- Career Roadmaps
- Frontend Developer

Frontend Developer Roadmap

You build what users see and touch. Highest-volume entry route into software; indicative 2026 junior salaries
$65-90k US
. This staged checklist is ordered the way hiring teams actually evaluate juniors - work top to bottom, and don't skip Stage 1 because Stage 2 looks shinier.

By Carl Mills - senior engineer
- Last updated 10 July 2026
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- free personalized PDF study plan.

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Import File

Stage 1 - Foundations 8 item(s)
- Async JavaScript: promises, async/await, fetch - and explaining the event loop Critical
- CSS layout: flexbox and grid from memory, box model, units Critical Build 3 layouts without a framework: a nav bar, a card grid, a holy-grail page.
- DOM manipulation and events without a framework Critical If you can only do it in React, you can't do it.
- Explain what happens when you type a URL: DNS, HTTP request, response, render Critical The single most common screening question. 90 seconds, out loud.




- Git: clone, branch, commit, push, pull request, resolve a merge conflict Critical
- JavaScript fundamentals: variables, functions, arrays/objects, loops, scope Critical
- Responsive design: media queries, mobile-first, fluid layouts Critical
- Semantic HTML: headings, forms, lists, tables - not divs for everything Critical

Stage 2 - Core Skills 7 item(s)
- Accessibility basics: alt text, labels, keyboard navigation, contrast (WCAG AA) Critical Rare in juniors, loved by hiring managers - a genuine differentiator.
- Browser dev tools fluency: inspect, console, network tab, breakpoints Critical
- Consume REST APIs: loading/error states, pagination, auth headers Critical
- One framework DEEP (React is the safest market bet): components, state, hooks, context Critical One framework deep beats three shallow - every time.
- TypeScript: types, interfaces, generics at working level Critical Most 2026 fr

📌 Frontend (Penne)
🏢 Sentido - Software Made Simple
📍 Penne