Node.js Developers Hiring Guide

When you need to execute JavaScript outside of a browser

There are over 1.9 billion websites across the globe. Of those billions of sites, 95% of them use JavaScript. One of the biggest reasons for this is because JavaScript is so easy to learn. Not only that, but JavaScript caters to developers of all skill levels. Couple that with JavaScript’s ability to run anywhere, its adherence to standards, and the many frameworks that extend its features, and you have the making for a seriously popular programming language.

So where does Node.js come into play? It’s all about execution. Where JavaScript is limited to execution within a web browser, Node.js makes it possible for that same code to execute outside of the browser. Node.js accomplishes this by being a back-end JavaScript runtime environment. Using the V8 runtime engine, JavaScript is capable of running outside of the web browser, which makes the language incredibly flexible.

Node.js is also very fast, lightweight, scalable, and efficient. It’s also one of the world’s largest ecosystems of open-source libraries.

But why would you need to run JavaScript outside of the web browser? Simply put, when JavaScript is limited to running inside a web browser, it’s seriously limited. When you break the execution free from the constraints of the web browser, you open the language up to so much more. Unlike JavaScript, Node.js can:

Generate dynamic page content.
Create, open, read, write, delete, and close files on a server.
Collect form data.
Add, delete, and modify data in your database.

Thanks to those abilities, you can build much more than just web applications with Node.js. In fact, you can build the following types of applications:

IoT apps
Real-time chat apps
Single Page Applications
Real-time collaboration tools
Streaming apps
Microservices

And with Node.js, you’re not just limited to building a single type of application. You can also build hybrid apps, REST APIs, and desktop applications. So Node.js is incredibly flexible. Unlike JavaScript, which is limited to running within a web browser, Node.js can take that JavaScript code and run it just about anywhere.

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So why does your company need to turn its focus on Node.js developers? First off, given how popular JavaScript is (thanks to the widespread deployment of web apps), extending that language beyond the web browser makes it possible for your company to take advantage of a very large pool of outstanding developers.

If you're curious as to what companies are already using Node.js, you'll find a treasure trove of Fortune 500 companies, such as:

LinkedIn
Netflix
Uber
Trello
PayPal
NASA
eBay
Medium
Groupon
Walmart
Mozilla
GoDaddy

If Node.js is worthy of the above list, it can help your company make inroads to progress and expand your offerings.

And the benefits of Node.js are plenty:

Using Node.js as a backend, you gain the benefits of a full JavaScript development stack.
Better efficiency and developer productivity
Code refactoring
Speed and performance
Plenty of free tools
Fast processing and event-based modeling
Scalable enough for microservices
Plenty of corporate support
JSON support
Faster time to market for apps

How difficult is it to find good Node.js developers?

Thanks to the popularity of JavaScript and the widespread need for multiplatform applications, Node.js has become incredibly important for businesses. That translates to an easy win for any company looking to hire Node.js developers.

Remember how many websites there are, and the percent of sites that use JavaScript? Although Node.js is only used by 1.3% of websites, there are 1.86 billion websites, so that means there are over 2.4 million websites using Node.js. That's not a number to sneeze at. With those numbers at your back, you shouldn't have any problem finding a Node.js developer who is more than qualified for the job.

How to choose a Node.js developer for your project

Simply stated, you need to be looking for developers who are (at a minimum) solid with the following:

Experienced with Git and GitHub.
Understands most popular frontend technologies.
Has the ability to write tests.
Familiarity with Agile methodologies and DevOps practices.
Experienced in the niche your company serves.
Is efficient at writing code.
JavaScript, HTML, DOM, and events.
HTML5 and CSS3.
A strong grasp of the REST paradigm.
Basic understanding of TypeScript/CoffeeScript
Databases and containers
Experience with frameworks

Because Node.js will depend on other moving parts, you should also be looking for developers who can collaborate with a team, without ego getting in the way.

Conclusion

Node.js should definitely be on your company radar. With this language at play, your developers will be empowered to write more apps for more platforms. That alone is worth the price of admission. You don't want to limit your company's online platform to web apps only. Expand your offerings and you'll grow your customers and profits.

How does Node.js work?

Node.js is a virtual machine that uses JavaScript as a scripting language to run code in the V8 JavaScript engine. This event-driven architecture makes it possible to run I/O asynchronously.

How do you deal with package management in Node.js?

Node.js includes a built-in package manager, called npm, that makes it easy to install third-party applications and libraries to extend the functionality.

What are the Control Flow steps for controlling function calls?

Control the order of execution
Collect data
Limit concurrency
Call the following step in the program

How is a fork used in Node.js?

A fork is used in Node.js to create a new instance of the V8 engine to run multiple workers for the execution of code.

What are the two types of API functions found in Node.js?

Asynchronous, non-blocking functions for I/O operations that can fork out of the main loop.
Synchronous, blocking functions for operating on processes running in the main loop.

Define Node.js streams.

Streams are instances of EventEmitter that can be used to work with streaming data and can handle and manipulate the streaming of larger files.

What are Node.js buffers?

A buffer is a temporary chunk of data used by a stream to hold data until it is consumed.

We are looking for a Node.js Developer who will be responsible for managing the exchange of data between the server and the users. Your primary focus will be the development of all server-side logic, definition, and maintenance of the central database while ensuring high performance and responsiveness to requests from the front-end. You will also be responsible for integrating the front-end elements built by your co-workers into the application. Therefore, a basic understanding of front-end technologies is necessary as well.

You might also be required to develop Single Page Applications, IoT apps, and even desktop applications.

Responsibilities

Design, build and maintain efficient and reusable Node.js code.
Integrate data storage solutions.
Implement performance and quality modes.
Identify bottlenecks and bugs and resolve all discovered issues.
Carefully monitor the performance of deployed software and constantly find ways to improve them.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and design new features.
Stay up to date with new technology trends, applications, and protocols.
Help maintain code quality, organization, and automatization
Analyze user requirements to help inform application design.
Define application objectives and functionality.
Align application design with business goals and customer needs.
Produce detailed documentation.
Recommend changes to existing applications and the infrastructure used to build them.
Ensure continuous professional self-development.
Integrate user-facing elements developed by front-end developers with server-side logic
Write reusable, testable, and efficient code
Design and implement low-latency, high-availability, and performant applications
Implement security and data protection
Integrate data storage solutions

Skills And Qualifications

Degree in Computer Science or related field.
Experience with Node.js, JavaScript or Coffeescript, UX, database structures, and statistical analyses.
Basic understanding of front-end technologies, such as HTML5, and CSS3.
Understanding of the principles behind scalable applications.
Fundamental understanding of Version Control Systems (such as Git).
Solid problem-solving skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication.
Good organizational skills.
Ability to work as part of a team.
Attention to detail.
Understanding the nature of asynchronous programming and its quirks and workarounds
Good understanding of server-side templating languages, such as Jade or EJS.