What skills do I need to have before applying for tech jobs?

Novice tech people often think they need to master every single skill before applying for a programming job - especially if they're new to the tech industry and don't yet have a bachelor's degree in computer science or programming.

Research has shown that women feel like they have to meet 100% of the criteria listed in job descriptions, while men typically apply after meeting around 60% - Show LinkedIn behavioral data That is why women ultimately apply for 20% fewer jobs than men.

We're here to tell you that you're not all over it JavaScript (or other technical skills) you need to know before applying for a job as Frontend developer apply.

Job descriptions are a wish list, and that Employer do not expect applicants to meet 100% of the qualifications. So apply for the position, you have nothing to lose.

In a technical job, there are so many technical skills that you learn on the job because each job performs them differently.

As long as you have a solid foundation of technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and communication skills, you can develop job-specific skills as you learn the ropes at your new company.

Read on to find out which core competencies you absolutely need to master before applying for jobs in the Software development and apply in design, and what new skills you can learn at your new job “on the job”.

Skills I need to master now

Remember we said you need to know the core skills before applying for a job?

Even if you're not in everyone programming language To be an absolute expert, you should have a solid foundation in the skills relevant to your role, even if you have no practical work experience in this area.

Below we talk about the technical skills and frameworks you must surely master before taking a job (full-time or freelance) in front-end web development and design.

Frontend developer

If you don't plan on having a part-time job in the fields Data analysis , Data science , Cybersecurity or machine learning To work, the main technical skills you need to master as a front-end developer are HTML, CSS, JavaScript, as well as some other related skills that we talk about below.

HTML und CSS

HTML and CSS are the be-all and end-all of front-end development. Without HTML and CSS, front-end developers would not be able to create or style objects on web or application pages. Compared to other Languages are HTML und CSS relatively easy to learn and master. With a little practice and practical instructions, you can bring beautiful designs to life in no time.

JavaScript

JavaScript is another important building block for front-end web development. Although JavaScript is more difficult to learn than HTML and CSS, it is very powerful and is used in both front-end and back-end development. JavaScript allows users to interact with elements on your page without having to reload them, and there are many other cool uses.

Git and GitHub

Git is software that helps front-end developers with version control. As a frontend developer, when you make changes to the code, you want to keep track of the changes you made so that you can save or undo them if necessary if the changes you made result in errors. GitHub(opens in a new tab) allows companies to host their code repositories online and is a very popular tool - you'll want to know how to use Git and GitHub to help you in your day-to-day work as a front-end developer to help.

Mobile-first development

Mobile first development is a concept that you as a frontend developer should understand. It's easier to adjust the objects you encode from a smaller to a larger space than to compress them later. So when you're designing to improve user experience, understanding mobile-first development can save you time and misunderstandings in the long run.

Designer

As a designer, there is some technical overlap with front-end software developers. While knowledge of HTML and CSS is still a plus, the most important skills you need as a designer are design basics like color theory and wireframing. The specific tools you use vary by company.

Farbtheorie

Color theory is a set of rules that help determine the use of colors in design based on hue, saturation, and value. Color theory is an important foundation for design because understanding how colors work can make or break a design - for example, too many colors can be distracting and the wrong colors can convey an unintended message. While the tools you use as a designer (like Adobe XD or Figma) may change from job to job, color theory remains forever.

Wireframing

Wireframing is the process of outlining the basic structure of a website to display important features, content and functionality. Think of wireframing as a sketch of a blueprint for the website you want to design. You can create wireframes using both pen and paper and tools like InVision. There is a huge demand for user experience designers. So if you want to pursue such a career, you should know about wireframing.

Grid systems

Grid systems allow you to evenly distribute elements across the websites and applications you design, improving the user experience and helping your website or application read more efficiently. Grids add order and symmetry to your designs by aligning and organizing your content along invisible columns. As a designer, understanding grid systems will help you create clean and balanced layouts.

Userflows

Userflows are the paths users take to move through your website. As a designer, you should know how to plan user flows to make it easier for users to navigate your website without getting lost or distracted. With a good user flow, you can help users get to their desired goal in as few steps as possible. Understanding user flows will help you design better designs that will get you a great new career in no time.

HTML und CSS

Even though you may not be the person writing the code that brings your design to life, understanding it is HTML und CSS also important for a designer. If you know what to do with HTML and CSS everything is possible, you will be more attractive because you know how your design can be implemented on the web and how difficult it is to create it - whether you are employed or working freelance.

Skills that can be learned on the job

Documentation

While it's important that you know what documentation is and how it works with version control tools like Git and GitHub, the "operational" implementation of documentation is something you'll learn on the job.

Every tech company or startup has a different idea of ​​what is documented and what is not, as well as how it is documented.

In smaller companies, small, incremental changes may not be documented as diligently as larger bug fixes.

When it comes to the type of documentation, some companies choose GitHub while others choose other software. Some companies push for documentation as soon as a change is implemented, while others put it off.

The most important thing is that you know why documentation is important and how to do it - no matter what job you get, you will need to do some kind of documentation - but the specifics of documentation are determined by your habits, definitions and perceived best practices (new) company.

To test

Testing is another “enterprise-specific” skill. Different companies have different standards when it comes to testing.

One difference is how often testing is performed. Whether it's usability testing, cybersecurity testing, or just code testing, every company has its own testing plan and preferences.

A Start up Company For example, a team may test quite frequently to develop its Minimum Viable Product (MVP), while an older team may test less frequently and instead prioritize developing new features and troubleshooting.

Companies also use different testing tools. You should definitely know how to use at least one testing tool, but don't panic if the company you're applying to says they use a different one.

As long as you know the principles and core skills of testing, you can definitely learn how to use a new testing tool on the job.
Coding style

Writing and structuring style for your code

Another "operational" skill is the style in which you write your code and how you structure your code. For example, depending on your company structure, your new company might prefer writing reusable code snippets to optimizing large, encapsulated functions, or vice versa.

How the code you write is designed and structured is a matter of preference, although there are certainly industry best practices.

Although it may seem difficult at first to get used to a different way of writing and structuring your code, learning to write code the way your new team likes to read it can be fulfilling - you challenge yourself out to grow as a web developer.

Format code

Not only the way you write and structure your code, but also the best practices for formatting your code vary from company to company.

While structuring code is about how your code is organized (using snippets that can be reused in multiple places, as opposed to larger blocks that only perform one main function), formatting code is more about that , how the code is expressed visually and read on the screen by other developers.

Every company and team has its own preferences for formatting code. Some companies prefer smaller blocks of code to improve readability, while others prefer to pack everything into the code to make it more accessible.

While you may have learned to use uppercase and lowercase letters for a particular language, your new company may prefer lowercase and lowercase letters - there's nothing wrong with the way you learned it; Your new team might just prefer it that way.

Learning at work

It's important to remember that it's okay not to know everything you need to know in tech when you're just starting out.

When you first start working at your new job, you'll probably still be looking up and figuring things out, and that's okay. It is normal and expected to solve problems and learn on the job.

No matter whether you are visiting for the first time Technology industry or your career is a little further along, there will always be something new in every company you work for. It's okay to look things up and ask questions - that's why you do it Software development love, right?