What is the difference between UI Engineer and frontend developer?
Both roles are almost similar in most companies. Expectations for such roles will be as mentioned in the JD (Job description). Few companies dedicate UI Engineer role-specific to designing the webpages only using HTML & CSS. Those require lesser expertise in JavaScript & logic building.
What is the difference between a product company and a service company? What is C2H role?
- Product companies do have their product and employees work for it. Quality of work and compensation is usually better
- Service companies work for other products and give services to them. (Quality of work is not guaranteed as work can vary from project to project)
- C2H Contract to Hire is a role in which consultancies outsource developers to work for other companies (usually for product companies)
What is live coding round?
Live coding is generally a part of an interview round, where the candidate has to share the screen and write the program or code snippet. Also, the candidate has to explain the approach while solving the program.
What is bar raiser round?
Bar raiser round is a special technical round conducted to decide if the candidate is eligible or not. It is conducted generally in the below scenarios
- There are multiple eligible candidates for the same role, but vacancies are fewer
- The interview panel is not sure if the candidate is eligible for the role or not even after a couple of interview rounds
- The interview panel thinks the candidate is eligible for the higher role and is ready to check the eligibility of the candidate
What is the importance of DSA in frontend role?
Data structures and algorithms help to improve problem-solving capabilities and to optimize the solutions. Like web apps we are building nowadays are frontend heavy, problems/tasks to be coded efficiently. Many companies look for good knowledge of DSA, and hands-on will help you. However, advanced DSA is not very essential for general frontend development.
Can I use JavaScript for DSA interview?
As a frontend developer, I receommend you to use JS for practicing DSA. It will help you to improve your JS hands-on skills as well. Companies will be happy to see you solve problems in JavaScript (after all you are going to work on the same day and night)
Please help me to choose a JavaScript framework/library
As of 2022, React is a popular frontend library having good demands. So it is highly recommended to learn ReactJS.
Why am I expected to code in pure HTML, CSS, JS for machine coding rounds of many companies?
Frontend development at its core, HTML, CSS, and JS. A person with strong knowledge of these can adapt to different libraries & frameworks with ease.
Tell me about different role structures in the company
Roles/designations vary from company to company. The expectations and skill set are almost the same as explained in the role guide. To make the progression/promotion process motivating for employees, companies also have multi-level roles (SDE1, 2, 3, 4, ...) with a shorter span for each role. Many companies also follow Junior and Senior roles, with higher roles being tech lead/staff engineer.
What is the difference between Tech lead and Team lead?
- Tech lead role is equivalent to an SDE3 or higher role, in which the expectation is to have high technical skills besides managing the people technically. Most of the companies give this designation to a person who manages more than one developer.
- Team lead role is equivalent associate manager role or higher role, in which the expectation is to have excellent soft skills besides good technical knowledge. Most of the companies give this designation to a person who manages more than one person (need not be technical)
I had only a few technical rounds in a company & there were no rounds as mentioned in the interview rounds guide!!!
Companies follow the interview structure which suits them the best. And depending on various factors (previous interviews, offer acceptance, conversion ratio, etc.) They adjust the interview processes.
Is it fine to move to a lower role than my current role while switching?
Roles/designations vary from company to company. If the opportunity and compensation match your needs, moving to such a role should not be a problem.
I went through many of these mentioned interview rounds in a company. I have done very well but did not hear anything back from them!!!
- Selection criteria depend on various factors such as technical skills, soft skills, interview rules, previous company, the reason for the switch, etc. Interviews in which you think you have performed well may not be what the company is thinking or the vacancies might have been filled by others.
- That said, the candidate deserves to know the application status after completing the interview process. Unfortunately, many companies (even well-known) ignore communicating the result to the candidate if rejected.
- It is good to drop a mail requesting the status of the interview and expect feedback. Instead of getting disappointed, consider it as an interview experience. It isn't recommended to post on social media to defame the company.
What factors should I consider while accepting an offer?
- Work culture
- Compensation (fixed pay + variable pay + joining bonus)
- Tech stack
- Roles & Responsibilities
- Interview process
- Yearly increment/hike
- Policies (insurance, parents insurance, provident fund, WFH benefits)
- Leaves (paid + casual + sick) and holidays (10+ yearly and weekends)
- Company vision and review
- ESOPs (employee shares)
- Work shift/timings and flexibility
- Skills of colleagues & seniors etc.
I directly started learning frontend framework without good knowledge of fundamentals (HTML, CSS, JS). What should I do now?
One of the below approaches you can follow
- If you aim for a long term and have enough time, start learning the fundamentals i.e. HTML, CSS, JS. It can be taken up, parallelly along with your routine work. Create a learning roadmap for yourself. It is more academic and organized.
- If you aim to improve your skills on what you are working on daily, you can explore & study the fundamentals as and when you face the challenges. It is a practical approach but has no roadmap and is unorganized.
What is roadmap?
A roadmap is a step-by-step guide to becoming a strong frontend developer. You can read more about frontend roadmap here
I have 2/4/6+ years of experience in different domains. Is it possible to switch to frontend at this point?
Yes. As of now, the frontend market is booming and there is a need for a lot of good frontend developers.
Who is a self-taught developer? Can I become a self-taught frontend developer?
A self-taught developer is someone who does not depend on one curriculum or instructor, instead gets ready to excel in the coding/programming skills by using free/paid resources. You can become one and be a competent frontend developer like others.
But having a frontend mentor/instructor will help to get the right guidance and accelerate your learning process.
I can follow video tutorials & create projects. But on my own, I get completely stuck. Where am I going wrong?
It is a common problem with most of us. Video tutorials take a lot of effort and trials by experts. But these videos are then converted to tutorials which include only the functional code and happy flow. Hence, it feels easy to follow while watching. As a suggestion, follow these tutorials only to understand the concepts and practice the coding yourself. Also, you can switch to reading the books, which will give your brain more work and will help you to think more to understand & come up with solutions (though it is time consuming)
I am a frontend developer and I have prepared well for interviews. I have got multiple offers from top companies and now I feel like I am king/queen of frontend?
It is a very optimistic feeling and boosts confidence. But remember below points,
- job openings for frontend are more than ever in the current market
- cracking interviews depends on various factors such as skills, soft skills, luck, current company, referrals, etc.
- frontend ecosystem is vast and mastering it might not be possible