Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
I am a big believer in mid-year resolutions. Making resolutions at the beginning of the year is great, but the chances are that your life has changed in 6 months and what was important 6 months ago is no longer applicable. You may have also lost track of something important and not fulfilled your goals as well as you would like. No matter what, chances are you are not 100% on track to reach those new year’s goals.
So why not take the time to reset and make some new resolutions for the rest of the year? While I was making some goals, I thought I would share some ideas that can help you with your mid-year resolutions.
Learn Parallel Skills
Knowing one language is rarely enough to be a complete developer. Only knowing Front-end JavaScript is also limiting. Yes, you can be a 100% Javascript developer using Node and mongo, but I highly recommend that you expand your skills and other languages. Josef Cruz made a great list over at JavaScript in Plain English that I highly recommend you check out.
Dive Deeper into JavaScript
Just like learning other parallel Skills is important, becoming an expert in one language is also important. If you consider yourself a JavaScript developer, then dive deep into that language. There a good books, like You Don’t Know JS, Yet. That really gives you a deep dive into the nuances of the language. The same can be said of Eloquent JavaScript.
Chances are, if you are writing any front-end code at all, you are using a framework like React or Vue. Challenge yourself to write the same thing using no Framework. This can really help you learn and understand the DOM APIs that most frameworks abstract away from us.
Use JavaScript in a New Way
Javascript is no longer a web-only language. Besides Node, you can use JavaScript to build many things. Tools like Electron.js let you build cross-platform desktop apps. React can be used to build native mobile apps and even VR apps. There is now a standard browser extension API to build browser extensions for the big 4 browsers.
In this same vein, I would also recommend looking into Web Assembly. Languages like Rust, Assembly Script, and even C can be compiled and run in the browser using WASM. There are some really cool things that we can do with that now, even play DOOM!
In short, diversify your skillset while still doubling down on your core technological skill: JavaScript. All these things will make you a better and more employable JavaScript Developer.
