Self-taught developers often get stuck in tutorial hell and Frontend Mentor is a great way to break out of it. The platform provides a variety of projects that you can build using your choice of tools and share with others for feedback.
In order to make the most of the platform, it is important to define your program goals. Start by identifying the reasons you want to implement a frontend mentoring program.
1. It’s a great way to build your portfolio
A frontend developer needs a solid portfolio of projects to land a job. A great way to build it is by completing Frontend Mentor challenges and adding them to your profile. It’s also a good idea to refine your solutions once you’ve submitted them so they look professional and up-to-date.
As a frontend development instructor, Matt had his students use Dribbble to showcase their work after bootcamp, but he soon noticed that many of them were missing an important component: building out the technology. That’s why he created Frontend Mentor, a platform that offers front-end development challenges and provides users with a hiring board.
The site is free to join and features a wide range of challenges from beginner to advanced levels. It’s tool agnostic, so you can choose to use your favorite languages and frameworks, and it has an active community that’s happy to help out. It’s a great resource for developers of all backgrounds who want to sharpen their skills and build a solid portfolio.
2. It’s a great way to get feedback
The Frontend Mentor community is a great way to get feedback on your code. The site is full of people eager to help you level up your skills and it’s easy to find a project that matches your experience. Just be sure to read the rules carefully before submitting your solution. It’s important to not plagiarize other people’s solutions, even if you’re just following a tutorial.
As you work on projects and build up your skill set, you’ll naturally become faster and your code quality will improve. This is similar to what professional athletes like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant do to improve their game, which helps them stay on top of their field.
Frontend Mentor provides a free plan and premium options that provide access to different challenges and community resources. These plans range from $29 to $79 a month, depending on the amount of challenge content you want to have access to. You can also find free learnings that will help you hone your skills.
3. It’s a great way to make friends
Frontend Mentor provides a variety of project-based challenges, community resources, and learning tools for frontend web developers. It’s free to join, but it also offers a premium plan with additional features and resources for a monthly fee.
When completing challenges on the platform, it’s important to be engaged with the community by participating in code reviews and discussing your solutions. By doing so, you’re not only helping other community members but also showing potential employers that you have a collaborative mindset and can work well with others.
To start a mentoring program at your company, first find a champion who will be willing to take on the role of a frontend mentor. Next, define your program goals. For example, you might want to focus on improving turnover rates for junior-level developers or reducing skills gaps in the workforce. You can then begin to recruit potential mentors. Finally, it’s important to provide training and resources for your mentors.
4. It’s a great way to get hired
Most junior-level developers have an initial skills gap to close for career advancement. Frontend mentor benefits can help them do so by providing a variety of project-based challenges and a community to support them.
The platform offers a free plan that provides users with access to a limited number of challenges and resources. However, there are also premium options that allow users to gain access to more challenges and tools.
When applying for jobs, it’s important to have a robust portfolio of projects that demonstrate your capabilities. These projects can help you stand out amongst the competition and may even lead to a job offer.
In addition to building side projects, you can also practice your skills by submitting pull requests to open source code repositories. This is a great way to show employers that you are committed to learning and maintaining your skills. It’s also an excellent way to get feedback from other developers in the community.