Frontend Dev with 6 Years Experience - Which Career Path Should I Choose?

Frontend
1

Hi folks,

Looking for some guidance on my career direction. Need help deciding what to prioritize in today’s job market.

I’ve got 6 years under my belt, mainly doing frontend work with React. Right now I’m working as a fullstack dev at a pretty secure company (multinational corporation, should be stable for at least another year). The salary is decent but nothing amazing. My performance review comes up in April, so I’ve got about 6-7 months to get ready for job hunting. I’m feeling pretty lost about what direction to take my career next. I really enjoy being an individual contributor and honestly my people skills could use some work.

Here’s where I’m at with different tech areas:

  • Algorithms & Data Structures - Pretty solid here. I’ve worked through about 500 coding challenges. Will need maybe a month to get back in shape. My plan is to tackle 1-2 problems daily over the coming months.
  • Frontend Development - Planning to dive deep here since you don’t use all the theory daily and there’s tons of new tech emerging constantly.
  • Backend Development - This is where I really struggle. Feel like I’m missing even the fundamentals.
  • System Architecture - Another weak spot. I’d basically be starting from zero.

I’m thinking about these possible paths:

  1. Try to move into a tech lead position? Maybe stick around my current job for another 1-2 years first?
  2. Look for another individual contributor role in 6 months?
  3. Try breaking into European or American startup scene, maybe starting with freelance work?
  4. Go all-in preparing for big tech companies?

I know that working on one skill doesn’t make the others pointless, just want some thoughts on where to put my energy.

Thanks for any advice!

2

you’re overthinking this. with 6 years of experience and solid algo skills, you’re already ahead of most devs. i’d skip the tech lead path since you mentioned people skills need work - focus on strengthening your backend knowledge instead. european startups are booming right now if you’re open to remote work, and they care more about what you can actually build than perfect system design knowledge.

3

Your six years in frontend development provide a strong foundation for your next career move. Given your proficiency in algorithms and React, pursuing either an individual contributor role or preparing for opportunities in big tech would be wise instead of aiming for a leadership position immediately. It’s common for frontend developers to feel less confident in backend and system architecture; with some dedicated effort, you can improve in these areas. Target positions that value your frontend skills while offering the opportunity to expand your full-stack capabilities. Leverage your practical experience; it often holds significant value in the job market.

4

Interesting situation! What projects get you most excited - user-facing features or backend infrastructure? And when you say you’re struggling with backend fundamentals, which parts feel most intimidating right now?