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Discussion on: What is the Minimum Skillset for Junior Frontend Devs?

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Mike Bybee • Edited

Instead of piling on to or tweaking this list, I'll start with what too many people in positions to hire devs at any level - but especially junior - fail to notice, acknowledge, or emphasize:

0) Willingness to:

  • learn
  • integrate learning by doing
  • take direction
  • adapt
  • ask questions
  • ask for help and feedback

I may not be able to hire you on this alone, but I can forgive and work with you on getting up to speed on anything lacking in what everyone else has mentioned if I see that you're strong in this requirement 0.

Hire for potential, not just current demonstrated proficiency - and that's not even getting into just how awful and ineffective most hiring processes' checks for proficiency are.

While far too many companies treat "junior" as "we're too cheap to pay you mid-senior level, but you still need a gazillion skills in these (often niche) technologies," it actually means "entry level" or not far from it. Keep that in mind and remember that you used to be there, just waiting for someone to recognize your potential and give you a chance, or at least tell you where and how to improve.

And if you expect all these things right off the bat, then you should probably be mentoring the hell out of people on and off the job; or at the very least, making damn sure you follow a rejection with detailed pointers on where to improve.