview' are useful resources to practice coding.

  • Prepare for behavioral assessments: Hiring managers want someone who will fit in with the corporate culture and collaborate with others, not just someone who can only code or deal with technical stuff.

    Prepare with answers demonstrating how you cope with stress, workplace arguments, or daily obstacles.

  • Prepare for verbal assessments: Live coding and whiteboard exercises are common in IT. You should explain your thought process and how you arrived at a solution during a whiteboard exercise.

    Only coding isn't enough; you must also understand how the code works. Employers expect individuals to know all aspects of the IT stack. You should show the recruiters that you are comfortable with new technologies and want to keep learning as you work.

Most Standardized Way To Learn Full Stack Development

If you opt for a course in full stack development, you can choose both online and offline learning modes. They both provide better flexibility to learn at minimal cost - you may even find free courses online that can act as a good beginner resource. Based on the type of course, you can gain access to extra learning resources, mentor help, and participation in a learning community.

Is a full stack course on web development worth the investment?

A full-stack software engineering program is worthwhile if it matches your desired goals and delivers high-quality information. The market now sees high demand for full-stack developers, which will continue to rise in the future. Professionals in this industry are also compensated nicely.

Want to become a Full stack developer??

A full-stack developer program will assist you in cracking interviews as well. Some courses provide great help to students with placement opportunities and preparation.

The Full stack software development program is an excellent choice if you want to work in the full-stack development sector.

This program will assist you in your overall full stack career preparation. It also offers standardized expertise and industry-based mock interviews under the skilled guidance of trainers. They are always present to assist you in navigating the course with ease. After completing the course, you are awarded an IBM course completion certificate and capstone project certificates for completing capstone projects.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):-

1. How difficult is it to become a full-stack developer?

A full-stack development job is not simple. You need many abilities and knowledge in front-end and back-end development. You must also be familiar with databases, web apps, and frameworks.

2. Which are the best job roles in full stack development?

Here are some of the best job roles for full-stack developers:-

  • Testing software and checking its overall work efficiency

  • Continuous upgradation and debugging of software

  • Understanding the data privacy and security concerns

  • Collaborate with data engineers and analysts to enhance the software's reliability

3. How much do full stack developers earn?

Glassdoor reveals the nationwide annual income to be approx. Rs. 6 lacs for a fresher Full Stack Developer in India. And with a particular experience of 4 to 6 years, it can rise to approximately 12 LPA.