Node.js
How to Hire Node.js Developers
Node.js developers can use JavaScript to help you build the back end of your website. The back end refers to the database, server, and application layers that power from behind the scenes everything you see and interact with on a website.
So how do you hire Node.js developers? What follows are some tips for finding top Node.js development consultants on Upwork.
How to shortlist Node.js development professionals
As you’re browsing available Node.js development consultants, it can be helpful to develop a shortlist of the professionals you may want to interview. You can screen profiles on criteria such as:
- Technology fit. You want a Node.js developer who understands the technologies you wish to use with Node.js to build the back end of your website.
- Project experience. Screen candidate profiles for specific skills and experience (e.g., combining a Node.js back end with a React front end).
- Feedback. Check reviews from past clients for glowing testimonials or red flags that can tell you what it’s like to work with a particular Node.js developer.
How to write an effective Node.js development job post
With a clear picture of your ideal Node.js developer in mind, it’s time to write that job post. Although you don’t need a full job description as you would when hiring an employee, aim to provide enough detail for a contractor to know if they’re the right fit for the project.
Job post title
Create a simple title that describes exactly what you’re looking for. The idea is to target the keywords that your ideal candidate is likely to type into a job search bar to find your project. Here are some sample Node.js developer job post titles:
- Node.js developer needed for setting up the server side of a SPA
- Back-end developer with Node.js expertise
- Need help fixing Node.js security issues for an ecommerce site
Node.js project description
An effective Node.js developer job post should include:
- Scope of work: From back-end development to third-party integrations, list all the deliverables you’ll need.
- Project length: Your job post should indicate whether this is a smaller or larger project.
- Background: If you prefer experience with certain industries, software, or developer tools, mention this here.
- Budget: Set a budget and note your preference for hourly rates vs. fixed-price contracts.
Node.js developer responsibilities
Here are some examples of Node.js developer job responsibilities:
- Implementing your preferred data storage solution (e.g., MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL)
- Developing server-side logic for the user-facing front-end features of your website
- Building RESTful APIs and integrating your web app with third-party APIs
- Security, encryption, and data protection
- Writing unit tests
Node.js developer requirements and qualifications
Be sure to include any requirements and qualifications you’re looking for in a Node.js developer. Some examples:
- JavaScript
- Node.js and supporting frameworks (e.g., Express, StrongLoop)
- Server-side templating engines (e.g., Jade, Vash, EJS)
- CSS preprocessors (e.g., Less, Stylus)
Node.js Developers FAQ
What is Node.js?
For a long time JavaScript was strictly considered a front-end scripting language that could only run in your browser. Node.js is a JavaScript runtime environment that allows you to use JavaScript on the server side of your website or app.
How much does it cost to hire a Node.js developer?
The first step to determining the cost to hire a Node.js developer will be to define your needs. Rates can vary due to many factors, including expertise and experience, location, and market conditions. Learn about the cost to hire a Node.js developer.
Common Node.js Developer Mistakes
Accidentally blocking the event loop: Node.js runs on a single-threaded event loop to handle incoming and outgoing connections. The advantage of this nonblocking I/O architecture is that it achieves low latency and high throughput via concurrency. In other words, you don’t have to wait for an operation to complete before starting a new one.
But what happens if you unintentionally call a blocking I/O method with a nonblocking I/O architecture? Your entire event loop gets blocked until that piece of code gets executed, defeating the purpose of using a nonblocking I/O architecture. A large JSON payload or file can cause significant slowdowns to your application. That’s why you must make sure that if you are writing CPU-bound code, you have a good reason to do so and are sure it won’t impede general performance of your application.
Multiple execution of callbacks: Node.js package APIs are often designed around asynchronous callbacks. The package function typically ends with a function as its last argument that gets called once the asynchronous task has been completed. If you forget to include a return statement after your first call, you risk executing it multiple times.
Not using supervisor programs: Manually restarting your entire server every time you make a change or encounter an error can quickly get tedious. Supervisor programs monitor and orchestrate your development and production environments for errors or code changes. When an error occurs, your program crashes, or you make a change, the supervisor program will notice and automatically restart your application. This saves time and streamlines development.
Here are some examples of supervisor programs for Node.js:
- pm2
- forever
- nodemon
- supervisor
Pick the supervisor program that best suits your needs.
Tips and Best Practices
Leverage npm
One of the primary advantages of using Node.js over other server-side technologies is npm, short for Node Package Manager. It’s a massive library of code packages and the largest software registry in the world, so it’s worth searching for a solution before building one from scratch.
And while we’re on the subject of npm, get used to using npm scripts instead of bash scripts to help keep your Node projects organized and standardized for collaboration with other Node.js developers.
Practice test-driven development
Most developers test their code after they’ve written an implementation for a solution. Test-driven development (TDD) flips that concept on its head:
- Write failing tests
- Write the minimum code needed to pass your tests
- Refactor to best practices
Running unit tests as you code is the best way to ensure you’re consistently building safe, scalable applications. Of course if you’re going to be practicing TDD you’re going to need a tool to help you keep those tests organized, which brings us to our next tip...
Use a test suite
Keeping track of your software tests doesn’t have to be tedious. One of the advantages of using Node.js on the back end of your web app is that it’s written in JavaScript, the most popular scripting language for web development. JavaScript’s ubiquity means there are plenty of tools available to help you test.
Here are some examples of JavaScript test suites:
- Mocha
- Jest
- Karma
- Jasmine
- Puppeteer
Pick the test suite that makes the most sense for your developer workflow.
Take advantage of JavaScript alternatives
Node.js may be written in JavaScript, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use other languages that are better suited to your developer style or workflow. The only caveat is that they must still transpile to vanilla JavaScript so that they can be compiled into machine code by Google’s V8 JavaScript engine. There’s TypeScript for people who like strong typing and CoffeeScript for those who want a cleaner-looking human-readable version of JavaScript. There’s even ClojureScript for those who prefer functional programming. Just remember to commit native JavaScript code (the output of your transpiler) to production builds so others can run your projects without your specific build.