Congratulations, now you’re the proud founder of a startup and outside of running many projects, one of them being hopefully a snazzy website to back it up. Now, it will be an unicorn or a bust, and it depends a lot on whether the full stack developers you’ve hired can make it work. This is especially true for projects in technical and commercial startups as they are often built on their website for promotion and exposure, if not outright business. So, outside of just the front and back end developers, there often has to be a full stack developer to make sure that the project is running well. There are advantages to hiring full stack developers and this can be observed through the many roles that they can hold as described later on along with additional information that will give the relevant information in hiring them.
This article will cover the skills and responsibilities to look for in hiring full stack developers, along with the expected questions for interviewing applicants, general conditions of salary, courses available for full stack developers , the platforms to hire them from, etc.
Skills and Responsibilities For Full Stack Developer
The features that companies look for vary from company to company. So, we can present just a general overview of the qualities that companies can try to look for in trying to hire Full stack developers. What should be kept in mind is that knowing just front and back-end technologies isn’t enough as often additional skills in integration, working with databases, etc. are needed.
Some of the features that companies should look for in trying to hire Full stack developers include:
Front-end Languages and Frameworks
The front end refers to the technologies and softwares that are used to create and support the content that is seen or heard by the user. The front end programming languages refer to the languages that are used to code the front end software portion and they often rely on frameworks to build upon. Some of the common languages used are HTML, CSS, JS, its various libraries and frameworks. JS is used in both the front and back end and some of its libraries and frameworks include React, Angular, Vue, and JQuery.
Back-end Technologies and Frameworks
Back end technologies and softwares are used to develop the web application logic at the server-side along with integration with the front end. Some of the softwares that are used here are:
- JS and its environments such as NodeJS and ExpressJS
- Javascript or JS is unique here due to being usable on either end. However, it has faced some criticism from users such as full stack developers since by trying to do everything the architecture and usage of JS has often been seen as being rather sloppy. As such, alternatives such as TypeScript exist for full stack developers and the libraries, environments and frameworks are preferred.
- The Java programming language and its frameworks such as Spring and Java Server Faces.
- The Python programming language and its frameworks such as Django and Flask.
- Between the two, Java’s framework and its technical advantages are touted as its reason for being advantageous for back end development for full stack developers but Python can be said to boast a greater number of frameworks and may arguable be easier to read for full stack developers.
- C# is unique as the windows answer to Java and similarly it can be used for back-end programming by full stack developers.
DBMS
A full stack developer must also write code to perform relational mapping to fetch data from the database servers. Some of the popular used DBMS are MySQL ,MS-SQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB and Oracle database.
Version Control
Version control or source control is the practice of tracking and managing changes to software code. This is essential as often developers have to backtrack or keep backups of pre-existing code. This is especially relevant in websites when updates are necessary. Some examples of tools used are Git and Github.
Web-Hosting Platforms
Platforms that allow for deploying a product in a cloud service provider to allow web access. These include AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, etc.
The Jobs of Full Stack Developer
For any Full stack developers, regardless of company there are generally some common responsibilities involved that can be broadly divided into those that can be broadly divided into those that are exclusive to full stack developer jobs and those that are performed as additional roles i.e. additional job opportunities for full stack developers.
The Exclusive Roles are:
- 1. Meeting the Technical and Consumer Requirements
- Due to their generally greater years of experience and higher range of skills, they are generally assigned this role in the absence of a project manager. This is because they are the ones that are most likely to have a good overall understanding of the workings of the project so they are most likely to figure out ways to meet any requirements that may appear.
- 2. Create Database and Server
- Other than the above two, the later given responsibilities are now specific for the role as a full stack developer. The full stack developer’s role is to create code for the purposes of relational mapping to fetch data from the database. Outside of this the systems created must be resilient to outages and possess the necessary qualities of a good database.Some of the available languages to serve this role are MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB and Oracle.
- 3. Ensuring Cross Platform Compatibility
- At present, web pages developed must be compatible with multiple devices and operating systems. These are most likely the big three: Windows, MacOS, and Linux. As such, one of the most crucial roles is in ensuring compatibility of the site with multiple platforms.
- 4. API Development
- Depending on the architecture, they can also be responsible for API creation.
Additional Job Roles for Full Stack Developer
- 1. Integration of Front and Back End
- The full stack developer is not only likely to have a working knowledge of both the front-end and back-end technologies, but only a good overall understanding of the overall project. As such, even though back-end developers are expected to perform this role, it is best for them to handle this role.
- 2. Development of Front End
- This isn’t the intended role of a full stack developer, as they are meant to work on both ends. However, they can take over the role in case of lack of employees due to leaves or layoffs. As such, they can wear multiple hats and take over as back-end developers as well. However, it is not a good value for money as they are not able to spend much time for the position that they are paid for.
- 3. Development of Back-End
- This isn’t the intended role of a full stack developer, as they are meant to work on both ends. However, they can take over the role in case of lack of employees due to leaves or layoffs. As such, they can wear multiple hats and take over as back-end developers as well. However, it is not a good value for money as they are not able to spend much time for the position that they are paid for.
The Full Roadmap for Aspirants to Become Full stack Developer
If you want to know the entire process that is followed by any aspiring full stack developer, the roadmap for the general skills that are required are presented below:
1. Front End Skills
- Base languages
- 1. HTML: To create the base structure and content for the website.
- 2. CSS: To add layouts, fonts and colours to the website.
- 3. SQL: For the purposes of database management.
- 4. JS: An unique example, as it works on both ends with the frameworks generally on the front end with libraries on the back end.
- Frameworks
- 1. Bootstrap: An open source tool kit that uses HTML, CSS and JS to design templates for forms, buttons, tables, navigation, etc. along with JS plugins.
- 2. Frameworks of JS: This includes the big-three: Angular, React and Vue with advantages to each. Angular is best for dynamic web apps, React being suited for fetching fast-changing data along with building user interfaces for single page applications and reusable UI components.Vue however is best suited for new developers, being known for being compact, high performance abd with features of Angular and React as well.
2. Back End Skills
- Base Languages
- JS: As mentioned before, it is used on both ends but due to issues with its architecture, the extension TypeScript is another option.
- Python: A high-level language that can be used procedurally, functionally, or in OOP.
- Ruby: Open source language that is useful for web applications, servers, databases etc.
- Frameworks
- Express: A framework module of Node.js used for servers that will listen for connector requests from clients.
- NodeJS: Framework that executes JS outside a browser.
- Django: High level framework that uses MTV architecture that is best used in simplifying the creation of complex, database-driven websites.
- Rails: It is a server-side framework that is based on the Ruby language. It uses MVC architecture and provides default structure for databases, web services, and web pages.
What Platforms you Should look into to Hire Full Stack Developers
1. Optymize
An up and comer in the freelancer platform world, they boast a 100% remote workforce and an effective vetting process. Outside of that, once selected, the companies looking to hire Full stack developers would receive assistance for interviews, resume building and other soft skills. So for any prospective companies to hire Full stack developers, this is a site to visit to get proper employees.
2. LinkedIn
Linkedin is the platform for better jobs. Not only does it cover most companies that possess a digital presence, but outside of just trying to hire Full stack developers, it also possesses news reports, employee postings, polls and tutorial courses that award credentials as proof of ability. However, there is no significant moderation for job posts, leading in frequently poorly written if not outright misleading posts but it is unlikely that any prospect applicant for full stack developer jobs doesn’t have a digital footprint here.
3. PeoplePerHour
A British based company, that acts globally as a platform for full stack developer jobs, albeit focusing on the European continent, including the UK. It boasts job postings in 9 categories. They are:
- Technology & Programming
- Writing & Translation
- Design
- Digital Marketing
- Video, Photo & Image
- Business
- Music & Audio
- Marketing, Branding & Sales
- Social Media.
Applicant freelancers have to go through an approval process monitored by moderators before being able to use the platform. Approved freelancers can rely on automatic matching based on their skills or filter and select the opportunities that they want to apply for. The jobs posted may be based on hours or projects and freelancers have the option of collaboration with other freelancers for many posted full stack developer jobs. For any of the posted full stack developer jobs, the commission can range from 20% to 3.5%, inversely proportional to their earnings. So for freelancers looking for jobs in the European market, this website would suit them best.
4. Guru
This website boasts a wide and extensive range of fields for freelancers to find the right full stack developer jobs for their preferred specialisation. It is divided into categories and further subdivided into sub-categories depending on their area of expertise. For instance, the category of programming is further divided along subjects like Python programmer, Java programmer or roles like front end, back end or full stack developer. It boasts job postings in 9 categories. They are:
- Programming & Development
- Writing & Translation
- Design & Art
- Legal
- Engineering & Architecture
- Business & Finance
- Administrative & Secretarial
- Sales & Marketing
- Education & Training.
The platform’s upper tier for commission is ~9% for free members, while lesser than for paid members, thus giving it one of the lowest commissions rates. However, there is an advantage for paid members as their bids are highlighted to prospective clients and their on-site rankings are boosted in comparison to free users. So, for freelancers who want to work in specific full stack developer jobs and are willing to pay to get ahead, this platform suits them.
5. Flexjobs
Flexjobs boasts an unique curation of job postings, helped by the fact that they can claim that every job posted on the platform undergoes manual screening, thereby ensuring that there is no spam or scam on the platform. However, if applicants apply for full stack developer jobs, they have to pass through third-party websites. The higher quality comes at the cost of higher prices. It boasts job postings in 5 categories. They are:
- Project Management
- Marketing
- Computer & IT
- Administrative
- Medical & Health
So it is suited for those experienced and high-earning freelancers looking for full stack developer jobs with enough salary to meet their skill level, and being willing to pay extra for it.
Questions to Ask while Interviewing for Full Stack Developer Jobs
Depending upon previous experience of full stack developer applicants, the experience may have greater credibility than any degree. As such, for beginners i.e. new graduates from universities or junior developers in freelancers or other developers that are a component of full stack. In contrast, experienced developers are instead asked about their previous experiences or more specialised topics rather than the basic theoretical topics.
Questions for Beginner Full Stack Developers
For beginners, questions tend to be based on the base theory, with minimal focus on previous experience and it’s expected that they might face on-site training or self-training. Some of the beginner level questions that can be asked are:
- 1. Define
- Pair programming
- CORS
- Dev Ops
- Call back hell
- Multi threading
- Long polling
- 2. What is the use of Docker among full stack developers
- 3. How do you debug a website as a full stack developer?
- 4. What is your favourite programming language as a full stack developer? Justify.
Questions for Experienced Full Stack Developers
For experienced developers, questions tend to be very specific and example or use-cased based. Other than this, in general, the questions tend to be based on clarifications or expansions regarding their previous experience in projects. Some of the experienced level questions that can be asked are:
- 1. Define
- Temporal dead zone
- Inversion of control
- Continuous integration
- Compare and contrast between
- GET and POST command
- Blue/Green and rolling deployment
- 2. What are the latest trends in full stack developers and developments?
Other Questions
Other than the presented questions on theory, there are also questions on previous experience with roles and projects that must be discussed. While previously mentioned, they deserve a separate section here due to their increasing relevance with the growth of experience. There are questions that can asked are:
- Describe your previous experiences as a full stack developer.
- Describe any significant challenges that you faced as a full stack developer and how you overcame them.
- Did you provide any suggestions during your previous experience as a full stack developer?
- How did you improve the searchability of a website’s searchability and optimise its assets as a full stack developer.
- What are the ways that you stay up to date and informed as a free stack developer.
Courses and Salaries Offered for Full Stack Developer
There are no shortages of courses available for a full stack developer on training platforms like Skillshare, Coursera and Udemy, some are available on some freelancer platforms and many are available for free on YouTube. Outside of the general availability, there is great value for money as many good courses do not cost money. As such, the actually paid courses often offer additional incentives such as certifications, additional resources such as rare libraries and databases or hands-on assistance and clarifications. For a qualified, experienced developer, they generally possess resources and previous experience with programming so the incentives aren’t as attractive. Including the certifications as many good free courses offer them as well. Similarly, for beginner full stack developers, the free courses have better value for money, so they are better listed here:
- Course offered by Simplilearn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjBvQWHk_KI
- Course offered by edureka!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q33KBiDriJY
Courses offered by platforms require an account to access. They are better searched individually.
The salary offered to full stack developers varies depending on their geography, role and company.
The salary in India ranges as follows:
- Lower end of full stack developer salary: ₹240K
- Average full stack developer salary:₹660K
- Higher end of full stack developer salary: ₹1.9M
The salary in the US ranges as follows:
- Lower end of full stack developer salary: ~$92K
- Average full stack developer salary: ~$110K
- Higher end of full stack developer salary: ~$145K
The salary in Canada ranges as follows:
- Lower end of full stack developer salary: ~$70K
- Average full stack developer salary: ~$82K
- Higher end of full stack developer salary: ~$117K
The salary in Australia ranges as follows:
- Lower end of full stack developer salary: ~$96K
- Average full stack developer salary: ~$120K
- Higher end of full stack developer salary: ~$150K
The salary in the UK ranges as follows:
- Lower end of full stack developer salary: ~£39K
- Average full stack developer salary: ~£47K
- Higher end of full stack developer salary: ~£70K
The salary in Germany ranges as follows:
- Lower end of full stack developer salary: ~€39K
- Average full stack developer salary: ~€50K
- Higher end of full stack developer salary: ~€67K
Conclusion
Now that you have the relevant information, just rushing to hiring won’t work. Instead, just consider some relevant advice first. It is recommended that you do not saturate your entire workforce with only full stack developers. There is a place for both specialists and generalists.There are specialists required for both ends and along with that, there is also the fact that they cost more so cost must be considered as well when selecting the team. Other than that, they can also play a role in mentoring and can often act as a force multiplier due to the fact that they can play multiple roles and not only technical roles. As such, they are an obvious hire choice for obvious reasonsJo
