'Day The Hard Truth About Learning JavaScript as a Front-End Developer'

My experience in end-end development two years ago made me deeply realize: not laying a solid foundation before learning the framework is one of the biggest mistakes in the early career. Many developers are eager for success but ignore the importance of basic knowledge, which ultimately leads to difficulties in subsequent work.

This article will discuss:

• My early mistakes
• How do I overcome these mistakes
• What is JavaScript
• Summary

My early mistakes

After graduating from college, like other students, I was eager to find a job and eager to compete in the workplace, but I was not well prepared. During my four years of college, I didn’t achieve anything outstanding that would make me stand out in the job market. To make matters worse, due to the lockdown, I only had about a year and a half to attend offline courses.

To be honest, I am addicted to the cycle of online classes, watching TV series and sleeping. This went on for so long that when job search season rolled around, I started to panic. Fortunately, my solid knowledge of algorithms and data structures from high school helped me land a job at a small to medium-sized company.

After a few weeks of applying and constantly contacting the school’s employment counselor, I finally got a job as a front-end React development engineer.

However, the first six months of my career were extremely difficult. I joined an outsourcing company and the team provided developers to large companies such as Accenture and Wipro. While I've completed a few online courses, I've never been involved in an actual website development project.

When I got my first assignment - to create a helper function using the Ant Design (AntD) library to define custom columns and handle different data types, I quickly realized how little I knew. Most front-end developers can understand my dilemma, but my problem is not with the library itself, but with the JavaScript.

I didn’t have a good foundation in JavaScript before joining the job, so I had to scramble. My daily routine consists of watching JavaScript tutorials in the morning and trying to apply what I learned in the afternoon. A simple task often takes two to three times as long to complete, which not only reduces my efficiency but also makes me very frustrated.

My transformation

To make up for it, I started reading an article on Medium.com every morning and subscribed to JavaScript and React related topics to get personalized recommendations. These articles helped me solidify key JavaScript knowledge, learn new concepts, and identify areas where my understanding was lacking.

I also completed freeCodeCamp’s JavaScript with Data Structures certification course, which I highly recommend for beginners. This was a turning point for me.

Within two months, I started to see progress. As my knowledge accumulated, my confidence in handling UI challenges also increased. I started experimenting with implementing features like a drag-and-drop interface, a dynamic chat module, push notifications, and Google Maps hotel integration.

A year after my first job, I moved to a new company. The transition was smooth this time because I had built a solid foundation and no longer faced the struggles of the previous six months.

The importance of core concepts

As a front-end developer, HTML, CSS and JavaScript form the core of all work.

• HTML defines the structure of the application
• CSS makes it visually appealing
• JavaScript adds interactivity and functionality

Master these three core technologies and you can build anything. If you haven't already, I hope this inspires you to strengthen your core skills.

What is JavaScript?

JavaScript is a multi-purpose programming language used to make web pages interactive. From simple animations to complex applications, JavaScript powers the dynamic behavior of web pages. It is an essential skill for front-end development, and you will learn something new every day.

Summary

If you are new to front-end development, don’t skip the basics. Although frameworks like React, Angular or Vue are powerful, they are all built on JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Mastering these core technologies will make your development process smoother and more productive.

Looking back on my own experience, I can confidently say that investing in fundamental concepts is worth it in the long term. Start small, be consistent, and rise to the challenge.

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