How to Become Full Stack Developer in IT Industry?

A career as a full stack developer offers numerous chances in the quickly developing information technology industry. It’s an exciting career path in IT industry. A full stack developer is a person who can work on any part of a web application, from creating user interfaces to maintaining databases and server-side logic. Full stack developers are proficient in both client side i.e. front-end and server side i.e. back-end programming. In this article, I’ll explore the path on how to become a full stack developer and the programming languages you need to master if you want to pursue this fulfilling career path.

1. Master Front-End Development

• HTML/CSS: You can start the front end development by learning the basics of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), which are the building blocks of web development. There are different versions available for HTML and CSS. HTML is the basic language you can start to build structure of web pages, while you can use CSS to give style and format of the web elements in the web page.
• JavaScript: JavaScript is a versatile and powerful client side programming language that adds interactivity and dynamic behavior to web page or web application to create innovative web experience. It’s essential for creating responsive and interactive user interfaces. It is an open source free downloadable language you can use to start developing dynamic web pages.
• Front-End Frameworks: You should familiarize yourself with popular front-end frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js. These frameworks provide efficient ways to build complex web applications and manage state and data flow efficiently.

2. Explore Back-End Development

• Server-Side Languages: To become a full stack developer, you need to learn a server-side programming languages as well. They are Node.js (JavaScript), Python, Ruby, or Java. These languages are used to build the logic and functionality of web applications on the server side.
• Databases: You should be proficient in database management systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Firebase. These backend technologies are used to store the data and retrieve them when demanded. How to store and retrieve data efficiently, as well as how to perform database operations such as querying and indexing can all be done using DBMS and RDBMS applications.
• Server-Side Frameworks: You should familiarize yourself with back-end frameworks like Express.js (Node.js), Django (Python), Ruby on Rails (Ruby), or Spring Boot (Java). These frameworks provide tools and libraries to streamline back-end development and handle tasks such as routing, authentication, and middleware.

3. Learn Version Control

• Git: You should learn version control which is essential for collaborative software development. You can learn Git developed by Linus Torvalds in 2005, a widely used version control system, to track changes to your code, collaborate with other developers, and manage project repositories on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and BitBucket. You can take help of online platforms and available YouTube videos to learn these version control technologies.
  • GitHub: GitHub is a web-based platform that provides hosting services for Git repositories, and it is built on top of Git. Due to its features, which include code review, issue tracking, and project management, open-source projects, software development teams, and individual developers frequently choose it. Additionally, GitHub provides team collaboration and code quality assurance tools including pull requests and code reviews.

     

  • GitLab: Continuous integration (CI), continuous deployment (CD), and Git repository management are features offered by the open-source platform GitLab. It gives enterprises the ability to manage their software development lifecycle on a single platform by providing both self-hosted and cloud-hosted solutions. GitLab is suited for DevOps teams and agile software development methodologies since it has capabilities like issue tracking, wiki pages, and code analytics.

     

  • Bitbucket: Atlassian is the owner of the Git-based version management system Bitbucket. It provides code collaboration, CI/CD integration, Git repository hosting, and self-hosted and cloud-hosted alternatives. Bitbucket allows teams to manage software projects from planning to deployment inside a single ecosystem by integrating smoothly with other Atlassian products like Jira and Confluence.
• Subversion (SVN): Some businesses still use Subversion, a centralized version control system that came before Git. Subversion uses a centralized repository for version control, in contrast to Git’s distributed model. It is appropriate for projects with less complex requirements or legacy systems that have not yet transitioned to Git because it provides functionality like branching, tagging, and merging.

4. Practice Creating APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)

API or Application Programming Interface refers to the process of developing a set of rules, protocols, and tools that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. APIs serve as intermediaries that enable seamless integration and data exchange between different systems, enabling developers to build powerful and interconnected software solutions. You can learn API creation with the help of different online platforms using popular programming languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PhP, Go (GoLang), and C# (C Sharp) etc. For the full stack developers, knowledge of creating APIs is necessary.

5. Practice Building Full Stack Projects

Once you’ve learnt the front end, back end applications and version control platforms, you can put your skills to the test by building full stack projects from start to end. You can start with small and simple development and gradually increase the complexity as you gain confidence and proficiency. Once you gain confidence in building such small and medium projects, you can start the real-world projects. This will help you apply your knowledge, identify areas for improvement, and showcase your abilities to potential employers.

6. Stay Updated and Keep Learning Full Stack Latest Technologies

The field of web development and specially Full Stack Developer is ever evolving with the introduction of new technologies every now and then. It is constantly evolving, with new technologies and frameworks emerging regularly which you need to learn continuously. You should stay updated with the latest trends, best practices, and advancements in full stack development by reading blogs, attending webinars, and participating in online communities and forums.

By following these steps and continuously improving your skills, you can introduce yourself on a successful career path as a full stack developer in IT industry or you can freelance your work. You need to remember that becoming proficient in full stack development takes time, dedication, and perseverance, but the rewards are well worth the effort. You can also take part in the coding bootcamps which will surely improve your skills and will develop your network.

Image credit- Canva