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What "Full Stack" Really Means
Published 15 days ago • 5 min read
Helping you learn practical, straightforward methods to boost your soft skills and enhance your career as a software engineer.
Weekly Newsletter
January 21st, 2025
What "Full-Stack" Really Means
You've undoubtedly seen the term "full-stack developer" everywhere. At a high level, it means someone who can work on both front-end and back-end systems.
Unfortunately, "full stack" often means vastly different things to different companies. Check out these job descriptions...
A full-stack job description can vary wildly in responsibilities and scope.
They are all presented as "full-stack," but some reference AWS, others mention containers, and others focus more on data layers. How can you position yourself for a role when the definition varies wildly by company?
We will explain how to decode full-stack job descriptions, relate your experience to the role, and present yourself as the perfect fit—even if your experience isn't a 100% match.
Why Full-Stack Job Descriptions Differ
Each company's view of a full-stack developer varies based on its specific needs and context. Factors such as industry, technology stack, and unique challenges play a significant role. Here are a few areas that shape what constitutes a full-stack developer:
1. Team Size
At smaller companies, being a full-stack means being a generalist. You might design the UI, build APIs, and handle deployments.
In contrast, larger teams often split responsibilities, so "full stack" might mean working mainly on APIs with some front-end collaboration.
2. Product Focus
A customer-facing product will generally demand more focus on a polished front end. A data-heavy internal system will often require expertise in back-end and database development.
3. Tooling Preferences
Job descriptions often hint at priorities:
• Front-end focus: React, Angular, Vue.js
• Back-end focus: Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Django
• Infrastructure focus: AWS, Docker, Kubernetes
Takeaway: Start by looking for the company's main area of focus within the job description—front end, back end, infrastructure, customer-facing, etc. This will help you tailor your resumé and cover letter.
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How to Read Between the Lines in Job Descriptions
Job descriptions usually list "must haves" and "nice to haves," but they don't always make it clear which skills or responsibilities are the true priorities.
It's up to you to read between the lines and figure out where to focus your energy when tailoring your resume and cover letter.
Here's how you can uncover what's most important:
What types of tools are referenced?
The role is likely front-end heavy if a posting lists React, CSS, and Figma. If it mentions REST APIs, databases, or GraphQL, it's probably back-end focused. References to Docker, Jenkins, or AWS? Expect infrastructure responsibilities, too.
What are the essential areas to focus on?
Job descriptions often contain lengthy lists of "nice-to-haves." It's important to concentrate on the required skills, as they reflect the role's core responsibilities.
For instance, if a position emphasizes front-end frameworks and REST APIs but does not mention deployment tools, you should center your narrative on front-end and back-end integration rather than DevOps.
Takeaway: Job descriptions often leave room for interpretation, but you can pinpoint the role's true focus by identifying tool priorities, required skills, and repeated themes.
How to Position Yourself for Full-Stack Roles
Even if your experience doesn't perfectly match the job description, you can still stand out by framing your skills.
Show Both Range and Depth
Highlight work across the stack while emphasizing areas you excel in:
Front-end: "Built a React-based dashboard that improved user engagement by 20%."
Back-end: "Designed a Node.js API that reduced query respons" time by 30%."
Infrastructure: "Deployed a scalable app on AWS, handling 50,00" daily users."
Focus on Outcomes
Hiring managers care about impact, not just tech jargon. Frame your experience in terms of results.
Instead of "Built a REST API" with Node" js," say, "Created a REST API that reduced page load times by 40% and supported 100k "monthly users."
Prepare STAR Stories
Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to explain how you solved problems across the stack." For example:
"When tasked with integrating a new payment system, I built a secure API, connected it to our front-end app, and decreased transaction errors by 15%."
Full-stack roles can feel daunting because every company defines them differently, but you don't need to check every box to stand out. The key is understanding what the company values most and tailoring your experience to match.
Take a moment to review your skills. What parts of the stack do you excel in? Where can you improve? By presenting your range and focusing on impact, you'll prove you can thrive in any full-stack role.
If you're preparing for a role or building your portfolio, I'd love to hear what challenges you're facing. Please reply to this email, and let's figure it out together.
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Learn practical, straightforward methods to boost your soft skills and enhance your career as a software engineer because you are so much more than a developer.