What I learned about being a Front-End Web Developer

I had the opportunity to attend a local technology conference this week. The conference was focused on technology for enterprise. It was very enlightening and I particularly enjoyed the session regarding Web Design/Development. The person speaking is an actual Web Developer for a local major company. This made the session even more intriguing.


Courtesy of http://www.talkspot.com/_images/features/javascript.png

He started by discussing how to make a company website load faster. He mentioned that statistics show most users expect content to start downloading within two seconds of visiting a web page. The key to making this happen is JavaScript.

JavaScript is a coding language that allows a website to run from the browser the consumer is using to view a company's website (http://www.javascripter.net/faq/whatisja.htm). Because the website is being rendered from the browser and not a server located somewhere on a physical site, the content can load much faster.

Now, the part of this session that caught my attention was the discussion on how to hire a Front-End Web Developer. I gained some great insight into the industry by simply taking down the following tips given to business owners present:

1. Search on the web for blogs by Front-End Developers. Web developers do what they do because they love it. More than likely, the person will be creating websites just for fun and posting those sites online. These are the ones you want to hire.

2. Take note of their job titles. Don't hire the ones who call themselves "Java Ninja". Hire those with professional titles like "Front-End Web Developer" or "Front-End Engineer". Titles say a lot about the person's character and attitude towards the job.

3. Ask relevant questions. During the interview, ask the person relevant questions such as "What makes a website faster?" or "What makes you passionate about web design?" If you are hiring a web developer, make sure he or she can do the job.

Another characteristic mentioned was curiosity. Most Front-End Developers learned on the side because of their curiosity and passion. These are the qualities that make a great Web Developer.

With that, the session ended. And, this blogger picked up some great insider information!

For an in-depth explanation of JavaScript, please visit Microsoft's information page for developers: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms970435.aspx?ocid=bing_app_269

For more information on the annual technology conference I attended, please go to www.innotechconferences.com.