As Node.js is used for back-end development, the main role of a Node.js programmer is to create a connection between server and client.
Developers create the logic of app functionality and work on high-quality processing of user requests that are performed by the system.
But Node.js is also used for front-end development. As a result, Node.js developers must be skilled at front-end development as well and understand the basics of how front-end elements work with the back end. Apart from this, Node.js is used for the integration of third-party tools into software.
Node.js developers are responsible for the implementation of many tasks and need to focus on many important issues.
We will study each task separately:
Application of Agile Methodology
Agile methodology is used today by many software development companies, since it enables developers to build apps and websites efficiently.
So, Node.js developers should understand how Agile methods work and keep up with them during the development process. Using Agile, developers can properly plan the process and divide it into sprints to build the product faster.
Front-End Building
Node.js developers need to work with front end as well. For example, Node.js in front end makes it possible to automate the process of building and running tests of front-end code. Node.js also uses Grunt, Gulp, and WebPack tools, which automate routine processes like compression and concatenation of images, JS files, and tables.
To build a single-page web app, Node.js developers apply Angular framework to build the UI of the app, since Angular offers many ready-made elements of front-end that can be applied quickly.
Keep in mind that Node.js developers that are skilled both in front-end and back-end development have much higher salaries.
Clean Code Comes First
All developers (not just Node.js devs) should write clear and clean code that can be read by other specialists.
Senior developers have more experience, which allows them to write high-quality code that is understandable. They also try to use a uniform code format.
Writing clean code means that other developers will delve into it easily and won’t have any trouble working with it.
Building Security
Security is important, everybody knows it. Therefore, Node.js developers need to work with security features to protect the software they create.
This includes for instance, adjusting HTTP responses, limiting concurrent requests, extracting secrets from config files or using packages to encrypt them, preventing query injection vulnerabilities with ORM/ODM libraries, and constantly and automatically inspecting for vulnerable dependencies.
By the way, developers need to consider important elements such as the processing of personal data and payment details, so they should keep up with general data protection regulation (GDPR) rules if the software is built for the EU.
A Node.js developer should be able to ensure the product is secure enough that it won’t be hacked or damaged easily.
Detection of Bugs
When the development process is finished, quality assurance (QA) engineers start working on software testing and bug detection. If QA engineers detect a problem, developers must fix it as quick as possible.
Developers may also have to fix code that was written by other programmers, so as I said above, writing clean code is crucial.
However, the number of bugs should not be very high, since Node.js developers run autotests in the process of software development,along with unit testing.
Integration of Third-Party Tools
Almost all serious websites or apps use third-party services like payment gateways (PayPal, Braintree, etc.); Amazon services; email marketing tools like MailChimp; social networks like Twitter/Facebook; Google Analytics; etc.
Node.js includes specific modules that help developers integrate APIs of third-party services faster, so it leads to the acceleration of development process. As a result, you can recruit an experienced developer that will create your product faster and write minimum lines of code.
Dealing With Databases
Working with data always implies working with databases. This means that it is necessary to find a place to store the data, and a Node.js developer should pay attention to this fact.
Many databases provide devs with drivers and libraries for Node.js, so the configuration process becomes faster. In many development cases, MongoDB is used often along with Node.js, as it has all the necessary elements to work with. There is even a so-called MEAN development stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, Node.js), which is widely used for building the front end and the back end of web apps.
Remaining Up to Date
Developers should know that the Node.js tool is updated from time to time. Therefore, they should keep up with updates and study how they work as well as apply them. Continual learning makes Node.js developers competitive—to be an in-demand specialist, they need to stay ahead of all new technologies and be experienced in them. That is why they need to be inquisitive and hard-working.
Skills Required for Node.js Developers
Skill levels of Node.js developers can be divided into three categories: junior, middle, and senior. Each level requires the developer to be experienced in specific skills.
Senior developers are programmers who have at least five years of experience, and they can usually work on the most complicated tasks.
However, middle developers may also be a good option, since they are competent enough to work with many projects. Let’s take a look at the main skills of junior, middle and senior developers.
Junior Node.js Developer Skills:
- Understanding of Node.js basics (Event Loop, libuv, asynchronous programming, etc.).
- JavaScript knowledge.
- Knowledge of popular Node.js frameworks.
- Database basics (relational or nonrelational databases).
Middle/Senior Developer Skills:
- HighLoad projects.
- Architectural patterns.
- Microservices architecture.
- Performance optimization.
The hard skills noted so far are targeted specifically at Node.js developers. However, there are basic skills that all developers should be good at, like knowing object-oriented programming, following code style standards, and understanding encryption.
In addition, all developers should have these important soft skills:
- Thirst for knowledge/continual learning.
- Accuracy.
- Algorithmic thinking.
- Analytical ability.
- Ability to cooperate with team members.
The next section of the article will reveal more about the necessity for soft skills.
Interview Questions for Recruiting a Node.js Developer
How will you hire a developer if you don’t know their skill level? That is why you need to ask them some questions to assess their qualifications before making your final decision.
Questions Related to Hard Skills
These questions will reveal the professional skills of a Node.js developer. The following list contains a set of questions that all Node.js developers should be able to answer without problems.
- What is NPM?
- What is Closures?
- Explain Modules in Node.js.
- Explain V8 Engine.
- Explain event loop in Node.js.
- Explain what is libuv in Node.js.
- Why is Node.js single-threaded?
- Since Node.js is a single-threaded process, how can you make use of all CPUs?
- What is a cluster?
- What are event emitters in Node.js?
- Explain the difference between readFile and createReadStream in Node.js.
- Provide the steps for setting up an Express.js application.
- How can you use middleware in Express?
- Explain the difference between process.nextTick() and setImmediate().
Questions Related to Soft Skills
Soft skills are not any less important than hard skills. Developers should be professional not only in a technical sense but also in communicating with other team members.
Apart from this, developers should have stress tolerance, be good at conflict management, be a reliable part of the team, be adaptable, and be creative, and they must have the quality of responding to specific actions quickly.
Experienced HR managers pay great attention to soft skills, as it’s an important part of evaluating potential candidates for a Node.js developer position.
Where to Find Your Ideal Node.js Developer
Generally speaking, you have three ways of finding and recruiting a software developer. These methods may be applied both to recruiting a Node.js developer and any other software developer you might need. The options are:
- Freelance developers.
- In-house developers.
- Outsourcing companies.
Which option is the most appropriate for you? Let’s review them in detail.
Freelance Developers
This kind of developer is the one you can hire the fastest. The reason for this is that there are many special platforms where remote Node.js freelancers are ready to help you create the software you need.
But keep in mind that it is rather hard to find out the real level of a freelance developer, although you can read reviews and feedback about their job qualifications.
Besides that, one Node.js developer won’t be enough if you need to build brand-new software from scratch. You will need a QA engineer, a UI/UX designer, and probably front-end developers as well.
So, freelance developers are a good option if you need to fix some bugs or make minor changes in your software.
Pros
- Cheap.
- Many specialists are available.
Cons
- Developers may disappear at the worst possible time, which leads to delays in the development process.
- Contracts are not signed, and neither is a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
- Different time zones.
- Hard to manage the project (due to the remote location of a freelancer and their inability to meet all agreements, since no official documents are signed).
If you still think that a freelance developer if what you need, you can use the following platforms to find them:
In-House Developers
This is the best option if you want to easily manage the project and have developers always by your side.
In addition, you have direct access to all your employees and can monitor how well they are dealing with their tasks. Essentially, you hire local developers to work in your office every day.
But, at the same time, this option is the most expensive one. You need to pay rent, monthly salaries, taxes, buy equipment, and so on.
Pros
- Developers are always accessible.
- Good collaboration.
- The schedule is the same.
- No language barriers.
- Perfect for long-term projects.
Cons
- You need to interview each candidate.
- Monthly fixed salary to each specialist (even though some of them are not contributing to the fullest. That is, they may not be busy during the working day.).
- Additional expenses (office rent, taxes, hardware, software license).
To recruit in-house developers, you can use the following services:
Outsourcing Companies
This option is very popular today due to its availability and affordable costs. This approach can be used for small and large projects, so you can outsource software development to other regions.
Why is it so popular? First of all, you don’t need to pay any additional expenses such as rent, taxes, software licenses, hardware—only the hourly rates of the development team (or Node.js devs only).
Furthermore, the hourly rate in some regions can be much lower than the one in your country. This means you will be able to save on the development costs.
In addition, signing contracts, including NDAs, ensures a reliable workflow. So, you can hire one Node.js developer from the outsourcing company and not worry about the development process—your product will be built according to all your needs. Otherwise, penalties are to be applied to software developers.
Pros
- Reduced costs.
- No additional expenses.
- High-quality work.
- High experience level.
- Flexibility.
Cons
- Different time zones.
- Language barriers.
Arguably, these cons are not so significant. Many software development companies pay great attention to a good knowledge of English, and as a result, employees are expected to speak English at a high level.
The time zone issue can also be managed if you hire an experienced and reliable company.
To find good companies, use Clutch or GoodFirms resources. Every trustworthy company has its own profile there, and you can read reviews about them to hire the best one.
Hourly Rate of a Node.js a Developer
Finally, you need to estimate the budget for your project, so you need to know what the average hourly rate of Node.js developers in various regions is. You can find indicative rates below:
- North America offers $41-60 for junior devs, and $80-120 for middle/senior devs.
- Western Europe offers $61-80 for junior devs, and $81-100 for middle/senior devs.
- Eastern Europe offers $41-60 for junior devs, and $41-80 for middle/senior devs.
- Asia offers $41-60 for junior devs, and $61-80 for middle/senior devs.
- India offers $15-25 for both junior and middle/senior devs.
These rates, as well as all the important information mentioned above, will be a big help for you as you go about recruiting Node.js developers.
Keep Up With This Guide to Find the Best Node.js Developer
So, to understand more about Node.js development and what Node.js developers do, you should understand the roles and responsibilities necessary to implement Node.js tasks successfully.
Then, you can dig deeper into the skills of junior and middle/senior Node.js developers to see how skill level varies on different positions. It will help you make a decision about how experienced your Node.js dev should be.
After this, study interview questions to test both hard and soft skills of developers.
And last but not least—choose hiring options that are applicable in your specific case, like freelancers, in-house developers, or outsourcing companies. Also, investigate the hourly rates of Node.js developers in different regions, since the final cost is important.
Just use a smart recruiting process, and you will succeed!