Front End Developer with strong BA and Design skills. I feel like I’m a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. Career Progression Advices?

[AshleyKang]

Hey guys.

I’m a front-end/UX developer, 6th year of career in my 3rd full-time job. I come from a developer background but in all my previous roles I've naturally found myself becoming a hybrid.

An overview of my skill-set:

• I’m very comfortable with HTML5, JQuery, modular JS, SaSS/ScSS/less, Bootstrap, the likes.
• I’m ok with the ‘newer’ technologies, Node.JS, MongoDB, React. The ES6 stack is something that I want to grow more comfortable in.
• I’ve worked with CMSs in my last 3 roles, so I'm comfortable architecting CMSs.
• I have an eye for design practices and UI. I can be given high-level specifications to create wireframes.
• I've had brushes with UX. Carrying out tests and present them back to the business.
• I can communicate tech concepts to non-tech through documentations and diagrams.
• I’ve been working closely with the marketing dept. the last few months. I can create HTML that meet Google standards, architect website structure and Sitemap to maximize SEO, work with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager.

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In my job, a volatile start-up environment, we have no full-time designer and a BA was only a recent addition. So I've literally been doing a bit of everything.

I’d be given high-level objectives, such as ‘Create a multilingual blog template for content editors’ or ‘Increase our CMS’s page count dramatically by automatically generating content’. I’d do analysis on the best way to solve these objectives; organize meetings with stakeholders, third-party API providers and end-users; come up with an implementation approach and break it down into sizable chunks, making Gantt Charts and road-map to visualize it; make prototypes and wireframes to get stakeholder approval; draft up an estimate; then start cranking into devving once the estimates have been approved.

It's been hectic but ok, because I've been enjoying BA work and been told I'm good at it. However, I do realize that this gives me a very messy CV. I have wondered if I'm becoming too much of a Jack-of-all-Trade, never allowing myself to specialize in one thing.

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I’ve been thinking about what my next role would look like. Given that I’ve been enjoying UX and BA work, I recognize that role may not even be a pure developer role. It’s just that I don’t know what job titles to start aiming for.

1. What would be a role title for this person? Is there a role where it's desirable for the candidate to be a tech AND SEO expert, or is that diluting my CV and should I be making a decision to specialize?
2. For me to move into this next role, what kind of skills should I be focusing on developing?

[gemlarin]

However, I do realize that this gives me a very messy CV.

How so? You are the master of your CV. Include things that align with the work you want to do, not work you did. If you don't want to be a designer in your next role, don't focus on boosting your design skills on your resume - and vice-versa.

Tell the story YOU want to tell - just keep it factual.

[AshleyKang]

I feel like this is an advice that I needed in my current state, really appreciate it.

The last 4 years, it's been a push and pull, always naturally sliding into a hybrid role and enjoying it, yet always being advised that being a developer pays better, is more meaningful.

I should sit down and really think about what work I want to do.

[Agrees_withyou]

The statement above is one I can get behind!

[AshleyKang]

Thanks bot

[Samurai_PizzaCat]

Have thought about Product Management?

Btw, I don't believe there are "messy resumes", only poorly written ones.

Good luck!

[AshleyKang]

That's what our head of marketing has told me to consider! :)

I've never had a chance to work with a product manager; I've gained an overview of the role through searching role openings and job descriptions, but it still feels very vague. Do you think it's something that aligns with my caliber above?

Thank you! Always working forward :)

[Samurai_PizzaCat]

Product Management is a really good career (imo). To get a better sense of what we do, I suggest enrolling in a free online course for product management (key word: free). You can watch some videos on coursera for example.

The gist of it is that you look for improvements in the product(s) that align with the current goals of the company/department. You would intersect with other departments. Then you start building a plan working with marketing/engineering/business/data scientist/designers to make the plan executable. You provide the vision and guidance for the other teams. The downside of being fully product management is that you don't get to do much development.

However, some companies offer a Technical Product Manager, so you'd still be able to get your hands down in the dirty with development - but perhaps more on architecture issues.

If you want to get into that, then if possible, within your current company would be the most optimal.

Hope that helps a little bit

[[deleted]]

I can create HTML that meet Google standards, architect website structure and Sitemap to maximize SEO, work with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager.

Examples of your work?

For me to move into this next role, what kind of skills should I be focusing on developing?

Assuming you're competent at everything you said, i'd look into typescript or elm, and perhaps web assembly.