How to Hire an Awesome Full Stack Developer

*Infographic Disclaimer: You do not need all of these skills to be a Full Stack Developer. These are just common skills that Full Stack Developers have on their resumes.*

If you need to hire a full stack developer, you are not alone. The role is one of the most sought-after positions at companies that make software applications. You see it on top of every best jobs of 2019 list published by recruiters and news organizations, and it consistently ranks near the top in the salary guide for tech professionals who are early in their careers.

Full-stack developers are in demand because they are useful. They have a breadth of knowledge and experience and know how to put it to work. Here is what you should understand about hiring them.

What is a full stack developer?

A true full stack developer is someone equally versed in all phases of software development. They are a jack-of-all-trades professional who is versed in front-end development—the part that users interact with—and server and database development on the backend that powers the product.

Usually a programmer will have one or two languages and frameworks where they are quite strong and become exposed to adjacent technology in the specialized work they are doing. A normal developmental route for software engineers is to learn the entire stack of technology for the product that they are working on developing.

For example, a programmer working on web applications will have hands-on experience with HTML/CSS, JavaScript, back-end programming, databases, and HTTP/REST. They know how to structure code, separate files, and where to host large media files. The understand efficient ways to structure data in the database, and have a solid grasp on the client and server model with respect to how the application performs computations.

Adjacent knowledge and specialization within full-stack roles

A full-stack software engineer is usually someone with senior level experience. They have fluency in other phases of development as well. Engineers understand how to interact with APIs, and how to work outside of the API. They have a solid understanding of what the QA processes entails, and familiarity with cyber security best practices.

Software engineers have a useful understanding of topics adjacent to their programming expertise, although they are not necessarily experts themselves in those areas. In the context of cyber security and QA, there are full-stack engineers that specialize in those realms.

For example, if you’re a full stack QA engineer, you have experience working on different methods of testing applications, and comfortable working across all of the layers of the application, from UI to the database. You may have experience automating the QA process. A full stack cyber security engineer is able to apply expertise in penetration testing and encryption across all phases of development as he or she has a working understanding of the front-end and backend technology.

What to look for on the resume

There is no doubt that term full-stack has reached buzzword status. You can find coursework online the claims to provide all the necessary learning to make their claim as a full-stack developer after a few months of coding bootcamp coursework. Not to say that these are not legitimate avenues for professional development, but recruiters should be mindful of work experience when assessing candidates.

Here are some popular stacks that can be seen on most resumes: MEAN, MERN, LAMP, and Microsoft.

A great way to learn the relationship between all these pieces of computer science is working on a development team at a start-up company. Early-stage development on a small team provides a wealth of experience for developers early on in their career.

Another hallmark of a qualified full stack tech professional is that their curiosity and drive to constantly be learning. Nearly every resume should have a laundry list of languages and frameworks that a candidate has touched, and experience with multiple project management workflows.

Ask what they learned from their work experience

Asking candidates how they learn is a great way to get a feel for what they bring to the table. On the initial screener, point to projects and jobs listed on their resume and find out about what the key takeaways were from the experience. There is a reason that five or more years of experience is so valuable in this position. After a certain length of time working in software development, a full-stack skillset develops naturally by due diligence.

 

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