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5 Tips To Learn Frontend Effectively
Learning to code is intimidating. Let’s learn how to make it easier
Learning frontend is hard. The field is growing fast and it’s easy to get lost in the dozens of frameworks, libraries, and tools. To grow as a frontend developer, you have to cut through the noise and focus on the essential things.
Here are five tricks that worked for me in my journey from layman to a frontend developer.
1. Make a Plan
You know your goal: become the best front-end developer possible. To achieve it, you have to make a plan. If you look at Twitter or job posts, you’ll often see lists of 10-20 things you need to know to call yourself a frontend developer.
It’s ridiculous.
You don’t need to know it all to get a job. Sometimes, even experienced developers don’t know it all.
The web frontend is built on three foundations:
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
That’s it. You can build almost everything using those three. If you know them intimately, it is almost enough to find a job — almost because you usually also need to know one JavaScript framework.
One. I mean it. Don’t learn Vue.js, React, Angular, and something else. Pick one and stick to it.
How do you select which framework to learn? Check what’s in demand in the job market you’re interested in. If there are many offers for junior Angular developers, learn Angular. If some other framework is winning, select it. If you’re not sure, bet on React.
And what about other technologies listed in job requirements? You should read something about them, but you can mostly ignore them.
Learning the basics of Git is important, but you can do it in a day or two. Styled components? If you know JavaScript and CSS, you’ll master them fast. Module bundlers? You’ll likely use starter packs long into your career.
In the beginning, you need to learn things that will get you the job. You can learn more and refine your skills when someone starts paying you for it.
