How to Become a Full Stack Engineer: Skills, Requirements, and Career Guide

Full stack engineering has become one of the most in-demand and rewarding careers in the technology industry. As a full stack engineer, you'll have the ability to work on both the front end and back end of web applications, ensuring that they function smoothly and efficiently. With the growing reliance on digital technology, the demand for skilled full stack engineers has increased substantially.

If you're interested in pursuing a career in full stack engineering, this guide will provide you with an overview of the skills and requirements necessary for success in the field, as well as the career paths available to full stack engineers. Whether you're just starting out or looking to transition into full stack engineering, this guide will help you understand what it takes to be successful.

Also commonly known as a full stack developer, full stack engineers work in various coding languages to manage both the front and back ends of websites and applications.

The term and title of “full stack” showcases the developer's capability to manage the company's FULL tech stack, which requires extensive knowledge of several specialized languages and tools. Because of this, full stack engineering is not normally an entry-level job. There isn't really a "common" path to becoming a full stack engineer. Most engineers start with either the front or back end, and advance into learning the other.

Full stack engineers are usually flexed into roles spanning the entire development process of an application, from the client-side (front end) to the server-side (back end) and the database. They are able to effortlessly switch between environments of an application and have knowledge of how all the different pieces of the application fit together.

What does a Full Stack Engineer do?

At the very basic level, back end engineers are responsible for maintaining product data and ensuring scalability for a website or application.

At companies of all sizes, back end engineers will often work in a pod structure led by a product manager to decide what order to prioritize development tasks. It’s the product managers’ role to decide prioritization of development work based on a function of importance, function and visibility.

An engineer is usually responsible for completing a certain number of tasks– often referred to as “tickets” or “user stories” within a set timeframe (often referred to as a “sprint”).

Difference between Front End, Back End, and Full Stack Engineers

Front end engineers differ from back end engineers in that front end only focuses on parts of the site actively seen by users (front meaning “visible” in this instance).

The term and title of “Full Stack” engineer showcases the ability to work on either the front or back end of the product (hence, full stack engineers are capable of managing the company’s FULL tech stack).‍

Do I need a degree to be a Full Stack Engineer?

Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT need a CS or otherwise technical degree to be any sort of engineer. In fact, no degree is required for an associate/entry level engineering position. Hiring managers focus primarily on previous things built-- in this case, applications built or APIs written, which is usually on display in a portfolio like GitHub. Job applications will often require a link space for a GitHub for a recruiter to review. Engineers can be self-taught, as long as they have a decent number of projects featured and can pass a coding interview. Job descriptions will often mention a requirement of something STEM related, but more often than not these roles are filled by bootcamp graduates or those with impressive portfolios.

HOWEVER, if you're looking to enter tech in a coding field, we recommend checking out front end engineering instead. It is simpler to learn, easier to show off, and usually more intuitive for beginners.

We've seen these people become incredibly successful full stack engineers:

• Any sort of college STEM background like mathematics, statistics, or computer science
• Data entry and receptionist professionals
• Accounting and budgeting roles
• Truck drivers (truly!)

If you're new here to bridged, we're glad to meet you! We are huge fans of alternate forms of education, and recommend specific certifications to target skills.

Our Favorite Full Stack Engineering Programs and Certifications

Engineering certifications and bootcamps are a dime a dozen, because it's an alternative form of education. Many of the reviewer sites recommending programs get significant kickbacks for the $3,000+ certifications they're reviewing, and while we respect their hustle and also love money-- that's a little shady.

Our criteria for these programs were that they cost under $300 for completion. Some dev programs come with a job guarantee after placement, which is pretty neat, but also can be expensive down the line with income sharing. For developers, the absolute best thing you can have is a snazzy portfolio of impressive projects. This can absolutely be self-taught if you're motivated enough.

Full Stack engineering is a tricky one because it requires front and back end understanding. Back end certifications are harder to find, but we found the Meta program to be extremely helpful due to the portfolio support it provided. We also included our favorite Udemy course (udemy is great because it's affordable) and Duke certification. Good luck!

Popular Job Description of a Full Stack Engineer

We've used AI to aggregate the top job descriptions used by hiring managers looking for full stack engineers. When putting your resume together, try to mimic these listings. To learn more about this process, check out our partner Jobscan for a comprehensive resume review.

• Design, develop, and implement web applications using a variety of languages, frameworks, and tools.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the applications meet business requirements and user needs.
• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code that adheres to industry best practices and standards.
• Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to other developers.
• Troubleshoot and debug complex issues that arise during the development process.
• Maintain and update existing applications to ensure they remain secure, scalable, and performant.
• Participate in the testing, deployment, and maintenance of applications.
• Stay up-to-date with emerging trends and technologies in full stack development.

Top Skills of a Full Stack Engineer

We've compiled thousands of job descriptions for full stack engineers to record the most common requirements to save you time. These vary, and are a mix of both front and back end skills. Again, showing is better than telling in this case, and a GitHub link will say wonders more than a resume.

• Experience with modern front end frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue.
• Strong understanding of web development principles, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and responsive design.
• Experience with cross-browser compatibility issues and ways to work around them.
• Design and develop the server-side of web applications using programming languages such as Java, Python, Ruby, or PHP.
• Implement and maintain APIs that allow the front-end of the application to interact with the back-end.
• Create and maintain databases, and design and implement data models.
• Optimize web application performance and scalability.
  

Top Tools of a Full Stack Engineer

We've also compiled the most common tools listed in job description. If you're serious about becoming an full stack engineer, get familiar with these and be ready to talk about them.

Hey, it's Billy! If you're feeling intimidated by the technical aspects of a career in software development, don't worry. I've worked with many successful developers who don't have a traditional background in the field. What's surprising is that soft abilities are highly valued in this industry.

While programming abilities can be learned through experience, it's much more difficult to teach people how to communicate effectively with stakeholders and coworkers. In my view, problem-solving and the ability to convey technical concepts in simple terms are the most essential qualities for success in this field. If you have these attributes, you'll likely excel in a career in software development.

Full stack engineering is a great career path for those fulfilled by building new things that people will actually use. We love recommending any software engineering role, but often encourage our users to self-teach and practice building sites for real experience instead of joining an expensive bootcamp.

Here at Bridged we are huge fans of stacking micro-certifications to achieve desired career results. We're building a product to make your career planning fun and affordable, and we'd love to talk to YOU! Was this article helpful? Did you land an interview for a full stack engineering role?

Let us know at hello@getbridged.co

Check out our sources!

Glassdoor Team. “Salary: Full Stack Engineer (March, 2023) | Glassdoor.” Glassdoor, Glassdoor, 1 Feb. 2023, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/product-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,15.html