In today's world of technology, students and aspiring professionals find themselves at a crossroads. The digital era has limitless opportunities, but it has also presented a challenge: choosing the right path towards a rewarding and promising career. In this quest, many are drawn to the dynamic world of full stack development.

This blog will help you understand what it takes to be a full stack developer in 2023. It's not just for people who study computer science; anyone with a passion for tech can join in. We'll give you tips and a clear path to follow so you can reach your goal.

What is a Full Stack developer?

A full stack developer is a programmer who can build both the front end and the back end of a website. The front end is the part of a website that a user sees and interacts with, such as buttons, menus, images and forms. The back end is the part of a website that handles data storage and processing, such as databases, servers and APIs.

A full stack developer needs to master different skills and technologies, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Node.js, MongoDB, SQL and more. They can create a seamless user experience by connecting the front end and the back end of a website, while managing authentication, authorization, CORS, etc.

Why should you become one in 2023?

There are many reasons to become a full stack developer in 2023. Some of them are:

• You can work on any part of a web project, from design to deployment.
• You can learn new technologies and frameworks faster and easier.
• You can communicate better with other developers and clients.
• You can have more career opportunities and higher salaries.
• You can work as freelancer, intern or get a full-fledged job.

The average salary for a full stack developer in India is ₹7,14,000 per year as of September 2023.

Is it difficult?

Becoming a full stack developer is not easy, but it is not impossible either. It requires dedication, patience and practice and at least 6-12 months. You need to start your journey with proper vision and goals, and give your best to achieve them. You can follow the roadmap given below to get started .

Roadmap for becoming a Full Stack developer:

The following roadmap has been developed from my own experience. By following these steps you can also become a full stack developer. Resources for the steps have been provided below.

1. Learning the Fundamentals

Start by learning the basics of HTML and CSS from reputable sources like Code with Harry. HTML is mainly used to create a basic foundation of web pages and CSS is used to create stylish website elements.

• Build simple static websites and projects to practice and reinforce your understanding of these foundational technologies.

2. JavaScript Proficiency

Next step is to dive into JavaScript, as it is a core language for web development.

• Learn about variables, data types, functions, loops, and other essential concepts like DOM manipulation.
• Practice JavaScript by implementing interactive elements on your HTML/CSS projects using advanced DOM manipulation.

3. Preprocessors for CSS

Vanilla CSS is just verbose and difficult to maintain. Thus, extend your knowledge of CSS by learning preprocessors like SASS and Tailwind. These offers more powerful features and structure than CSS.

• Continue implementing them in your projects to improve your CSS workflow.
• Use the preprocessor of your choice everywhere and avoid using plain CSS.

4. Component based UI library

After creating several static sites, it becomes clear that their exists the need for a more efficient and scalable approach to handling larger websites. Begin learning ReactJs, a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. You can also go for any other frontend development framework or library such as Svelte, Vue.js, Angular, etc.

• Build complex projects to grasp the fundamental concepts and components of React.
• Learn and use different npm frontend utility and UI libraries.
• Migrate your static websites in to ReactJs.
• Learn about state management and hooks in react.
• Utilize Firebase to build frontend web-applications with o-auth and firestore database.
• Learn to host your projects on platforms like Netlify, Vercel, and Firebase.

5. Git and GitHub

GitHub provides an online platform that hosts repositories, facilitates collaboration, and offers a set of tools to enhance the development lifecycle.

• Add your projects to your GitHub repositories.
• Explore features such as GitHub pages, actions (CI / CD), etc.

5. Introduction to Backend Development

Venture into the world of backend development by learning Node.js and Express.js. Other popular choices include Django, Spring boot, etc.

• Learn about server-side programming, RESTful APIs, and handling databases with MongoDB and SQL.
• Learn about Graphql APIs.
• Learn the powerful ReactJs framework Nextjs.
• Learn authentication and authorization, JWT tokens, CORS.

6. Complex Full Stack Projects

Use your newfound backend knowledge to build a more complex full stack site. Some sample projects can be making a chat application, social media clone, ecommerce platform, etc.

• Implement the knowledge of React.js and backend technologies to create seamless user experiences.
• Make fully dynamic sites with content management, authentication, etc.

7. Code Quality and Industry Standards

Emphasize writing high-quality code and following industry standards.

• Study and analyze existing codebases similar to your projects to learn best practices and improve your coding skills.
• Always research about the project you are making before actually coding it to avoid missing any better technologies, solutions, practices, etc.

8. Continuous Learning and Practice

Web development is an ever-evolving field, so stay updated with the latest trends and technologies.

• Keep practicing by building new projects and contributing to open-source projects to enhance your portfolio and skills.
• Contribute in some open-source projects