Looking for the right JavaScript dev. Part 1.
Note: This series of stories are not meant to criticize nor to speak badly about someone. The objective is to laugh, while analyzing, about common interactions while trying to figure out how to keep the pace on the technology and users demands on the consumption of the products we already have.
First of all let me tell you that 2 years ago I thought I was in a good level as a front-end developer. But turned out I was the Jr Dev of the place I was working at that time.
Fast forward I’m at a new gig and I’m (for the rest of my workmates) the Sr. Front-end guy… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The rest of my workmates are Java devs, with 5+ years of development on their backs and from the best universities on the country. So, what’s going on here? and, what has this anything to do with the JavaScript dev I’m looking for?
Full-stack vs Front-End
I’ve been hearing that full stacks know how to do backend development and frontend development, although sometimes I also hear about a Full Stack Javascript, but we’re not talking about that right now. Sounds like something I’d like to be. But at certain point I found that most of them are not following best practices or even trying to be the best on each field they want to work in. Seems to me that we’re expecting to have a MacGyver-like developer.
Let me share an example with you of a real conversation I had with a full-stack developer:
Me: Why if I’m hitting the isBranded endpoint returns a string if it is, or a bool if it isn’t?
Dev: Mmm….
Me: Shouldn’t return either bool both times or string both times?
Dev: Mmm… yeah it could…
Me: I’m just asking if it’s correct or should be different, this isn’t my field so I wonder about it.
Dev: Mm… yeah.. well… I mean, it works fine
Me: Okay, just asking.
That’s not the full-stack I had in mind, a vague response makes me doubt about the technical skills they have, but I have another example:
try {api.callService(theUrl, 'GET', null, true).then(function (response){
// a bunch of code
}, function() {
// some error handling
});api.callService(theURL, 'GET').then(function(responseData) {
// some success handling
}, function() {
// empty function, no error handling
});} catch (ex) {
// another empty error handling
}
Are these the devs I’m working with? Are these the devs that are helping me build the front end?
No sir! We have to improve this department. We need another front-end developer, to HHRR!!
