The Full Stack Illusion
Tags: discuss, devjournal, webdev, inclusion
Published: 2021-03-13 01:59:50

Coming off yet another frustrating Full Stack interview, I wanted to engage the Dev community. Possibly find other developer's drowning in the same ocean I am. Suggestions, idea's, conversation and the all popular rant. 

If there are HR / tech interviewers reading this. Hopefully it might open your line of questioning to ensure you achieve the best talents in all layers of the full stack concept. 

After today's interview, this illusion of full stack is destructive. The question's, always the same. All algorithmic, all data structure, always obscure disconnected 'error' examples that are without context. Don't get me wrong, it's important to understand these concepts.

There is never any questioning about browser compatibility, no positioning or box model trip ups, no UI / UX related questions. CSS is absolutely discounted. No creative focus whatsoever, my resume shows that I have ThreeJS / WebGL and other canvas based technologies. No camera position, texture, layout or rendering issues. No X, Y, Z position related questions. Areas I would excel and ensure strong candidacy for a potential role with the company. Instead I am left with a huge sense of inadequacy because the interview focused solely on middle and back end only.

Full stack is a broad list of skill sets. It is a utility that extraordinary back end developers dared to venture into front end world. Talented, creative front end developers dared to reach into the back end. With libraries like React and Vue. There is now an enormous inert boulder thrown into the fray that is the intermediate layer.

With most jack-jill-or-jackill-of all trades, you specialize more or less in some areas. It's hard to be an expert in all areas of each stack. My area of expertise, all visual. Just like there are full stack devs out there who would run rings around me on the algorithmic questions. But will swear and rage obliterate their keyboard because there is a rogue 'div' not behaving as much as I will Nine Inch Nails my playlist because my ID's aren't matching what my database records should produce.

I am the dev you come to for a really complex multi state animated navigation system, GSAP is getting out of control. No worries, I'll build a library of re-usable animation functions to keep the bloat down. Need a custom grid system to house images, videos with comments revealing on hover. Absolutely. I gotcha. You want to experiment beyond the stars with anything visual. I am on it. I love visual development. It's why I list myself as UI / UX developer. I also love building fully involved applications.

My last ten interviews, not one of them had any relevant questioning on visual creative focus and not even a mention of animation development or creative ideation of possibilities. 

I am writing this from the vantage point of a UI developer, I am sure back end focused developers have points to share that I have missed. 

Please, don't say there is a framework for that. There is a point of being experts in a field that exceed what frameworks deliver. Frameworks are nice and efficient to have, but will never solve everything a project needs.

I look forward to hearing the thoughts and experiences of others. I am ranting at this point. Full Stop! I do advertise Dev on my resume. Ha!