Front-end Career: Advantages and Disadvantages

The front-end career offers many advantages, such as salary and relatively low competition for jobs. However, it also has its disadvantages, particularly related to stress.

In our previous post, we discussed what front-end development is. Now, let's explore some advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a front-end career in Brazil.

Before We Begin

Currently, the world is experiencing an economic crisis, leading to companies laying off employees. As a result, job opportunities have decreased, investments have dwindled, and wages have declined. It's not uncommon to find hundreds or even thousands of applicants for middle or senior developer positions. We must remember that these circumstances are a reflection of the ongoing crisis.

Advantages

Developers, whether specializing in front-end or back-end, consistently rank among the most in-demand tech professionals. For example, the Brazilian Association of Information Technology Companies (Brasscom) expects approximately 700,000 job opportunities in Brazil alone by 2025. As of May 30, 2023, there were 1.276 open positions when searching for "Desenvolvedor front-end" (front-end developer in Portuguese). Additionally, Brasscom estimates a total investment of R$666 billion in Brazil by 2026.

Moreover, Brasscom reports that the average salary for developers ranges from R$4,000 to R$5,000 per month. Junior developers can to earn between R$2,000 and R$4,000, while senior developers receive salaries of R$5,000 to R$10,000 or more, depending on the company. In other words, developers enjoy competitive salaries.

Work flexibility is another significant advantage. Many employers allow their employees to choose their work hours and location, whether at the company premises or remotely. However, due to the current crisis, some employers have reduced work flexibility, transitioning from remote work to hybrid or on-site arrangements.

Additionally, the field of software development is unregulated when it comes to employment requirements. Formal certifications or licenses are not mandatory, enabling individuals to enter the field without a course certificate or college degree. This means that many people can become developers by studying hard with a teacher or being self-taught.

Lastly, being a developer can be both enjoyable and challenging.

Disadvantages

Despite the numerous advantages, a career in front-end development can be difficult due to several factors.

Firstly, there is an overwhelming amount of things to learn, with new technologies and updates emerging daily. It's impossible to learn everything without experiencing stress. We must acknowledge that it's not feasible to keep up with all novelties.

Secondly, workdays can be stressful, involving complex tasks and long meetings. Spending approximately 8 hours a day in front of a computer screen can lead to physical and mental fatigue. This sedentary and stressful nature of the work can take its toll.

Additionally, deadlines can be very short, with some managers attempting to reduce task durations in the sprint phase of the Scrum framework, effectively forcing developers to accomplish more in less time.

Job requirements often include unnecessary and exaggerated expectations, making it challenging for candidates to meet all the criteria.

Moreover, there is a real issue of undervaluation in terms of compensation, this occurs at the same time that some job opportunities are well paid. Many companies pay developers less than what they deserve, sometimes offering salaries near the minimum wage threshold.

Furthermore, to excel in this career, one must have a genuine interest in the field, the technologies, and the ecosystem surrounding it. Without sufficient passion and dedication, studying and improving may become difficult.

Lastly, there are limited job opportunities for beginners due to various reasons. As more individuals are learning software development or changing careers, competition increases. The figure below illustrates this situation. Additionally, Gregory Witek explains other

contributing factors in his article Why nobody hires junior developers and what happens next.

Going Beyond

In the next article, I'll explain why starting with front-end development is a recommended choice, as well as why one should consider not beginning with back-end development.

Credits

Vector in the top right corner of the cover image: by Freepik.