10 “Nice-To-Have” Skills for Front-End Developers

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10 "Nice-To-Have" Skills for Front-End Developers

In this article, 10 "nice-to-have" skills that will greatly enhance the resume or portfolio of today's front-end web developer.

1. Experience with SVN/CVS for Version Control

The days of manual backups are over. If you desire a position with a top web development firm in today's market, or if you want to improve the manner in which you version your own work, then you need to gain some experience with Subversion or Concurrent Versioning System (usually referred to respectively as SVN and CVS). SVN is essentially the windows-friendly, visual counterpart of the command-line driven CVS.

Both types have some fairly intricate features, but the general idea is quite simple: They allow you to save or "commit" work at intervals that can easily be retrieved should the need arise. Generally, in a team environment, front-end developers won't have to worry too much about all the features of versioning software, since the back-end team members will more than likely have the ability to walk them through any issues that come up. But some experience with SVN/CVS is a big plus in today's market.

2. Familiarity with Wordpress Theme Development

Wordpress theme development will not likely be a mandatory skill in the average job description, but more and more companies are catching on to the power of Wordpress from the standpoint of both developer and client.

If you have a number of years in front-end web development and haven't yet coded at least one Wordpress theme, then you're missing out on a very important "nice-to-have" skill to add to your resume or portfolio.

3. ActionScript

Most front-end developers will have at least some experience with Adobe Flash animation. We've all tweened an animated cross-fader at some point in our careers. But tweened animations are on the way out and are being replaced by powerful, developer-friendly ActionScript-based code.

Learn some basic ActionScript, or at least have the ability to modify or implement existing AS code, and it will greatly enhance your chances of landing your next job or client project.

4. Back-End Programming Experience (PHP, ASP, ASP.NET)

Having extensive experience in at least one back-end programming language is a huge bonus for a front-end specialist. But at the very least, every front-end developer should have knowledge in one back-end language — preferably that knowledge should fall somewhere in between beginner and intermediate.

I personally recommend that every front-end developer should own, and periodically review, at least one book on each of the big three, commercially-used, back-end languages: PHP, classic ASP, and ASP.NET — even if it's just to get the principles of those languages in mind. Which brings us nicely into the next item on this list.

5. Familiarity with Object-Oriented Programming Concepts (OOP)

This could easily fall under back-end programming, but since JavaScript, a front-end technology, also utilizes object-based principles, I think it's good to separate OOP into a skill of its own. Understanding OO concepts will greatly enhance a front-end developer's speed and ability with Framework-based code, CMS-based websites, JavaScript frameworks, and more.

Object-oriented programming is a mainstay in today's web development market. The mere mention of it will nicely decorate the modern-day front-end developer's resume.

6. Advanced Knowledge in SEO and Internet Marketing

Many large development firms will employ specialists to handle search engine optimization and internet marketing when the client requests those services. Front-end developers should be able to code markup that is SEO-friendly, or SEO-ready, so those services can be easily implemented into any existing project. SEO is very closely associated with web standards and best practices, so it's not just a "nice to have".

But having advanced, extensive knowledge in SEO and related fields like web analytics and ad-serving technologies will greatly complement a front-end developer's skills and experience.

7. Experience with PHPMyAdmin

Countless websites today are driven by PHP and MySQL. PHPMyAdmin is an open source tool that allows developers to handle administration of MySQL databases online. It's quite easy to use and does not require any knowledge of PHP or database querying, although those skills would help. Having some experience with this tool is a big plus for any front-end developer, even with the advent of CMS-driven websites that usually don't require PHPMyAdmin-type access to manage content.

8. Advanced Ajax/JavaScript Frameworks

JavaScript frameworks, which often utilize Ajax, are being used everywhere. CNN, The New York Times, Fox News, BBC, Major League Baseball, Walmart, and many more websites are utilizing JS Frameworks like JQuery, MooTools, YUI, and Prototype.

It is mandatory that front-end developers have some knowledge and experience in implementing at least one of the popular frameworks. But it is a huge bonus if a front-end developer has extended that knowledge beyond basic image sliders and fluffy transition effects — especially now that many websites are drawing up their designs, briefs, and wireframes based on the abilities and features available in the aforementioned frameworks.

9. Ruby on Rails (ROR)

Ruby on Rails, often just referred to as "Rails", is an open source web application framework for the Ruby programming language and has been very closely associated with the web 2.0 movement. Because of its ease of use and philosophy of "convention over configuration", some very large companies are using ROR.

ROR has officially broken through the "fad" phase and has evolved into a legitimate development environment. Knowledge and experience with ROR would be a definite plus in today's market. (Note: I edited this section. Thank you, Mr. Hann.)

10. Mobile Web Development

Front-end development principles are based on catering to the needs of the user. Mobile web development is slowly creeping up the list of important tasks to be successfully completed by front-end developers. Millions of users around the world depend on mobile devices like BlackBerry and iPhone to access, not just simple email or text messaging, but full-fledged websites and applications.

Very soon, this skill will be a mandatory requirement on the average front-end developer job posting, so it should most certainly be on the list of "things to learn" for today's front-end developer.

So that's it — that's my personal list of most important "nice-to-have" skills for today's job-seeking front-end developer. There are more, many of which didn't quite make the cut. Post your comments below and tell us what you think is a "nice-to-have" skill for the modern-day front-end website developer.