Full stack developer skills are essential for professionals seeking to build and maintain complete web applications.

To be successful in this role, a deep understanding of various programming languages, libraries, and tools, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks like React, Angular, Node.js, or Django, is crucial.

In this article, we will dive into the key skills that define a successful full stack developer.

What is a full stack developer?

A full stack coder is a software engineer proficient in both front and back-end development. This means they can create entire web applications from start to finish.

They handle everything from creating the user interface to managing the server-side logic, databases, and infrastructure.

What does a full stack developer need to know?

A full stack coder should have a broad range of skills and knowledge in development, along with an understanding of databases, version control, and deployment.

Here's an overview of the full stack developer required skills:

1. Front-end development (client-side)

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

  • What it is: HTML is the foundation of any web page and defines the structure of the content on the web.
  • What to know: The basic tags, elements, and attributes; semantic HTML; how to structure a webpage using headings, paragraphs, lists, links, forms, etc.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

  • What it is: CSS is used to style and layout web pages.
  • What to know: How to use CSS for layout, colors, fonts, positioning, and responsiveness. Understand concepts like the box model, flexbox, and grid systems.

JavaScript

  • What it is: JavaScript is a programming language that adds interactivity and dynamic behavior to websites.
  • What to know: Basic syntax, variables, functions, loops, conditionals, and events. More advanced concepts like closures, callbacks, promises, and async/await.

Front-End Libraries

  • What it is: Frameworks are used to streamline front-end development.
  • What to know: React (popular for building dynamic user interfaces (UIs)), Angular (a complete framework for creating single-page applications (SPAs)), Vue.js (a progressive framework for making UIs and SPAs), jQuery.

Responsive Design

  • What it is: Ensuring that your website works on different screen sizes, from desktops to mobile phones.
  • What to know: Media queries, flexible layouts, and using frameworks like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS for responsive web design.

Version Control (Git)

  • What it is: Allows you to track changes in your code and collaborate with others.
  • What to know: Basic Git commands (commit, push, pull, branch), and how to use platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

2. Back-end full stack developer technologies list (server-side)

Programming Languages

  • What it is: The languages that power the back-end of web applications.
  • What to know: Node.js (JavaScript-based), Python (Django, Flask), Ruby, Java (Spring Boot), PHP (Laravel, Symfony)

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)

  • What it is: APIs allow different parts of a web application to communicate with each other.
  • What to know: RESTful APIs. How to make requests, how to structure and consume APIs using JSON or XML.

Authentication & Authorization

  • What it is: Securing your application by verifying users' identities and granting them appropriate access levels.
  • What to know: Authentication techniques (e.g., JWT (JSON Web Tokens), OAuth), user login systems, sessions, and cookies.

3. Databases

Relational Databases

  • What it is: Structured databases where data is stored in tables with predefined relationships.
  • What to know: Basic to advanced SQL commands for querying databases (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).

NoSQL Databases

  • What it is: Bases that store unstructured data, often used for handling large volumes.
  • What to know: MongoDB (document-based NoSQL database), Cassandra and CouchDB.

ORM (Object-Relational Mapping)

  • What it is: Tools that let you interact with databases using object-oriented programming languages.
  • What to know: Sequelize (for Node.js and SQL databases), Mongoose (for MongoDB), Django ORM (for Python).

4. DevOps & Deployment

Web Servers

  • What it is: Software that serves web content to users’ browsers.
  • What to know: Basic knowledge of Apache, Nginx, and how to configure and deploy your web app on these servers.

Cloud Services

  • What it is: Platforms for deploying, hosting, and scaling your applications.
  • What to know: How to use cloud platforms like AWS, Google, or Microsoft Azure for deploying your apps and storing data.

Containerization & Virtualization

  • What it is: Technologies like Docker and Kubernetes that help package applications and their dependencies into containers, making them easier to deploy and scale.
  • What to know: Basic concepts of Docker, containers, and container orchestration with Kubernetes.

CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Deployment)

  • What it is: Practices that automate the process of testing, building, and deploying code.
  • What to know: Tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, GitHub Actions, and how to set up automated pipelines.

5. Soft skills needed to be a full stack developer

Soft skills are personal attributes and behaviors that enable individuals to work effectively and harmoniously with others.

Unlike hard skills, which are technical and specific to a particular job, they are more about how you interact with people, solve problems, and manage tasks in a collaborative environment.

Soft skills of full stack developer:

  • Problem-solving
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Time management
  • Adaptability
  • Attention to detail
  • Critical thinking
  • Creativity
  • Leadership
  • Project management
  • Continuous learning
  • Empathy
  • Conflict resolution
  • Decision-making
  • Patience

6. Additional full stack developer required skills

  • Mastery with frameworks like Jest, Mocha, Chai (JavaScript) or PyTest (Python) for unit and integration testing.
  • Understanding web security principles like SSL/TLS, XSS, CSRF, and how to secure your apps.
  • Familiarity with Agile methodologies and tools for iterative development (Scrum, Kanban).
Junior SQL Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF
Junior Angular Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF
Senior Angular Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF

How to become a full stack developer?

It's essential to understand the fundamentals of web development. This includes learning how websites work, how browsers render pages, and the role of servers.

  • Study how to structure content on a webpage using HTML.
  • See how to style web pages, including layout, color schemes, fonts, and responsiveness with CSS.
  • Learn the basics of JavaScript for adding interactivity to websites, handling events, and modifying the DOM.

As a full stack developer, you'll need to learn key front-end tools and frameworks.

  • Find out how to create websites that work across all device types (mobile, tablet, desktop).
  • Research modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js for building dynamic user interfaces.

  • Understand the basics of Git and GitHub for version control.

Web applications need databases to store and retrieve data. Learn how to work with relational databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite. See how to design tables, write SQL queries, and set up relationships between different pieces of data.

User authentication is an important part of back-end development. Learn how to implement user login and signup systems, and how to handle secure sessions using tools like JWT (JSON Web Tokens) or OAuth.

Once you’ve built your application, you need to deploy it for users to access.

  • You can start with platforms like Heroku, Netlify, or Vercel for simple hosting.
  • Get familiar with platforms like AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), or Microsoft Azure.
  • Tools like Webpack, Gulp, and Grunt can automate repetitive tasks, such as minifying code or bundling files.

Work on real-world applications, such as:

  • Start by building your own personal portfolio website to showcase your skills and projects.
  • Make apps that allow users to Create, Read, Update, and Delete data (e.g., a task manager or a blog).
  • Build a full-featured e-commerce website with a shopping cart, product listings, and payment gateway integration.

It’s important to stay up-to-date with the skills needed to be a full stack developer. Follow blogs, attend developer meetups, and contribute to open-source projects.

Senior Java Mobile Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF
Senior Java Backend Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF
Senior SQL Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF

Types of full stack developers

MEAN Stack Developer

They work with a specific set of technologies used to create modern web applications. MEAN stands for MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js.

  • Skills: JavaScript, Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, Angular, RESTful APIs.
  • Primary Focus: End-to-end JavaScript development, from database to user interface.

MERN Stack Developer

MERN developers use React for the front-end, which offers more flexibility and performance benefits for building interactive user interfaces.

  • Skills: JavaScript, Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, React, Redux (optional), RESTful APIs.
  • Primary Focus: Creating high-performance, dynamic, and scalable applications with React on the front-end.

LAMP Stack Developer

LAMP developers are skilled in working with the Linux operating system, Apache web server, MySQL databases, and PHP or similar languages.

  • Skills: Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
  • Primary Focus: Full stack development with an emphasis on traditional server-side scripting.

Serverless Full Stack Developer

This type emphasizes the use of cloud-based services and APIs to manage infrastructure, allowing developers to focus more on the application logic itself.

  • Skills: AWS Lambda, Google Cloud, Azure Functions, API Gateway, NoSQL databases like DynamoDB, RESTful APIs.
  • Primary Focus: Building scalable applications without managing server infrastructure.

Mobile Full Stack Developer

They may work with frameworks like React Native, Flutter, or Ionic to create hybrid mobile applications, or build web software optimized for smartphones and tablets.

  • Skills: React Native, Flutter, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, RESTful APIs, mobile UI/UX.
  • Primary Focus: Building mobile-optimized and cross-platform apps.

Cloud-Native Full Stack Developer

These developers specialize in creating applications that are designed for cloud environments and services, such as AWS, Google, or Microsoft Azure.

  • Skills: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD tools, microservices architecture.
  • Primary Focus: Building applications that leverage cloud infrastructure and scalable services.
Java Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF
Full Stack Developer Resume
Use template Download PDF
Developer UI/UX Designer Resume Resume
Use template Download PDF

Full-stack skills - Conclusion

In conclusion, full stack development requires a broad range of hard and soft skills to build and manage web applications.

By continuously improving both technical expertise and interpersonal abilities, full stack developers can thrive in an ever-evolving industry, making significant contributions to complex projects and adapting to new challenges.

Create your professional Resume in 10 minutes for FREE

Build My Resume