How long does it take to become a full stack developer?

Web development includes the tasks associated with developing websites for hosting via the internet. There is a growing industry demand for web developers. More importantly, IT companies are switching to the full-stack mode of web development.
Full stack developers are always in high demand as they are experts with both the front-end and back-end of web apps.

This article will help you get started on your full-stack journey by providing you with a step-by-step roadmap, estimated days to complete those steps, as well as resources, and a bonus tip 😉

Who is a full-stack developer?

Full stack developer means a developer can work in all stacks of the application to develop a Web application. The job depends upon the complexity of the web application. Full stack developers work with the Back end (or server-side) and the Front end (or client-side) of the application.

Full-stack developer tasks include

Software and web development
Develop front-end websites and applications
Ensure user experience with responsive application
Ensure website speed and scalability
Develop back-end application
Design database (e.g. MySQL)

Now, you must be pondering the question that “How long does it take to be a full-stack developer?”. This question is tricky. I will break down the tasks and help you figure out the estimated time you will spend to be a pro at this.

But wait, before deep diving into this topic, don’t you wanna know whether full-stack development is right for you?
We’ll now discuss its pros and cons and help you decide.

Pros

When you’re a skilled full-stack developer, you don’t look for companies, companies look for you. You handle all the aspects of the development, from the beginning till its deployment.
Full-stack programmers possess skills in a wide range of domains.
They can communicate with both the front end and back end.

Cons

As you’re dealing with both front-end and back-end, tasks may get overwhelming sometimes.
It gets difficult to keep up with the increasing number of stacks.

Don’t be intimidated by these points, especially cons in particular. These are not to scare you away. Essentially, we should be aware of the pros and cons of the skill that we’re about to start learning as it’ll help us figure out our niche. It’s important to remember that every skill has its pros and cons. If you invest your time to master the skill, you learn how to deal with them after a while.

Full-stack web developer roadmap

Front-End
↓
Back-End
↓
Integrations
↓
Database
↓
Version Control

If you’re a complete beginner, I would suggest starting by understanding how the internet works. Don’t spend too much time on this, but it is a must to know the fundamentals. We will now discuss the steps needed to become a full-stack developer as well as the days needed to achieve each step.

STEP 1 – FRONT-END

Front-end developers deal with the part of the website that the user sees and interacts with. It makes sure that the code built by the back-end developers is presented in an easy-to-understand format. Technologies used in front-end development are listed down below.

HTML & CSS

HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It describes the structure of the web pages. It tells the browser about what our web page should look like.

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. It describes what the HTML elements should look like. It makes our webpage presentable.

For the first month, start and stay grounded with HTML & CSS. You can use the resources listed down below.

RESOURCES:

CSS FRAMEWORKS
For the second month, focus on building projects. You can clone famous websites like Netflix etc. Once you have enough practice with HTML and CSS, you can use CSS frameworks which makes your task easier. It is necessary to have a strong grasp of CSS frameworks to be a professional developer.
You can choose from:
❍ Tailwind CSS
❍ Bootstrap
❍ Chakra
❍ Bulma
❍ Foundation
❍ Skeleton
❍ Pure CSS

JAVASCRIPT
JavaScript is a scripting language used for web development. It can be used on the server side as well as the client side. It is essential to pick up JavaScript for the third month. You should start from the basics and move to complex subjects.

RESOURCES:

UI FRAMEWORKS
For the fourth month, proceed to learn UI frameworks.
They are:-
❍ React
❍ Vue.js
❍ Angular
❍ Svelte

You should go through their documentation and choose whichever fits your interest. Don’t forget to build projects 🙂

STEP 2 – BACK-END

It’s time to take your skill to the next level. For the fifth month, focus on the back-end. Depending upon your interest and the complexity of your app, you can choose from any of the following:
❍ Java
❍ C#
❍ PHP
❍ C or, C++
❍ Python
❍ JavaScript (Node.js)
❍ Golang
..and many more.

STEP 3 – DATABASE

For the final month, you should focus on databases, integrations, and version control.
As a full-stack developer, it is crucial to know how to interact with databases.
You can choose from:
❍ Oracle
❍ MySQL
❍ PostgreSQL
❍ MongoDB
❍ Cassandra
❍ Neo4j
..and many more

INTEGRATIONS
At some point, you may require integrations, especially when you’re building a complex application.
You need to understand APIs and how they work.

RESOURCES:

VERSION CONTROL
Knowledge of one version control software will prove to be a great advantage. Git is the most preferred one.

Bonus Tip ?

As a developer, projects are your main assets. They showcase your skills. I would recommend building your portfolio and adding your projects. This will stand out in job applications as it’ll be proof of your work. Don’t pick up too many languages at once. Start with one at a time. Remember, it’s always quality >>> quantity!

CONCLUSION

It would take approximately 6 months for you to be a full-stack developer if you start from scratch. Now, of course, there is no timeline attached, you should take your time and not rush anything. But if you need a rough estimate of the timeline, I hope I solved your query. I would recommend, keep practicing, take notes of everything and build projects.