With the growing demand for quality websites and applications, developers are hard-pressed to learn different ways on how to build a website or app. But with the numerous technologies available and are continuously introduced to the market, there is competitiveness when it comes to the technology and accompanying tools that developers equip themselves with. Among those technologies that have been in play and have improved over the years, are Ruby and Ruby on Rails.
To differentiate the two, Ruby is an object-oriented scripting programming language and Ruby on Rails, or Rails, is an open-source web development framework built on Ruby that follows the MVC paradigm. 13 years ago, the first version of Ruby on Rails web development framework was released. Since then there has been massive development for the technology and its popularity. Ruby on Rails is a great tool for businesses to build websites and applications to expand their business, but before going into the details of how companies can hire Ruby on Rails programmer, let us go through the advantages of learning Ruby and Rails framework, the skills that RoR developers need to have, and the preparations for potential RoR developer jobs.
Is Ruby on Rails Dead?
As of today, there are over 2.6 Million websites all over the Internet that are using RoR. Shopify, Hulu, Basecamp, and Github are just some of the popular websites that use RoR technology on their websites. Highlights its growing developer community, Ruby on Rails has over 3,700 Github contributors improving its source code.
The Tiobe Index, which is an index showcasing the popularity of programming languages around the world over time, lists Ruby as part of its top 15 most popular programming languages. According to the 2018 StackOverflow Survey Report, Ruby ranks among the top 15 most popular technologies with professional developers. Ruby is also listed as one of the most wanted and loved programming languages for developers. Ruby ranks amongst the top 10 programming languages associated with having the highest salaries around the world with an estimated median salary of $64,000. In the US alone, the average annual Ruby on Rails developer salary is around $76,900.
Is There a Market For RoR Developers?
Ruby and the RoR web development framework excel at providing developers to tools for a fast development process. RoR developers are able to complete a development project around 40% faster than others. Because the technology is open source, businesses and RoR developers expect reduced website development costs when using RoR. Given all these advantages, there is definitely a market for RoR developers. There are more than 2,000 available Ruby on Rails developer jobs in LinkedIn, and even more on other job posting sites.
There are numerous reasons why Ruby on Rails developers is such in-demand even after all these years. RoR developers are able to make use of the great features and function of Ruby and Ruby on Rails. Ruby on Rails framework has an easy business logic that enables developers to learn Ruby on Rails and implement it easily. RoR developers have a wide array of features, functions, and libraries that they can utilize in building websites and applications. RoR developers also have the support of the RoR community as it is open source and has a great developer community.
Why Learn Ruby on Rails Programmer skills?
When recruiting for RoR developers, hiring managers certainly peruse Ruby on Rails developer resumes and portfolios showcasing their body of work. Below are some the skills and experience that recruiters look for in Ruby on Rails developer resumes and portfolios:
Technical Skills
- Experience in using Ruby, Ruby on Rails framework, and other related libraries
- Understanding of the business logic and nuances of Ruby and Rails
- Working knowledge of the object-oriented programming paradigm
- Working knowledge of templating languages in server-side programming
- Experience in utilizing CSS preprocessors such as LESS and SASS
- Utilized frontend development tools and technologies, such as HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3
- Working knowledge of ORM, MVC, Mocking, Active Record and RESTful technologies
- Experience in building database schemas that are representative of business processes
- Experience in the implementation of automated testing platforms and unit testing
- Experience in using code versioning tools; such as Git, Mercurial or SVN, and continuous integration
The addition of credible Ruby on Rails certification definitely elevates Ruby on Rails developer resumes but is not required. And because prospective employers also look at the non-technical skills of potential hires, below are some of the soft skills that will supplement technical skills.
Soft Skills
- Ability to adapt to software and technology version changes
- Ability to adjust according to client needs
- Great communication skills
- Capable of individual work and team collaboration
Questions To Expect in RoR Developer Screenings
Aside from ensuring that you have the skills, resume, and portfolios to showcase them, RoR developer should also have an idea on potential Ruby on Rails interview questions that could come up in recruitment screenings. These questions also guide developers on what companies or recruitment expect of potential hires.
- What have been the changes in Rails versions? Cite the 2 most recent versions and how they differ.
- Why choose Ruby on Rails?
- Why use Rails with Ruby?
- In a Ruby on Rails project, how is MVC paradigm implemented? Are their alternative structures that can be used?
- Explain the difference between Minitest and Rspec?
Technical tests are also included to gauge the aptitude of a potential hire. Recruitment managers use questions that measure the technical ability of the RoR developer in the different tools and practices of RoR. Recruitment managers set up online coding tests for candidates to work through. These tests simulate tasks that these developers may undertake on their first day. The hiring party will set up all the resources that the candidate will need in order to execute the task, and then observe the developer on how they execute the task. This type of test provides recruiters an idea of how effective and efficient the developer is and how well of a fit they are for the company.
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