A Career in Software Engineering

Software engineering can be an incredibly rewarding profession, offering a wide range of career opportunities in the technology sector. There are many reasons why someone might choose to pursue a career as a software engineer, and the potential benefits are immense.

One of the biggest reasons to become a software engineer is the potential for high earnings, with junior roles ranging from £30-40k. With a few years of experience, this could go up to £45-60k.

There are now several distinct roles within the profession. Understanding the differences between front-end, back-end, and full stack development will help you determine which type of developer best fits your skillset and goals. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what front-end, back-end, and full-stack development entails so you can make an informed decision about which role to pursue.

What do Frontend Developers do?

Front-end developers are responsible for creating user interfaces that enable a website's front end or client-side functionality. They take the design created by front-end designers and turn it into code that is used to power the front end of the website.

Front-end developers often work closely with front-end designers and back-end developers to create an engaging, functional website. Commonly used front-end technologies include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks such as AngularJS, ReactJS, and VueJS.

The main job of a front-end developer is to ensure that their code renders correctly across different browsers, devices, and platforms. To do this, front-end developers need to be up to date on the latest technology trends and have an in-depth understanding of how each language works.

What do Backend Developers do?

Back-end developers, also known as server-side engineers, are responsible for setting up and maintaining the underlying infrastructure of a website. They are responsible for writing code that enables a website's front end to communicate with its back end or server-side components.

Back-end developers often work closely with front-end developers and database administrators to create an efficient web application. Common back-end technologies include PHP, ASP.NET, Ruby on Rails, Java EE, C#, Node.js, Python and many more.

The main job of a back-end developer is to create data models that define how data will be stored in the database and then write code that can interact with the database to perform CRUD (create, read, update and delete) operations. Back-end developers also need to be well versed in web services such as RESTful APIs which enable front end applications to exchange information with back end systems.

What do Fullstack Developers do?

A fullstack developer also referred to as a “full-stack web engineer” is a software engineer who specializes in front-end and back-end development. They have an in-depth understanding of web front end technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; and web backend technologies like Node.JS, Python and SQL.

Fullstack developers are able to write both front-end code that is optimized for different browsers and devices as well as back-end code that interacts with databases.

Fullstack developers need to have knowledge of front-end coding languages such as HTML and CSS in order to create user interfaces that are attractive and optimized for different devices. This includes creating interactive elements using JavaScript as well as writing efficient front-end code that meets industry standards. Full stack engineers must also be up to date on the latest technology trends so they can ensure their code renders correctly across different browsers and platforms.

In addition to these technical skills, successful full stack developers need a solid understanding of best practices related to data storage and retrieval as well as a sharp eye for detail when it comes to troubleshooting errors or debugging problems within their codebase. Being able to think critically about complex problems is essential when working on projects from both front-end and back-end perspectives simultaneously.