The internet has become an integral part of all aspects of our lives, right from booking travel tickets to chatting with people across the globe. It is now an all-in-one source for every detail and question regarding cooking, coding, relaxing, entertainment and more. When the internet widened its coverage to include sharing of dynamic data among users, an interesting array of technological advances led to the rising demand for tech professionals who were adept in web development. Today, the world is looking for individuals with technical expertise in both front-end as well as back-end web development.
If you are a tech professional interested in becoming a back-end developer, HiCounselor is here to help you discover the skills you must have in 2022 in order to excel in the field.
What is Back-end Development?
Unlike front-end development which focuses on the visual aspect of a website, back-end development is server-side development. Server-side refers to the language and code that is running behind the scenes of the webserver or back-end. It focuses on everything users do not see, and includes hidden processes that take place whenever a user performs an activity on a website. It is focused on back-end logic, database APIs, servers and databases.
Role of a Back-end Developer
Back-end developers work in tandem with front-end developers to provide the external-facing web application elements that run on server-side logic. That is, back-end developers design the logic that makes the application work properly and do this through the application of scripting server-side languages such as Ruby as well as PHP.
Apart from making web-based applications usable and functional, back-end developers are also accountable for optimizing the app to increase speed and effectiveness. Additionally, back-end developers typically come up with a solution for data storage that includes a database, the most popular ones being MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL. This is a vital component of every web application because it holds details (like comments, users and posts, for instance). Listed below are the key responsibilities of a back-end developer:
Comprehend the purpose of the site and then come up with efficient solutions
Ensure data storage making sure it's displayed to those who are required to access it
Develop payment processing systems, such as receiving data, securely keeping that information and then making changes to the payment
Manage API resources that are compatible across devices
Be involved in the design of a system or data science analysis
Be accountable for organizing the system's logic that runs across different devices
Be able to implement algorithms and resolve system-related issues
Skills You Must Have as a Back-end Developer
Listed below are some of the most important skills a back-end developer should have in order to stand out from the rest and land interviews with the largest tech companies.
1. Experience with Back-end Programming Languages
One of the most essential skills to get an interview for a back-end developer is the ability to master Object-Oriented Programming Languages. It's not necessary to be able to master several languages. If you're proficient in one, that's enough. Interview questions for back-end developers typically will test your skills in Python, Java, Ruby or PHP. From these three, Python and Java are the most commonly utilized. Be sure to brush up on the concepts of the OOP language you choose. In addition to asking you questions about the algorithms or data structures, interviewers will also test your understanding of fundamental OOP concepts.
2. Understanding of Data Structures and Algorithms
Your comprehension of data structures and algorithms (DSA) is yet another area of test during back-end developer interviews with FAANG plus companies. DSA concepts are used in several stages of coding interviews (technical phone screen and live interview) and provide a crucial way to test your ability to solve problems.
In the process of preparing for technical interviews (specifically for positions as back-end developers) be sure to take a few weeks to master DSA and algorithmic concepts. The most important concepts are arrays, linked lists, strings sorting, recursion trees, graphs, and algorithms. Try to solve at minimum one DSA daily and while doing so look for patterns in the problems and categorize problems that have similar patterns. Utilize these patterns to tackle new challenges during the interview.
3. Experience with Distributed Systems Design
Another essential back-end developer skill is understanding the design of distributed systems. This is a crucial aspect of the discussions with developers on back-ends. Interview questions usually cover fundamental design concepts like caching, loading networks, databases MapReduce and API modeling Sharding, concurrency and case studies of design.
A minimum of two to three weeks working on designs is highly recommended, particularly when you're planning to take part in senior engineering interviews. Questions for interviewing back-end developers which are used in design rounds are typically asked in on-site interviews with firms. As a suggested strategy to prepare, you should focus on developing programming concepts for the first phase and start the preparation for your design interview a few minutes after the technical phone screen.
4. Database Knowledge
Websites require databases in order to keep and retrieve client information. As a developer for the back-end, managing databases is an essential aspect of your job. A well-organized database can help to change, retrieve and effectively manage data. Your understanding of SQL or NoSQL databases will be assessed at back-end developer interviews. So, make sure you have a firm grasp of these query languages that are structured.
5. Experience with APIs
API modeling is another essential skill that is evaluated in interviews with back-end developers. Back-end developers must know the basics of APIs since they facilitate interactions between servers and clients. Interview questions for back-end developers on API modeling are included in the technical interview design rounds.
6. Experience with Servers
As a back-end developer, you're required to be familiar with the operation and working of servers. A thorough understanding of servers is essential to ensure the proper functioning of any application or website. In interviews with back-end developers, there will be questions on frameworks and commands for servers and their related components.
7. Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Back-end development isn't a one-man show. It requires interaction with other developers to come up with innovative concepts. As a back-end developer, your contribution to your team is just as vital as your talent. Interviews at FAANG and other companies don’t merely assess technical skills, they include formal behavioral tests that measure your teamwork skills, productivity, leadership and morality.
HiCounselor has forged technical advances to transform the hiring landscape for job seekers and recruiters alike. Our career accelerator program provides job seekers with coaching and mentorship from industry leaders employed at FAANG companies while recruiters ally with HiCounselor to empower their hiring strategy and hone in on the best candidates. Learn more about HiCounselor here and reach out to us on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
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