Responsibilities of a front-end developer
Front-end development refers to building the user-facing end of a website or web app.
Headings, paragraphs, bullet lists, images, form fields, buttons, pop-ups, navigation bars, animations, and every interactive element on a web page is the work of a front-end developer.
A layout engine is a component built into web browsers responsible for rendering the front-end code (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) into graphical pixels.
These graphical pixels form what we see on a web page.
As a front-end developer, you work with UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) designers.
You might also be working directly with clients if you work as a freelancer.
You’ll be the one who turns the fresh designs of a UI designer into web pages (with HTML & CSS) and breathe life into them with your mind-blowing JavaScript skills.
To give you a clear overview of the responsibilities of a front-end developer, I’ve taken out a piece of a job description from LinkedIn:
- Collaborate closely with UI designers with a focus on new feature design and prototyping
- Be involved in the UX design process from wireframes and mockups through implementation and release
- We have an emphasis on software quality and writing maintainable code, using TDD, and Continuous Integration and Delivery
- Our technology stack is based predominantly on JavaScript, using React and React Native
Let’s decode these items.
Don’t mind the technical jargon for now; we’ll get to those soon.
The above list focuses on three things:
- Being a team player
- Working responsibly to deliver high quality and maintainable code
- Being familiar with their technology stack and adapted practices
And if we turn them into skills:
- Teamwork
- Work quality
- Knowing their tech stack, or being able to pick them up real quick
Not all job descriptions are the same. However, they follow a similar pattern. Starting with soft skills, emphasizing the importance of quality, and finally, their preferred technology stack.
So these are what you need to focus on when preparing your resume.
Now, let’s see what technical skills you need to land such a job.
Reza Lavarian Hey 👋 I'm a software engineer, an author, and an open-source contributor. I enjoy helping people (including myself) decode the complex side of technology. I share my findings on Twitter: @rezalavarian
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