If something has always been consistent since I started coding is that JavaScript never got off my way.

Adding up to this, JavaScript is by far my favorite programming language, second goes Python, and third place not found.

Current state in JavaScript

Undoubtedly, JavaScript is at the top of the list of trending programming languages for the last few years. More and more developers start using it, especially those who now take their first coding steps.

It's easy to explain this because JavaScript is a super easy-to-learn language. A few tutorials and you are ready to start building your first application or website.

Apart from the language itself, there's also traction with numerous JavaScript tools and libraries such as React, VueJS, Angular, NextJS or, Gatsby. This list could go on forever. That many are the available tools out there.

Making a flashback, to build a good-looking custom website with advanced functionalities had never been easier than it is today.

It only takes a couple of commands to have everything set up, such as:

$ npx create-react-app my-app
$ cd my-app
$ npm start

That's it. A React application is running and listening for changes. Then, we install one or two external libraries, write some React components, bundle the source code and we are ready to deploy.

Whoever reads this post and already knows, I admit that I may have oversimplified the whole process, but it pretty much works that way.

What are the Common Pitfalls ?

From personal experience, contributing to the hiring process of the companies I have worked with by attending the technical interviews, I came across a common symptom of developers who applied for JavaScript positions.

I noticed that many of the candidates blacked-out when asked to solve simple algorithmic problems using Vanilla JavaScript because they were familiar with building web apps using other tools and third-party libraries on top of JavaScript.

Developing websites or applications using a few commands as previously described is great but doesn't by itself make someone a JavaScript developer.

A JavaScript engineer would be good to know:

• What is ECMAScript and which are the supported features in each version ?

• Why do we run a script that builds our source code and how is it bundled under the hood ?

• Which part is transpiler-specific (i.e Babel, TypeScript) and which one is Vanilla JavaScript ?

Starting from the Basics

It's always a good practice to have a solid understanding of the language fundamentals before mastering a new tool or framework.

In terms of JavaScript, you should learn about primitive data types like Number or String and structural types such as Function and Object.

Eventually, you will have to load data from a server and handle asynchronous events, so have a look at the Promise object as well.

A JavaScript developer should be able to tell when to invoke .forEach(), .map() or .reduce() on an Array object.

Furthermore, it is also essential to read about prototypal inheritance, JavaScript closures and, how equality comparisons work.

All of the above are just a fraction of what a JavaScript developer must be aware of.

Closing note

There's always a "fake it till you make it" approach which I have also used in the past with significant results.

But to misunderstand the differences between a web developer and a JavaScript engineer is not the same.

Before applying for a JavaScript job position, make sure you know your craft and that you have the skills to develop solutions in Vanilla JavaScript.

Make sure you are aware of the best practices and which patterns you should avoid as well.

Spend some time on worthwhile Vanilla JavaScript tutorials and try to develop solutions with built-in JavaScript features.

After these steps, you are ready to master your skills on all these powerful frameworks and libraries that exist out there and start building awesome products on top of JavaScript technology stack.

As a takeaway note, you shouldn't underestimate JavaScript because it's a great programming language with many powerful features.

Thanks for reading!