How To Become a Java Full Stack Developer (Only 5 Steps)

At Codegnan, our mentors have trained more than 30,000 students to start their tech careers (especially in Java and full-stack development) and get jobs and internships.

From learning to getting high-paying jobs as a Java full-stack developer, we have noticed a learning pattern that most of our students followed. 

So, we decided to create this Java career guide where you will learn how to become a Java full-stack developer and get your first job or internship.

👉 Become a full-stack Java developer with Codegnan’s training classes (100 days): – Java full-stack developer course in Bangalore with placement – Java Full-stack developer training in Hyderabad with placement – Java full-stack course in Vijayawada with placement

Step 1: Enroll for a Java Full Stack Developer Course

To become a full-stack Java developer, you need to understand the basics of full-stack development. If you are a front-end developer or a back-end developer or have basic knowledge of Java programming, this career option can be an excellent choice. However, becoming a full-stack Java developer doesn’t have any prerequisites, and anyone interested in the career can opt for it. 

But you need to enrol in a Java Full Stack developer course from a reputed institution and earn a course completion certificate. It proves your skills and expertise to potential recruiters.

You can enrol in Codegnan’s Java Full Stack training course, which is specially designed for beginners as well as experienced Java developers.

You can also learn about Java full-stack development from different blog posts or YouTube videos. But I specifically don’t recommend you follow these resources as they don’t let you understand where to start from. Also, there are a few reasons why I don’t recommend these sources, like

• Some courses aren’t updated over time, and you learn methods that don’t work with the trend.
• If you are learning from recorded sessions, you may often miss the human touch or find lessons difficult to understand
• The most difficult part is understanding which resources you can trust, even though they might have thousands of likes and comments.

To solve this problem, you can enrol on our platform, where you get live interactive online sessions and classroom training with industry experts. You can ask them questions and grow under their supervision. 

Here’s the first few lessons you get from Codegnan:

Step 2: Build multiple projects using Java Full Stack Developer skills

If you have past experience in appearing for Java interviews, you know how much practical skills matter in the IT domain. Even if you have multiple degrees, potential recruiters will ask for projects you did. 

If you are getting trained at a reputed institution that focuses on a practical approach to learning, you will get practical sessions. 

Let’s see with Codegnan what type of projects you can work on:

You can also create your individual projects and host them on free platforms like Vercel, Railway, Render, and Fly.io. Otherwise, using Heroku and Elastic Beanstalk (a good AWS service) is the best solution for deploying an application.

I am sharing the link to sign up for Heroku.

If you want to deploy your Java-based project for the real world, you must buy hosting services and a domain. For example, GoDaddy can provide you with a domain and hosting services for which you must pay charges.

Let’s see what they charge for domain and secured hosting.

What are some of the projects you can do? I will share a few

Start with creating a simple website. You can create such a website with Java.

Find the source code for website development 

👉 Find our comprehensive list of best Java final year project ideas with source code

1. Build a social media platform

This is an advanced-level JAVA full-stack project where you create a social media platform for users to connect, share posts, and interact with each other. For a basic application, you can add features like user profiles, post creation with text and image upload, comments, likes, send and accept friend connections, real-time notifications, search functionality for users and posts, and news feeds with posts from friends.

The user management service will provide functionalities like registration, authentication, and profile management. Users can add, edit, and delete comments on posts, add or remove likes, send and accept friend requests, and receive real-time notifications.

Technology stack:

• Back-end: Java, Spring Boot, Spring Security
• Front-end: ReactJS (Learn about React JS course syllabus)
• ORM: Hibernate
• API: RESTful web services 
• Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens)
• Build Tool: Maven
• Version control: Git

Find your source code.

2. Build an online learning app/website

This project is about building a web-based platform for online education that allows teachers or instructors to create courses and allows students to enrol in them and learn. Some of its key features include user registration and authentication, profile management, course management, video lectures with streaming capabilities, downloadable resources, interactive quizzes and assignments, progress tracking, a discussion forum, payment integration, and an analytics dashboard. 

Technology stack:

Back end: Java, Spring Boot, Spring Security

Front end: React.js, Redux, Material-UI or Bootstrap

Database: PostgreSQL and MongoDB

ORM tool: Hibernate

Build tool: Maven

Containerisation: Docker

Storing video content and large files: AWS S3

Version Control: Git

Find your source code

3. Create a workout tracker

This project aims at building a web application that allows users to track their workouts, set goals, and monitor their fitness progress. The key features that you can add to this application are user authentication, workout logging and tracking, goal setting and progress monitoring, reporting and analytics, social sharing and community features. 

Technology stack:

Back end: Java with Spring Boot 

Front end: React.js

Database: PostgreSQL

API: RESTful web services

Authentication: JSON Web Tokens

Find your source code 

4. Develop a gaming app

You can develop a web-based gaming platform where users can play different games, compete with others, and track their progress. Some of its key features may include user management, a game lobby, real-time multiplayer games, leaderboards, set gameplay milestones, and social features.

Technology stack:

Back end: Java with spring boot, RESTful API, WebSocket, JPA/Hibernate, Spring Security 

Front end: React.js, Redux, HTML5, WebSocket

Database: PostgreSQL

DevOps tools: Docker, Jenkins, and AWS

Find your source code 

Step 3: Create an attractive portfolio

Whenever you apply for jobs on different job boards or in your professional network, you must present an attractive portfolio to potential recruiters. This portfolio must have details about your qualifications and links to your projects. 

Here’s an example of a Java full-stack developer portfolio. 

For the freshers, you won’t have work experience to showcase on your resume. So, you can list all the projects you worked on during your training period and individual projects that you completed later. This shows your real skills and expertise in Java full-stack development to recruiters.

Always try adding your projects to GitHub and sharing your repository link on your resume. Recruiters will not only see how efficient you are in developing full-stack applications but also understand your knowledge of version control systems and managing remote repositories.

You need to create a GitHub account to upload all your projects in one place. Here’s how your sign-in page looks like. 

Let me recommend a few things to consider on GitHub.

• If you have a new repository created, then use it for your project or create a new one. It is the place where you can store all your codes, files, and each file’s revision history.

• To create a project on Github, you need to click on your profile photo and then on “Your Profile.”

• Then click on “Projects” and then go to “New Project”.Here’s where you can create your projects.

• You can then select the type of project or template you want. Here’s the screen you get when choosing to start a program.

• After choosing a template you need to click on “create project” and do the rest of the task.

I am sharing the link to learn more about creating projects on GitHub.

Step 4: Get an entry-level Java Full Stack Developer job

Reading from books and research papers or working on individual projects won’t give the training that senior full-stack developers provide in companies. They teach you about real-world problems and provide necessary solutions to fix them. 

I feel joining an entry-level Java full-stack development job is beneficial for freshers because of a different reason as well. You not only get to learn from industry experts but also earn money during this period. By sitting at home and watching YouTube videos, you won’t get the required knowledge to work on real-time projects that your seniors in the company can provide. 

Additionally, entry-level jobs help you build credibility and reputation in the market so that you can land better job opportunities in the future. They show that you have real-life experiences, which can have a positive impact on your development project plans.

You can search for entry-level Java full-stack development on different job boards.

Like, I searched on LinkedIn, and found 2500+ full-stack Java development job vacancies in India.

Now, let me show you the requirements for a Java full-stack development job.

Besides looking for job boards, you can also search for local companies to check entry-level job opportunities on their career pages. Even if you don’t find any entry-level roles on the page, you can email them you’ll, resume it and ask for any future opportunities. Make sure you attach a cover letter and mention all your Java full-stack development projects, skills and any internship experience with the mail.

Step 5: Upskill yourself

Regularly upskilling yourself is essential to survive the changing trends in the market. You can attend webinars, seminars, or workshops to learn about what is trending in the market and their implementation from senior developers. Otherwise, you can enrol in advanced Java full-stack development courses or individual skill development courses. 

To deal with new challenges, you can also sign up on different websites that provide programming quizzes and assignments for developers, such as HackerRank, LeetCode, Codewars, and Coderbyte. 

I am sharing the sign-up link for HackerRank, where you can find numerous problems to solve and upskill yourself. Let me share a secret: your HackerRank badges can help you get a good job. 

Another great way to learn new things about Java full-stack development is to join developer communities. They provide the necessary guidance and resources to help you solve almost any development challenges. 

Let me share with you a link to join the Java full-stack development community.

How to Get Into Java Full Stack Development with no experience?

You can get into Java full-stack development with no experience. But before that, you need to complete a graduation degree in any field. This is the basic criteria for most beginner Java full-stack development courses. 

I have shared a few steps to help you understand how to become a full-stack Java developer with no experience.

Step 1: Learn the basics of Java programming 

Java is the core language for backend development, so you must have an in-depth knowledge of the language to build well-functioning software and applications. Learning Java basics includes understanding its data types, data structures, control flow statements, exception and error handling, object-oriented programming concepts, interfaces, and multithreaded programming.

Here’s what we cover of Java in our specially designed Java full-stack training course

Step 2: Learn using web development technologies 

As a full stack developer, you are not only responsible for developing the back end of your application but also concentrating on the look and responsiveness of your application. This means you need to learn different web design technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While HTML and CSS are responsible for the look of your application, JavaScript ensures its responsiveness on multiple devices.

You can start your full-stack development journey by taking our self-paced HTML and CSS course.

We also have a separate JavaScript online course for students who want to upskill themselves or learn about necessary topics before getting into full-stack development. 

Step 3: Work with databases

For full-stack developers, working with databases is essential, as your software or application needs them to store and retrieve data efficiently. In real-world applications, databases are used to store and maintain user information, transaction records, etc.

If you enrol in our Java full-stack development course, you don’t need to take individual SQL training. Our full-stack Java course syllabus covers the basic MySQL and database programming concepts, which are almost sufficient for you to develop software or an application. 

Here’s what you will learn within our course curriculum

But if you want to upskill yourself, you can enrol in our online, self-paced MySQL course. It comprises 74 lessons, which you can complete at your convenience.

Step 4: Complete your graduation degree and enroll for a beginner course

Now that you want to become a full-stack Java developer with no experience, you need to enrol in a beginner course. However, most of these courses require a minimum graduation degree in any subject. But, if you have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and experience with Java programming language and database management, it will give you an added benefit in the learning process.

Here’s what you will learn with us in our 100 days Java full stack training course.

The best part of our course is that we don’t ask candidates only from IT backgrounds but anyone with a graduation degree or who is a working professional in any field.

Step 5: Create a GitHub profile to share projects

As you are a fresher, it’s understandable that you won’t have any work experience. However, potential recruiters would like to see what projects you worked on in order to understand your skills and expertise. To do so, you can create a GitHub account and share all your projects on the platform. Then, put the link to your account on your resume as a reference for recruiters.

Creating a GitHub account looks like this:

Let me suggest some beginner-level Java full-stack development projects. 

• Create a To-Do List application
• Blog platform
• Simple E-commerce website
• Library management system
• Weather application 

Step 6: Join an internship program

If finding a job is difficult for newly qualified Java full-stack developers, I suggest you try out internship programs. These can be paid or unpaid programs and usually extend for 2 to 4 months. Why I said just applying for an internship program is that you don’t have many responsibilities within the company, but you get ample experience from senior developers. You can stay within a team and see how the entire development process works. Additionally, upon completing this program, you will receive a work experience certificate that will help you land better job opportunities in the future.

We understand the need for internship opportunities and the difficulty of finding the right ones. Therefore, we have created an internship portal for all our candidates, where you can access different opportunities posted by recruiters on the platform.

Additionally, you can find different job boards, like Internshala, specially designed for freshers to search for internship opportunities.

Below, I am sharing what skills you need for a Java full-stack development internship opportunity. 

Step 7: Build a strong network of professionals

For me, networking has always been an advantage in my career growth. Why? I landed my first job with the help of my professor. When I started my own business, I found multiple clients from my connections. Therefore, I suggest people build a strong network of professionals. 

You will learn about the trending tools and technologies used by top Java full-stack developers and connect with potential recruiters. Even if your connections aren’t actively recruiting people, they can recommend you to their connections.

To do this, you simply create a LinkedIn profile, add all your qualifications, projects, skills, and achievements, and then start connecting with people in your domain. You can also follow the top developers or software companies for job-related updates and knowledge of the latest tools and technologies they are currently using within your industry.

Below, I have shared LinkedIn’s login page. Here, you can either log into your account using your email and password or create a new account.

Step 8: Attend seminars, webinars, and workshops

To upskill yourself and learn about new trends, it is good to attend different seminars, webinars and workshops. These events provide you with opportunities to learn new skills from industry experts or improve your existing knowledge in specific areas of full-stack Java development. Also, it gives you the chance to connect with potential employers and industry experts.

If you don’t want to take on so much responsibility in finding better job opportunities and learning from industry experts, join our hundred-day job accelerator program. This program is specially designed for candidates to learn about front-end development, server-side development, databases, and backend technologies. Besides clearing your theoretical concepts, we aim to provide you with hands-on training on every module.

What are the skills needed to work in Java full-stack developer by specialty?

1. Basic Java concepts and syntax

Having an understanding of the Java coding language is a must for full-stack developers. But before that, you should know how to set up your IDE, which can be IntelliJ or Eclipse, and import files and projects. 

The first few things you can learn about Java are its object-oriented programming concept, flow control statements, Java methods, array collection framework, and generics. 

With this picture below, I am sharing the essential OOP concepts you should learn.

You should also understand Java’s multithreading feature, which ensures maximum CPU resource utilisation by concurrently executing multiple threads or parts of a program. I recommend you learn a few more things, such as lambda expressions, file handling, functional interfaces, the Stream API, the New Date and Time API, and Default Methods.

2. Understanding of web and software architecture 

As a Java full-stack developer, you must learn web architecture to design and build robust and scalable applications. I believe having knowledge of web architecture helps developers make informed decisions about their system designs, from choosing appropriate protocols and data formats to structuring the application’s components. You can understand different architectural patterns like client-server, microservices, and distributed application developments.

The image below shows a basic web application architecture.

3. Implementation of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript 

As a full-stack developer, you are responsible for creating the back end of an application and ensuring your application is visually appealing, user-friendly, and highly responsive. To do this, you need to learn front-end technology, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

HTML and CSS: While HTML focuses on creating web content and organisation on a page, CSS helps enhance website design. Together, they help full-stack developers create functional and visually appealing websites. Well-structured HTML also helps search engines understand your website better and index content effectively. 

Javascript: This is an interesting programming language, as you can use it for both client-side and server-side developments. For back-end programming requirements, I recommend you to learn Node.js and Express.js frameworks, while for front-end development, you can learn popular frameworks and libraries built with JavaScript, such as ReactJS, Vue, jQuery, and Angular. Otherwise, you can also learn Hibernate and Spring frameworks for back-end development.

JavaScript adds functional qualities to your web pages or applications and enhances its user interactions.

The graph below shows the most used web frameworks among developers in India and globally as of 2023

4. Understand database management 

All Java full-stack developers must know the use of database management systems to store and retrieve data, which is essential for creating dynamic and interactive web applications. Databases help maintain the accuracy and consistency of data, ensure security and enhance the performance of different data operations. This directly influences the functionality and user experience of the final website or application. 

Some of the popular DBMS options are:

1. MySQL
2. PostgreSQL
3. MongoDB
4. Microsoft SQL

Below, I have shared the top 10 databases used by developers as of stack overflow developer survey 2023 reports.

5. Learn Version Control System, Git

Knowledge of version control systems such as Git is essential for full-stack developers to track any code changes made within a team and collaborate efficiently with all team members. It also allows you to maintain different versions of the project, work on multiple features simultaneously, roll back changes if required, and manage releases efficiently. 

I am sharing the download link for Git on Windows with you. 

6. Learn web hosting 

As a full-stack Java developer, you need to deploy your applications effectively, which requires proper knowledge of web hosting. This knowledge allows you to choose the appropriate platform for application deployment, configure servers, and ensure their optimal performance and security. Additionally, hosting knowledge helps you troubleshoot server-side errors or issues and implement continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. Some popular cloud web hosting platforms I prefer are AWS, Azure from Microsoft, and Google Cloud Platform. 

Here’s how professional developers ranked cloud platforms as of 2023

7. Knowledge of Java build tools

Java build tools like Maven and Gradle are essential for first-time developers, and they can streamline the development process and enhance project management. These tools can automate critical tasks like building processes, dependency management, compilation, and testing of codes.

8. Knowledge of JSP and Servlets

Both JavaServer Pages or JSP and Servlets are essential for Java web development. These technologies enable server-side rendering and processing of web requests in Java applications. JSP helps in embedding Java code within HTML, allowing dynamic content generation, while Servlets provide a powerful way to handle HTTP requests and responses. JavaServer Pages are an extended version of Java Servlets.

9. Understanding of web technologies 

I suggest all Java full-stack developers learn web technologies like REST APIs, AJAX, JSON, etc., for the development of single-page applications (SPAs) and progressive webpages (PWAs). REST uses the HTTP protocol to transfer data between the server and client sides. To create these REST APIs, you can use Spring Boot or Jersey. 

AJAX can be used to create asynchronous web applications. Libraries like jQuery or AngularJS are used to implement AJAX in Java projects.

JSON is a simple, language-independent data format used to transmit data between servers and web applications. NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB) can store JSON-like data.

10. Knowledge of testing and debugging

Java full-stack developers need to understand the basic concept of testing and debugging so that they can identify and solve bugs and issues early in the development phase. Some popular testing frameworks include JUnit, TestNG, Selenium, etc. JUnit and TestNG are suitable frameworks for unit testing; however, if you are testing a web application, I suggest you use Selenium. 

I have shared a few Java testing frameworks below for your understanding.

The number of developers using automated testing tools is increasing every day. I followed the StackOverflow developers survey 2023 to find the most popular processes, tools, and programs developers use within an organisation. Here’s what I found: nearly 60.79% of developers are using automated testing in their companies; see the graph below:

Can you become a Java full-stack developer with no experience?

Yes, you can become a Java full-stack developer with no experience, but you need to enrol in a course, get proper training, and work on your individual project. 

If you complete a certification course from a reputed institution, you will get hands-on training on whatever you learn and the ability to create an attractive portfolio of good real-world projects. 

As a fresher, you might not have the required work experience to land a good job. Doing a course is good, but they might provide the same level of training to everyone. Therefore, to stand out from the competition, you can start developing your own individual projects and hosting them on free platforms.

How long is the Java full stack developer course?

The Java full-stack developer course takes around 100 days or three months. At Codegnan, we provide Java full-stack developer training courses for 100 days, where our experts provide you with necessary theoretical concepts along with practical sessions after every module. You also get to work on real-life projects under the mentorship of top Java full-stack developers in the country.

After course completion, we provide you with industry-recognized certifications that help you build trust and credibility in the market. We thoroughly prepare our students for entry-level jobs and global certification examinations. More than 2,800 of our students have already been placed in 1,250+ companies, and you can be the next one. 

How long does it take to become a Java full-stack developer?

It takes 3-6 months to become a Java full-stack developer, but becoming an expert in the domain can take up to a year or more. This completely depends on your ability to grasp the concepts and implement them into real-life projects. You need to constantly upgrade yourself to stay updated with market trends and practice regularly to find better solutions to software development.

If you want to become a good full-stack Java developer in a shorter time frame, you must put sufficient time and dedication into learning, practising regularly, and starting to gain industry experience through internship opportunities.

Along with Java, you may also consider learning Python to upgrade your skill level. Here is the complete Python course syllabus to prepare your learning roadmap.

Final thoughts

If you have decided to pursue this career option further, you need to remember that nothing good happens over time. Find a good Java full-stack development course, get hands-on training under industry experts, apply for internships, and keep upskilling yourself.

You need to stay updated with market trends, learn using new tools and technologies, and develop high-quality solutions. 

I suggest that you focus on one technology at a time. Learning front-end and back-end development, along with database management, can mess up the whole process.