Ask HN: Ready to leave front end behind. But where next? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Ready to leave front end behind. But where next?

3 pointsjohnwhitely20169 comments

I'm about 10 yrs into a frontend career, and I'm at the end of my rope.

I work at a WordPress agency doing 95% of my work at the very front of frontend — css/html/ui js. I'm so tired of nudging things 1px this way and 2px that way, I could scream when I see another QA ticket come in.

I'm realizing now that without setting any actual long-term goals, I'll be doing this forever. So I'm determined to set some actual goals and try and get somewhere new.

Trouble is, I feel frozen with self-doubt. I'm really struggling to figure out where to go next. Maybe I'm burned out, maybe I can't see the road ahead? Maybe I'm just burned out with agency life? I don't know. I'd really, really appreciate some new perspectives.

In my head, I'm constantly going back and forth — Try rails! Stay in JS-land! Keep doing React! Keep doing Vue! You'll never master backend, just give up! etc

What do I know?

I’m solid on all frontend stuff — css/html/js/WP. Intermediate with React and Vue

Time

With young kids and a full-time job, I only have about 1-2hrs a day to devote.

Options include?

1. Move up the stack, away from CSS and towards the middle of the frontend. I don't see this job anywhere at my current company, so I have trouble imagining what it would even look like.

2. Try backend. I've never BE. I'm playing with Rails at the moment, just because I played with it about 10 yrs ago and recall liking it a bit. At this point, I really don't know if BE is "for me" at all.

3. Since I know JS, maybe I should dip into Node?

4. Maybe I should focus all my energy into React or Vue? I worry about getting sucked back into the frontend/css vortex on this path though.

5. PHP since I’m at a WP shop already?

I'm not the sharpest frontender on the team, so that's where my doubts about BE come from. It seems like it'd be harder than frontend .....but maybe that's just because I haven't spent any dedicated time learning BE.

I'm not going to suggest the back end environment because that will ultimately be what works for you. But where to start, would be something that you know or that interests you.

If you do front end work and have access to the back end of it you might start there, because then you don't have to learn the elements and how data is collected/presented just how its organized and processed.

If its something you like or are interested in then dream up how you would do it. You can start with sketching out your front end screens and then think of what needs to be stored and what needs to be done to get whatever you want from it.

Of course there is a lot more to back-end databases, data schema, use considerations, etc. If it something you know and like then you have got something to keep you interested as you go about problem solving and learning.

Depending on the subject (mapping, games, stock market, whatever) and method of how/where the data needs to be accessed/stored/retrieved will go a long way to help you determine the best back-end environment.

Great answer. Thank you so much for taking the time!

I would stick it out and switch teams or companies.

After 10 years, that probably puts you at the beginning of the 'less employable' age range. Starting over will require a substantial pay cut and may not be easy - nobody wants entry-level people.

If you do decide to switch, I would try to do it internally at the current company (whatever tech they have). Or pick the most common (employable) tech in your area.

Sobering thought to be getting to the less employable age range! 40th birthday coming up! Appreciate the reply!

I feel less employable and I'm about a decade younger.

Depending on your time horizon for retirement, I'd just stick it out. What's another decade of a job you hate?! - based on my own situation with at least 20 years to go.

Can I ask what you do enjoy about front end dev? It might impact the answer.

I only had 2000 chars in the original post so I had to make cuts. I suspect I've cut some important context! The most enjoyable stuff I've done in the past few years has been with Vue and React. I've done a little of both at work and on side projects, but these projects at work are really uncommon — like once in a year sort of things.

If I'm being honest, I'm not even begrudging these experiences — I have actually, legitimately enjoyed them.

My main motivation in getting away from frontend is really getting away from client-driven front-of-frontend stuff. Constant, pointless, niggly changes. That kind of stuff.

Working with an interactive component with Vue/React, and/or working with api data definitely has been actual fun.

Appreciate your reply!

> Working with an interactive component with Vue/React, and/or working with api data definitely has been actual fun.

That kind of says it, doesn't it? Try to get better knowledge with Vue/React and land a job at a product company with a cool application that you like. The problems there are much more interesting than "nudging things 1px this way and 2px that way". I can tell that because I'm a frontend engineer myself.

Best of luck!

Try working for a product company instead of an agency?

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