It is not unusual to go from hobbyist to full-stack programmer. Programming is one skill that can be learned as a hobby. You might have a clever idea for a script that will make your life easier, or you just want to customize the way your computer operates. You experiment with code until you get it working. As you become more experienced and interested, you might begin to plan your scripts and programs. You add comments. Reducing redundant code. Making it more attractive. You are far from being a full-stack programmer. To do that, you must think bigger and wider. It is important to understand how all parts fit together and not just one piece.
A typical hobbyist project
This article might make you wonder if you are a hobbyist. It all comes down to how many projects you have worked on and not your programming skills. You can be the most skilled programmer in the world with flawless, efficient code that never makes a mistake or has any bugs. You could still be working on hobbyist projects. Maybe you have a program that takes data from an Excel sheet and runs analytics to determine how successful it was. The output is then given to your company. Maybe you have even created a graphical user interface. If all the code is in one place, and you have control over it, then it’s not a full stack project. It lacks interaction with other code. If a program links to an SQL database and is constantly receiving data from another program, it’s called a full-stack program. You will need an API to call information three different sources and combine them for your calculations. You need both the front-end and back end systems to work in tandem.
What is a technology stack?
It’s a combination software, databases, and programming languages. It’s a collection of parts that can be combined to make your life easier. They include both the front-end and back-end components. Learn more about the MERN stack on our blog. How can you go from hobbyist to full-stack programmer? It’s really quite simple.
Learn multiple languages
Hobbyist developers are limited to one language. It doesn’t matter if they are proficient in Python or C#, this is the only language they know. Developers need to know at minimum two languages to be able use a framework such as MERN. Often, it is three. It’s easier to learn another language once you have mastered one language. The logic and key principles are almost identical between major languages. Python, JavaScript, and any other C language are the most popular languages to learn.
Number of Programming Language Job Openings

Learn how to use libraries and frameworks
A library is a collection of functions and code you can add to your program to perform tasks that would be too difficult to accomplish on your own. You don’t need to program the search functionality yourself if you are scanning through a lot of text documents. There will be a library. Libraries exist for almost everything, including graphic interfaces and networking computers. Frameworks, on the other hand, are a collection of tools that can be used to assist with a specific task. Express.js is a web framework that can be found in the MERN stack. This framework includes everything you need to host your website and automate the tasks.
Learn how to use databases
It is not enough to just code. It is important to understand how the data is stored and how you can work with it. How can you use that data? SQL is a common database. However, it has its own language that you will need to learn. Databases are essential for any programming project. You will need to practice if you haven’t used one before. Nearly every project will require a database at one point or another, even if it’s to store customer information.
As a team
The size of the projects is what makes the difference between a hobbyist or a full-stack programmer. With larger projects comes larger teams. You must not only learn to use other people’s code (e.g. APIs or libraries), but also to be comfortable with it. You also need to learn how you can work together on the same code as a colleague. Can you work together to plan the program? Can you justify your choices Can you make it simple for them to change and read, in the event that you become ill or leave? This means you must be able understand the entire process. It is important to understand how your code connects with theirs.
You will be working on a large project
Experience is the best way to make this transition. Learn three languages, get hands-on experience in a project, and see the process from beginning to end. Join our bootcamp.