Back End Developer

The back end of a website is made up of three components: server, application and database. A back end developer writes codes that connect and communicate website database information to the web browser.

Front end and back end development are intertwined in many ways. So it is necessary to have at least elementary understanding of front end technologies and development platforms such as JavaScript. It goes without saying that you need to be ‘fluent’ with back end programming language, such as PHP, Python or Ruby. There will be a lot of collaboration with front end developers and other engineers, so being able to communicate effectively is important.

The present day end users typically have high expectations of websites, especially on speed. If it takes relatively longer to load a page, chances are they will just close the page and look for other sources instead. It is the harsh reality. This is where back end developer wheels in. An outstanding back end developer will place a lot of emphasis on the website performance, be it on speed and responsiveness. The last thing you want is the end user to close the page or application before you can even show them what you have to offer.

It is a competitive industry and it can be rather stressful at times. Your work is not visually visible, but it is critical to the success of a website or application. Many find being a back end developer rewards them with immense job satisfaction, especially when the public finds the API they create is very useful.