I am a Django developer new to Backend development. I know Frontend and UI/UX Devs advertise their portfolio site but for backend it isn't the same or let me say I haven't seen it. So, Backend Devs in the house how do you advertise yourself potential employers or for potential gigs?

Stanliwise Qtguru Karleb

Django is bad market o.

tensazangetsu20:
Django is bad market o.

Bro let's forget about how Django is bad market besides I am not targeting the Nigerian market. My question is how do you market your skills to potential employers as a Backend Dev?

nobody01:


Bro let's forget about how Django is bad market besides I am not targeting the Nigerian market. My question is how do you market your skills to potential employers as a Backend Dev?

Even abroad it's bad market. How do you market what doesn't have any demand. For beginners, you also do the same thing as frontend Devs. Projects.

nobody01:
I am a Django developer new to Backend development. I know Frontend and UI/UX Devs advertise their portfolio site but for backend it isn't the same or let me say I haven't seen it. So, Backend Devs in the house how do you advertise yourself potential employers or for potential gigs?

Stanliwise

To advertise your skill it is majorly by using your GitHub page. As a backend dev you must have portfolio that showcase brilliance implementation of business logic and unique application logic implementation in areas like
Mailing
CRUD operation
Payment gateway
Api oriented application
File management and processing
Etc

Using recent skill set and style like:
OOP
MVC architecture
Design patterns
Well the above is not a necessity except you’re working with in a team of large amount of developers

Or you could build a uncommon app like engines(game or graphics), payment gateway, library to abstract process complications etc.

Backend is beautiful but only to those who know what it is.

Avoid touting yourself for roles with
Web developer tag
Web designer
Programmer
If you do be ready to explain yourself that you’re a backend niche

Ensure you many times apply for roles with backend developer as their name and read the specifications to ensure it fit your stack.

tensazangetsu20:

Even abroad it's bad market. How do you market what doesn't have any demand. For beginners, you also do the same thing as frontend Devs. Projects.

I made some research though before I dabbled into it

nobody01:


I made some research though before I dabbled into it

Your research wasn't deep enough. Please do more before going really deep into it so you don't regret it especially as a beginner.

stanliwise:

To advertise your skill it is majorly by using your GitHub page. As a backend dev you must have portfolio that showcase brilliance implementation of business logic and unique application logic implementation in areas like
Mailing
CRUD operation
Payment gateway
Api oriented application
File management and processing

Using recent skill set and style like:
OOP
MVC architecture
Design patterns
etc

Or you could build a uncommon app like engines(game or graphics), payment gateway, library to abstract process complications etc.

Backend is beautiful but only to those who know what it is.

Avoid touting yourself for roles with
Web developer tag
Web designer
Programmer
If you do be ready to explain yourself that you’re a backend niche

Ensure you many times apply for roles with backend developer as their name and read the specifications to ensure it fit your stack.

Thank you for the advise

Omo, it's hard o!

Apply only to jobs targeted at backend engineers. I once attended an interview were the test was divided into two, the front-end and the backend. Some companies are still sane enough to know the difference and when you go for interviews, tell them that you don't do front-end.

There was a time Cowyrise were looking for Django developers.


Showcasing your backend skills is actually very hard in s world where everything is about React. If you are not being interviewed by a technical person they might think you don't know anything because all they care about is animations and carousel.

I made a post about this here around last year.

They don't care whether the SQL queries are optimized, whether your tables are normalized or your form safe of SQL injections or CSRF protected or whether you're caching or not saving files in your database. As long as your pages are not dancing and singing then you are not good to them.

Karleb:
Omo, it's hard o!

When you look at a job like this and you walk pass

Django +
React +
Rails +
Laravel +

But see a job like this

Need to handle complex payment splits with Stripe
Retrieve and compare prices in Ebay and Amazon, display in Google Sheets with hourly updates.
.... .. etc

So If you need backend jobs, you have to talk about your experience with Linux OS (Debian/Ubuntu), API's (REST & GraphQL), DB's (Postgres & Mongo & MySQL )

Backend more about "integration". So, you talk about .. how you used data from A, B, and C to help D do something in E.

If your doing backend, just drop Vscode and switch to VIM, it will help. My code quality has improved a ton. Those fancy GUI's obfuscate alot of unreadable code.

Checkout these old books - Study the "coupling" parts.
A practical guide to structured systems design
Structured design - Edward Yourdon
Reliable software through composite design.

More fun reading old books
Writings of the revolution - Edward Yourdon

A thoughts from my quote lib:
As to method, there may be a million and them some but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. - Emerson.

WrksOnMyMachine:


When you look at a job like this and you walk pass

Django +
React +
Rails +
Laravel +

But see a job like this

Need to handle complex payment splits with Stripe
Retrieve and compare prices in Ebay and Amazon, display in Google Sheets with hourly updates.
.... .. etc

So If you need backend jobs, you have to talk about your experience with Linux OS (Debian/Ubuntu), API's (REST & GraphQL), DB's (Postgres & Mongo & MySQL )

Backend more about "integration". So, you talk about .. how you used data from A, B, and C to help D do something in E.

If your doing backend, just drop Vscode and switch to VIM, it will help. My code quality has improved a ton. Those fancy GUI's obfuscate alot of unreadable code.

Checkout these old books - Study the "coupling" parts.
A practical guide to structured systems design
Structured design - Edward Yourdon
Reliable software through composite design.

More fun reading old books
Writings of the revolution - Edward Yourdon

A thoughts from my quote lib:
As to method, there may be a million and them some but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. - Emerson.

I wouldn't advice anyone choose vim over VSCode/Sublime.

Vim is generally not used by a lot of professionals because it makes things harder, I'd even choose Nano over vim. You don't necessarily need experience with all backend tools to be a backend engineer.

Forget job requirements, most actual jobs need only a set of tools. In fact, job requirements and interviews are mostly harder than actual jobs.

You advertise by building a project with your chosen backend stack and then in your portfolio website you explain in detail what the project is about, the tech stack used, key features etc. But you have to talk about the backend features more. Then you add a link to the project.

In my first backend interview I was asked some general questions related to my programming language of choice and then backend specific questions, after which I was asked about the last backend project I did.

I and the interviewer spent the rest of the interview reviewing that project: discussing why I implemented xyz in a certain way, the drawbacks and advantages of that approach, and how I could have implemented it better. The interviewer completely ignored the frontend part of that project.

spartan117:
You advertise by building a project with your chosen backend stack and then in your portfolio website you explain in detail what the project is about, the tech stack used, key features etc. But you have to talk about the backend features more. Then you add a link to the project.

In my first backend interview I was asked some general questions related to my programming language of choice and then backend specific questions, after which I was asked about the last backend project I did.

I and the interviewer spent the rest of the interview reviewing that project: discussing why I implemented xyz in a certain way, the drawbacks and advantages of that approach, and how I could have implemented it better. The interviewer completely ignored the frontend part of that project.

Bro, you get luck o.

I've never had this kind of interview. Na HR dey interview since.

Karleb:


Bro, you get luck o.

I've never had this kind of interview. Na HR dey interview since.

Nawao
All the few interviews wey I don do, na the CTO of the company conduct am but HR still dey there sha.

tensazangetsu20:

Your research wasn't deep enough. Please do more before going really deep into it so you don't regret it especially as a beginner.

I think there's a job for every developer regardless of their stack. I have seen folks get gigs with Go, so Django should have some opportunities out there. All the same thanks for the advise.

Karleb:
Omo, it's hard o!

Apply only to jobs targeted at backend engineers. I once attended an interview were the test was divided into two, the front-end and the backend. Some companies are still sane enough to know the difference and when you go for interviews, tell them that you don't do front-end.

There was a time Cowyrise were looking for Django developers.


Showcasing your backend skills is actually very hard in s world where everything is about React. If you are not being interviewed by a technical person they might think you don't know anything because all they care about is animations and carousel.

I made a post about this here around last year.

They don't care whether the SQL queries are optimized, whether your tables are normalized or your form safe of SQL injections or CSRF protected or whether you're caching or not saving files in your database. As long as your pages are not dancing and singing then you are not good to them.

I have about the bolded a lot, in fact it was an argument on Twitter that only technical Devs should interview for technical roles and not HRs. I am also side learning React and some other Frontend skils(just the basics though to understand those I will be working with in future). Thanks for your contribution.

spartan117:
You advertise by building a project with your chosen backend stack and then in your portfolio website you explain in detail what the project is about, the tech stack used, key features etc. But you have to talk about the backend features more. Then you add a link to the project.

In my first backend interview I was asked some general questions related to my programming language of choice and then backend specific questions, after which I was asked about the last backend project I did.

I and the interviewer spent the rest of the interview reviewing that project: discussing why I implemented xyz in a certain way, the drawbacks and advantages of that approach, and how I could have implemented it better. The interviewer completely ignored the frontend part of that project.

This is the dream of almost every Backend Dev

Hello, I'm grateful you created this thread. Not too long I saw a front end developer created his portfolio and I was wondering how I would create mine too.

I'm into backend development using python (Django framework).

How has your journey so far as a django back-end developer?? You change stack or what??

A thread for backend devs finally

Very good thread. The best way to create portfolio is to get some basic frontend projects and creste some advanced backend services for them. As a backend engineer you are more invested in the software development of things rather than design stuff. So your codes in git are enough. Also do well to read the job description to ensure that you are not applying for full stack position. Therefore your keywords should be the frameworks, django, spring boot, node, c++ and not backend. Because backend will bring up positions that require your knowledge of frontend.

jesmond3945:
Very good thread. The best way to create portfolio is to get some basic frontend projects and creste some advanced backend services for them. As a backend engineer you are more invested in the software development of things rather than design stuff. So your codes in git are enough. Also do well to read the job description to ensure that you are not applying for full stack position. Therefore your keywords should be the frameworks, django, spring boot, node, c++ and not backend. Because backend will bring up positions that require your knowledge of frontend.

Alright... thanks for adding yours

Kvngfrosh:
A thread for backend devs finally

What's your tech stack for backend jobs??

tensazangetsu20:
Django is bad market o.

He should now learn PHP abi

jbreezy:
He should now learn PHP abi

PHP?? I thought some big tech gaint like Google stop using it for new projects cause of security issues among others.

Even some tech influentials won't advice coders use it for new tech projects only on maintaining already existing infrastructures

Runningwater:


PHP?? I thought some big tech gaint like Google stop using it for new projects cause of security issues among others.

Even some tech influentials won't advice coders use it for new tech projects only on maintaining already existing infrastructures

That is always his advice. Always bullshitting other backend languages, and encouraging people to learn PHP. PHP for this our time

jbreezy:
That is always his advice. Always bullshitting other backend languages, and encouraging people to learn PHP. PHP for this our time

Anyways, everybody has right to use his/her preferred tech stack.

I just remembered what my brother told me about following the trends. He said "imagine those COBOL coders who refuse to improve on their tech stack, how partially not useful they'll be now, so the lesson is always follow the trends where the future lies"

Tech is an always changing field... tomorrow it might be julia or golang or rust or even GitHub Copilot