Front End Developer jobs

Front end developer jobs task you with producing the user interface, or 'front end', for an application, website or other online application. This highly-focused role requires not only an understanding of the relevant programming language, but also an appreciation of the principles that underline good user experience and accessibility.

As a web front end developer you may need to know several code languages, such as HTML (particularly HTML5), PHP, CSS, JavaScript and any others used by your organisation. A junior front end developer is likely to be given a clear brief and be tasked with producing page elements and interfaces 'to order', whereas a senior front end developer may be given more control over deciding which elements to include and how they should look.

Typical tasks of a front end developer

Front end developer jobs span the production process, from design through to implementation, testing and troubleshooting. In the first instance you may be involved in the initial wireframe phase, in which you mock up the final user interface on-screen or on paper, before programming is carried out to convert those initial sketches into digital reality.

Junior front end developers may be given relatively simple tasks as part of their broader role, such as ensuring content management systems are fully updated (for example updating WordPress sites when a new version of the system is released) and verifying that plugins and extensions still work as expected.

Senior front end developers may have a more analytical role, working with UX designers to optimise the user experience both before launch and, if necessary, in response to early feedback from beta testers and other users. The ability to respond to user concerns and improve the UX retrospectively is a strength in this context.

Qualifications required for a front end developer job

Comprehensive knowledge of the relevant programming languages is essential for all levels of front end developer jobs. Having a computer science or software engineering degree is a good way to demonstrate this when applying for junior front end developer jobs.

For senior front end developer jobs, hiring managers may be more willing to consider other evidence of your capabilities. With no standardised qualification requirements for software development roles, your past work success may be more persuasive than your university education. In some cases you might be asked to complete a short programming assignment to demonstrate fluency with the required language.

Hard/soft skills needed for a front end developer job

Good computer programming skills are essential for all but the most junior front end developer jobs, and you will need to make sure you know the correct programming languages for the role, including HTML5, CSS and JavaScript for web front end developer positions.

This is a more creative role than some software engineering jobs. You may be responsible for graphical elements of the UI, as well as text elements like tooltips and dialog boxes. Clear, concise communication skills will help you not only within your dev team, but when creating these page elements to offer the best UX.