What Skills Should a Front-End Developer Have?

Software and web development roles include three different categories: front-end development, back-end development, and full-stack development. Front-end developers build all of a website’s features that are visible to the user. Optimizing usability and aesthetics is crucial for creating a high-quality website. Use the following article to learn about required and in-demand skills for front-end developers and how you can showcase yours. If you're ready to start training to become a front-end developer, you can learn from a tech industry leader by enrolling to earn Meta's Front-End Developer Professional Certificate.

Read more: What Does a Front-End Developer Do?

Essential front-end developer skills

Using programming languages and libraries, front-end developers create software products that are visually appealing and have a seamless user experience. The lists below outline two types of essential skills for front-end developers.

Front-end development vs. back-end vs. full-stack

Back-end developers enable websites to function in ways the user can’t see by managing the databases and infrastructure that keep websites running behind the scenes. A full-stack developer performs the duties of both a front-end and back-end developer.

Read more: Front-end vs. Back-end Developer: Understanding the Differences

Technical skills

To qualify for an entry-level front-end development position, employers will expect you to grasp the following technical concepts and gain experience with these industry-standard tools:

• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: These three popular programming languages are the foundation of web design and development. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) creates the general structure of a website, while Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) adds additional formatting and stylistic design. The most complex of the three,JavaScript enables you to make a website interactive by implementing things such as keyboard shortcuts.

• Version control: Front-end developers need to track changes made to their source code to aid in the debugging process and ensure you won't need to start from scratch if issues arise. Git is one of the most popular version control systems (VCS) today.

• Frameworks: Frameworks provide a foundation of features, such as coding libraries, scripting languages, and software, that support the maintenance and development of large projects. Popular frameworks include React, Angular, Vue.js, jQuery, and the CSS framework Bootstrap.

• Testing and debugging: Front-end developers perform unit and functional testing throughout the development process to confirm a website's functionality. Specific frameworks, such as Mocha and Jasmine, exist to help with this process.

• Responsive web design: With people accessing websites from a multitude of different devices, front-end developers need an understanding of responsive design. Your code will need to allow websites to adapt to different devices, such as smartphones, laptops, or tablets.

Master HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React with the experts at Meta while earning a certificate for your study by enrolling in the Meta Front-End Developer Professional Certificate program:

Workplace skills

While a large part of your responsibilities as a developer revolves around building a user-friendly interface, non-technical skills, also known as soft skills or workplace skills, can also contribute to your success in this field.

• Creativity: Designing an aesthetically pleasing website layout requires creativity and innovation. Creativity is a great skill for creating unique designs and stylistic features.

• Communication: Clear communication is a must between other development team members, user experience researchers, project managers, and clients, especially for remote roles. Communication also comes in handy in web development when you need to leave comments directly in code to clarify changes or functionalities to other developers.

• Continued learning: Curiosity, initiative, and continuous learning go a long way when it comes to obtaining new knowledge to grow your skill set. Keeping up with the latest trends is important in a constantly changing space like the tech industry.

• Problem-solving: In web development, you are bound to face a challenging problem, whether that be identifying and correcting coding errors or fixing bugs. This will require critical and creative thinking to devise different solutions.

Workplace skills are often gained through on-the-job experience, making critical skills like technical communication challenging to demonstrate early in your career. If you need to sharpen yours while earning credentials for your resume, consider enrolling in the online course English Communication for Tech Professionals offered by Arizona State University. You can learn to effectively describe cutting-edge technologies and core software development processes to a variety of audiences in under a month:

Competitive front-end developer resume skills

The job market for tech roles can be competitive. Although all employers may not require these, the following skills can help you differentiate your resume.

• SQL and NoSQL: While front-end developers may not need a deep understanding of SQL and NoSQL, it can be exceedingly useful for managing how data is queried from the back-end to the front-end. This knowledge may help you stand out as a job candidate or serve as a stepping stone to a full-stack development role.

• AI proficiency. The demand for AI skills has skyrocketed in recent years. Knowing your way around commonly used AI tools like Github Copilot and ChatGPT effectively demonstrates your commitment to continued learning to potential employers.

You can get hands-on experience developing software with generative AI with guidance from an industry leader by enrolling in IBM's Generative AI for Software Developers Specialization. In about one month, you'll earn credentials for your study.

Front-end developer job description

Browsing job postings for roles you're interested in can be a great way to ensure you're prepared to apply and identify focus areas to sharpen your skills. Keep in mind your responsibilities will vary slightly according to your employer; however, job descriptions typically include the following:

• Prioritizing and optimizing the user experience

• Using languages and technologies such as HTML, Javascript, and CSS

• Maintaining and debugging the user interface

• Designing the layout and features of a website

• Designing a website that is accessible on mobile devices

Read more: 8 Front-end Developer Interview Questions + How to Answer Them

How to build front-end developer skills

"I’m a huge fan of online courses and learning platforms—especially if they're hands-on. You can learn almost anything online these days! It can be challenging to keep up with the fast pace of everything in the tech industry, but it’s more accessible and open than ever to grow." - Bradley Steinfeld, IBM Software Architect and AI Developer

Read more: Bots & Blueprints: 6 Questions with a Software Architect and AI Developer

According to Zippia, computer science is the most popular degree for front-end developers. Other commonly held degrees include computer engineering, graphic design, and information technology (IT) [2]. If a degree is not in your plans, rest assured you have options for building the necessary front-end developer skill set:

• Courses: Look for free and paid courses online to gain programming skills. Courses can serve as a short-form introduction to concepts before investing in a more comprehensive or specialized curriculum.

• Bootcamps: Front-end development bootcamps are a way to develop foundational skills in typically three to six months. Offered in-person, online, or in hybrid formats, bootcamps are good for learning job-ready skills and preparing for entry-level roles.

• Certificate programs: Certificates are similar to certifications except that they indicate you've successfully completed a training rather than passed an exam. Online certificate programs can be a great way to fill the gaps in your experience and your resume.

Did you know you can audit classes on Coursera for free? If you want your work to be graded or to earn a career certificate, you can switch to the paid version at any time. With a Coursera Plus subscription, you'll gain access to over 7,000 courses and certification programs, eliminating the requirement to pay for each certificate individually.

Strengthen your front-end development skills with Coursera

If you're new to the field, the Meta Front-End Developer Professional Certificate is designed for entry-level tech professionals to build the critical skills they need to land their first front-end development role.

If you're already a front-end developer and you're looking to bolster your experience with in-demand skills and employer-recognized credentials, enroll in IBM's Generative AI for Software Developers today.