Front-end Market in 2012: What has changed in the past two years?

Originally published in issue #91 of Wide Magazine in July 2012.

Some time ago, there were professionals in the front-end field who were limited to writing HTML and CSS, while project managers on the other side were unaware of or paid little attention to the front-end professional in their team. However, in the last two years, this profession has developed significantly in Brazil, and the level of demand for these professionals has also increased.

To apply for positions in large companies, it is essential to have knowledge of software engineering as applied to front-end development. This includes having a good understanding of source code organization, modeling, automated testing, refactoring, version control, and quality assurance. Additionally, it is important to have knowledge in other areas, such as human-computer interaction, client-side performance, security, and accessibility.

Those seeking to excel in this profession must have an excellent level of knowledge in JavaScript, as it is increasingly important and a mandatory requirement in most job applications, both in Brazil and abroad. This language has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by the need for developing more complex products and interacting with the new APIs of HTML5. Additionally, it is recommended to study at least one server-side language, as it can be a distinguishing factor for many companies. For example, Python is a significant advantage at Globo.com, while PHP is valuable for Yahoo and Facebook, and Ruby is for Twitter.

Always keep in mind that you will need to master certain peculiarities that server-side developers, in general, may not be familiar with, such as JavaScript or CSS performance, browser APIs, cross-browser issues, responsive layouts, and reducing HTML bloat.

Fortunately, the Brazilian market is starting to view front-end developers in a more favorable light, and several organizations now offer them the same salary range as backend developers. However, the average compensation is still lower compared to abroad. In other countries, this profile is highly valued and in great demand as well. It's worth noting that many professionals consider migrating not only due to higher remuneration but also in search of better living conditions. Sadly, it is not uncommon for us to continue losing talented professionals to overseas opportunities.