Are you considering a career in backend development? Now is the time to discover the skills you need to stand out from the crowd and land your dream job.
Backend development is one of the key tech jobs that has seen explosive growth in the last number of years. In a nutshell, backend developers or engineers work on server-side software, which focuses on everything you can’t see on a website. It’s a different field from frontend development which focuses on the visual aspects of a website – or in other words, the part that everyday users can see and interact with.
Backend professionals are sometimes hired (or work on a freelance basis) for top multinational companies like Apple, Amazon Web Services, or Audible. But they are also needed by small start-ups and growing SMEs.
On a typical day, a backend developer will spend their time working on architecture, backend logic application programming interface (APIs), and servers. They also need to be adept at coding, as a significant part of their job is helping browsers communicate with databases.
As you can imagine, almost every company or public service body with an online presence will need backend expertise. As a result, this field is thriving.
In fact, a poll of 14,000 developers and tech recruiters by coding platform CodinGame and technical interview facilitator CoderPad found that nearly half of employers struggle to find suitable candidates to fill tech roles.
Hiring managers now predict that recruiting qualified developers will present their biggest recruitment challenge of 2022. Due to this increased demand for qualified backend professionals, there has never been a better time to explore your options and consider a career in this field.
But what skills do you need?
1. Programming languages
If you want to have a successful backend career, then you need to develop proficiency in several programming languages. Regarding the backend sector, in particular, there are three key ones to focus on: Java, Python, and PHP.
Java and Python are well-known and relatively straight-forward languages, but PHP is a little different. PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor as it is officially called, is a scripting language that automates tasks. Our advice? Get familiar with all three if you want to succeed.
2. Server applications
Backend developers use web servers almost every single day. It’s basically where they save all the work they have done on applications and websites, and they need to have expert knowledge of their use. At backend developer interviews, you should have prepared answers to questions around server-side commands and frameworks.
3. Content Management Systems (CMS)
As a backend developer, you don’t need a CMS such as Wix or WordPress in order to build and maintain a website. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people in your organization who will rely on this “front end” to do their daily tasks.
Backend developers are frequently called in when there are bugs or if the team needs to add a new feature. Some developers might even be tasked with creating a CMS from scratch.
4. Version control systems
The version control system tracks all the changes you, as a backend developer, make to a website or application. It acts as a log; at times, it’s a way for team members to review each other’s work and give feedback.
When things go wrong, it’s also where developers can go to reverse work. Popular control systems include Github, Gitlab, and AWS Code Commit. They all have fairly similar interfaces, so it’s a good idea to become familiar with all three.
5. Communication
On top of the technical skills that you need to do well in this role, there are a certain amount of soft skills that you need to be aware of. Top of this list is communication. As a backend professional, you will need to effectively communicate with the members of your team alongside frontend developers who may be working on the same projects.
Being a fantastic team player and communicating clearly and effectively is a great way to stand out from the competition.
Here are three great backend roles to discover – and you can find thousands more on the Fossbytes Job Board
Senior Backend Engineer, Adobe, San Jose
Do you have a B.S in computer science, practical experience in distributed systems, and knowledge of data lakes, data warehouses, or Spark? If you answered yes, then this could be a great role for you.
The Adobe team in San Jose is looking for a Senior Backend Engineer. The successful candidate will collaborate with a team of engineers and product managers, develop and implement query translation algorithms, and explore tradeoffs across alternate schema layouts. Does it sound like your thing? Find out more about the Senior Backend Engineer role here.
Java Backend Developer, Deloitte, Tulsa
As an experienced Java Backend Developer, you could have the ability to share new ideas and collaborate on projects as a consultant without the extensive demands of travel. If this sounds appealing, you should consider this opportunity with Deloitte under its project delivery talent model.
To succeed, you’ll need five or more years’ of experience working as a backend Java developer, expertise in Java frameworks, and an in-depth understanding of concurrency and multithreading. Get all the details on the Java Backend Developer role here.
Backend Engineer, Bluevine, Redwood City
Bluevine is a California–based fintech company that provides online business banking and financing solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. The company is going through an exciting period of growth at the moment and needs a Backend Engineer to come on board in a hybrid role.
To apply, you’ll need two or more years’ of backend experience, a B.S. in computer science or a related field, and Python development experience. You can check out the excellent perks and benefits that come with this Backend Engineer job here.
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By Pippa Hardy
