What is Full Stack Development

Last updated by Nitin Grover on Aug 30, 2024 at 07:54 PM | Reading time: 7 minutes

‍Full stack development is the end-to-end process of designing, developing, testing and deployment of a web application. It involves working on technologies that cater to both front-end and back-end development.

Whereas the front end refers to the web interface through which users interact with the application, the back end refers to the business logic and workflows that drive the application.

On the Amazon application, you search for a few items, add them to the cart, and make the purchase. This sequence of steps is performed at the front end of the application and is enabled by languages like HTML, CSS and Javascript.

‍Full Stack Development Frameworks

In the full stack development framework, the back end is the server-side development of a web application which focuses on how it functions. It is where the front-end application connects with other services and databases.

For instance, all the details pertaining to the order placed on the Amazon application are processed from the front end and stored in and retrieved from databases. The back end facilitates this hand shake between the front end and the database through drivers.

Programming languages like PHP, Java, and Python write the back end. Libraries and frameworks such as Flask, Web2py and Laravel handle routing, event handling and scalability of applications.

Full stack development career aspirants can pursue the full stack engineering course offered by Interview Kickstart. The course prepares professionals from any field, for a fulfilling career in FAANG+ companies. Course instructors are themselves hiring managers and tech leads at the top IT companies in the world.

‍Full Stack Development Skills

What are the full stack development skills required by career aspirants to become a professional? Since full stack developers are involved in the holistic development of a web or mobile application, they have a role to play in the entire development life cycle of an application.

‍Full stack development professionals have a thorough understanding of front end libraries and frameworks as well as back-end technologies. To start with, they should have expertise in at least a few of these front-end languages, libraries and frameworks.

‍Full Stack Development: Front-End Languages

‍Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML): It’s a mark-up used to design the front end portion of any web-based application. HTML is a combination of hypertext, which is used to create links between various web pages and markup language, which defines the text within the tags used to structure the web pages.

‍Cascading Style Sheets (CSS): CSS enables developers to define styles that, when applied to web pages, make them more presentable. These styles are laid out as separate .CSS files, reducing complexity and repetition in the structural content.

JavaScript: Is a scripting language used by 99% of websites worldwide to enhance the front-end behavior of web applications, mobile applications, networking applications and online games.

Full stack development professionals should also have expertise in these front-end libraries and frameworks:

AngularJS: AngularJs is a JavaScript open source front-end framework used to develop single page applications (SPA).
Bootstrap: Bootstrap is the most popular, free and open-source tool collection used to develop responsive mobile-first applications.
jQuery: Is a Javascript library that simplifies interaction between HTML/CSS and Javascript.
SASS: Is a CSS extension language used to extend the functionalities of a site including variables, inheritance, and nesting with ease.

A full stack developer should also be familiar with:

Working with text editors like Visual Studio and Atom
Functionalities of HTTP, JSON and GraphQ APIs
Working of Git and git commands for version control
Designing to make the UI look better
Exposure to the SasS CSS preprocessor, browser DevTools etc.

Full Stack Development: Back End Technologies

‍‍The back-end logic of any web or mobile application is developed using high-level programming languages and databases. A full stack developer should have sound proficiency in any of the following programming languages and databases.

PHP: A hypertext preprocessor used in server-side scripting of web applications.
C++: A general purpose programming language used to create high-performance applications.
Java: A widely used and highly scalable programming language and platform.
Python: A high-level general purpose programming language used for building websites, data visualization, and task automation. It is also the most popular programming language for machine learning.
Node.js: Is an open source runtime environment used to run Javascript code outside the browser.

Full Stack Development: Knowledge of Databases

‍Software that organize and store data in an interrelated and structured fashion, in the form of tables, views, reports and schemas, are databases. A full-stack developer should be competent in any of the databases listed below:

MySQL: Free and open-source software under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
Oracle: Most popular database management system with features like efficient virtual workloads, inbuilt data and security measures, and data integrity services.
MS SQL Server: Most popular database management system owned by Microsoft and marketed in more than twelve different editions

Full Stack Development Career Track

Acquire the Right Skills

A majority of full-stack development aspirants hold a degree in computer science or a related field. However, in many cases, companies overlook this prerequisite.

They often first identify candidates with the right skill sets, ideally those who have a good understanding of at least one front-end application (HTML, CSS, Javascript) and one back-end technology (Python, C++, Java). They should also be familiar with a database management system (MS SQL Server or Oracle).

They can also pursue a relevant full stack development course best suited to fit your requirements. Self-learning is important, but as a full stack development aspirant, professional guidance is equally beneficial to learn skills effectively.

In the best cases, they should also pursue a course that prepares them to clear job interviews with the best IT companies in the world.

‍Build a Portfolio in Full Stack Development

‍There are various online sources from where full stack development career aspirants can pursue full stack development projects to work on their skills and gain real-time experience.

It’s also beneficial to attend full stack development bootcamps, as such arrangements provide job aspirants the skills required to get the job in as full stack developers.

Job aspirants can create a dynamic portfolio of real-time projects they have worked on and the bootcamps they have attended. Such a portfolio is a great way to showcase their skills to prospective employers.

When applying for the jobs, carefully read the job description. The expertise required for specific front-end applications and back-end technologies may vary across organizations. However, candidates must apply to organizations where they have requirements related to your skills.

Full Stack Development Job Roles

Full-stack developers start at the entry or training level. Over years they progress to attain the top-post position, which in most of the cases, is Principal Full Stack Developer.

Often, organizations are flexible when it comes to assigning titles. For instance, an entry-level position is often assigned the title Full-stack Developer Trainee and a full-stack developer at the senior most level in the organization assigned the title of Vice President - Engineering of Principal Full Stack Developer.

‍

Entry-Level Full Stack Development Role

Experience: 0-3 Years
Average Salary: $1,15,949/yr (April 2024, Glassdoor.com)
Responsibilities

At the beginning of the career, Full Stack Developers usually their journey at the entry-level, where they are required to have the following skills:

Know at-least one programming language and understand basic design techniques
Start as developer trainee and learn new skills with time and experience
With experience they learn to evaluate existing programs that can be fine-tuned
Provide suggestions for optimizing the systems

Senior-Level Full Stack Development Role

Experience (4-6 Years)
Average Salary: $1,51,398/yr (April 2024, Glassdoor.com)
Responsibilities:

After a few years of experience, full stack developers graduate to mid-level positions. At this point they:

Start handling complete full stack development projects on their own.
May also work as part of a team, which provides accountability and an extra layer of error-checking.
Some of their core responsibilities include:
Maintain existing software applications for performance, security and quality compliance.
Design, develop and test new applications for coding, compliance, and security standards.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams during every phase of software development.
Work as problem solvers to analyze data and evaluate identifiable factors.
Uphold coding, compliance and security standards

Principal-Level Full Stack Development Role

‍Experience (8+ Years)
Average Salary: $214,601 /yr (April 2024, Glassdoor.com)
Responsibilities:

At the senior-level full stack development role, the professionals have the skills and the knowledge to attain the topmost level position in an organization. Their main responsibilities include:

Drive projects forward by identifying and working on loopholes and improvements.
Oversee the performance of senior level and entry-level full stack developers.
Demonstrate strong leadership skills and be able to manage complex projects.
Are familiar with the functioning of multiple front-end and back-end technologies and databases.
Experienced in testing and debugging applications.
Great problem-solving and time management skills.
Great analytical skills and have an eye for detail.

FAQs: Full Stack Development

Can a professional from non-IT background learn full stack?
Any professional, even if he is from a non-IT background, can become a full stack developer.

They can start by learning a front end programming language and a back-end technology. He should also work on various soft skills like problem-solving, team management, and communication skills.

Which language is best for full stack developers?
Python is a versatile and relatively simple application to learn and use. This is one reason which makes it the leading programming language for modern back end web development and full stack development.

‍How easy is full stack development?
Full stack development is a fulfilling career to pursue. However, the most challenging part of a full stack developer’s job is integration of multiple languages to build systems, especially for those who don’t have enough programming novices.

However, professional guidance can help to overcome these challenges.

Can I become a full stack developer after completing high school?
Although the basic eligibility of a full stack developer is a high school graduate. In most of the cases, companies prefer a full stack developer to possess a bachelor's degree in computers such as BTech, BCA or BSc (Computer Science) or a related field.

In addition, having basic programming skills and basic knowledge about databases are also required.

Is full stack development an in-demand profession?
Yes, full stack development is an in-demand profession because of the diverse skills related to front-end and back-end applications it brings in the IT setup of an organization.

Related Articles:

https://www.interviewkickstart.com/articles/front-end-software-engineer-roles-and-responsibilities
https://www.interviewkickstart.com/interview-questions/full-stack-system-design-interview-questions
https://www.interviewkickstart.com/career-advice/data-scientist-vs-full-stack-developer

AUTHOR

Nitin Grover

No items found.

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

Step 1

Step 2

Congratulations!

You have registered for our webinar

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Step 1

Step 2

Confirmed

You are scheduled with Interview Kickstart.

Redirecting...

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Worried About Failing Tech Interviews?

Attend our webinar on
"How to nail your next tech interview" and learn

Hosted By

Ryan Valles

Founder, Interview Kickstart

Our tried & tested strategy for cracking interviews

How FAANG hiring process works

The 4 areas you must prepare for

How you can accelerate your learnings

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

Nick Camilleri

What is Full Stack Development

Contents

Nitin Grover

Attend our Free Webinar on How to Nail Your Next Technical Interview

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

Worried About Failing Tech Interviews?

Tools to Enhance Full Stack Development with AI

The Future of Data Science: Emerging Trends and Opportunities

Data-Driven Decision Making: Your Roadmap to Business Success

The Business Impact of Machine Learning: Real-world Case Studies

What is OpenAI? Everything You Need to Know

Mock Interviews for Generative AI: Essential Practice to Land Top AI Roles

Top Python Scripting Interview Questions and Answers You Should Practice

Complex SQL Interview Questions for Interview Preparation

Zoox Software Engineer Interview Questions to Crack Your Tech Interview

Rubrik Interview Questions for Software Engineers

Top Advanced SQL Interview Questions and Answers

Twilio Interview Questions

Ready to
Enroll?

Next webinar starts in

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

You may be missing out on a 66.5% salary hike*

Nick Camilleri

How many years of coding experience do you have?

FREE course on 'Sorting Algorithms' by Omkar Deshpande (Stanford PhD, Head of Curriculum, IK)

How can we help?

Register for Webinar

Read our Reviews

Send us a note

What is Full Stack Development

Contents

Nitin Grover

Attend our Free Webinar on How to Nail Your Next Technical Interview

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

Worried About Failing Tech Interviews?

Tools to Enhance Full Stack Development with AI

The Future of Data Science: Emerging Trends and Opportunities

Data-Driven Decision Making: Your Roadmap to Business Success

The Business Impact of Machine Learning: Real-world Case Studies

What is OpenAI? Everything You Need to Know

Mock Interviews for Generative AI: Essential Practice to Land Top AI Roles

Top Python Scripting Interview Questions and Answers You Should Practice

Complex SQL Interview Questions for Interview Preparation

Zoox Software Engineer Interview Questions to Crack Your Tech Interview

Rubrik Interview Questions for Software Engineers

Top Advanced SQL Interview Questions and Answers

Twilio Interview Questions

Ready to Enroll?

Next webinar starts in

Ready to
Enroll?