What a full stack engineer does
A full stack engineer works on both sides of a web product: the interface people use in the browser and the server code, APIs and database behind it. On a small team, one full stack engineer can build a whole feature without waiting for someone else.
- Builds interfaces in a framework such as React, Vue or Angular.
- Writes the APIs and server code those interfaces call.
- Designs the database tables and the queries behind each screen.
- Connects outside services such as payments, email and sign-in.
- Writes tests on both sides and fixes problems in production.
- Takes features from the first sketch to release, with few hand-offs.
Skills to look for
Few people are equally deep on every layer. A strong full stack engineer is solid on both sides and clearly strong on one of them. These are the skills to check.
- A modern frontend framework such as React, Vue or Angular, with TypeScript.
- One backend language and framework, such as Node.js, Python, Ruby, PHP, Java or C#.
- SQL and data modeling in a database such as PostgreSQL or MySQL.
- HTML, CSS and accessibility basics, so screens work for everyone and on every device.
- Tests, code reviews and continuous integration.
- Deploying to the cloud and reading logs when something breaks.
Interview questions that show real experience
Ask about features the engineer built end to end and what happened after release. These questions show whether someone has really worked across the stack.
- Walk me through a feature you built from the interface to the database. What would you change now?
- Which side of the stack are you strongest on, and how do you cover the other?
- Tell me about a slow page you fixed. Was the cause in the browser or on the server?
- How do you keep the frontend and the API in sync when one of them changes?
- Describe a bug in production. How did you find it and what did you change afterwards?
Good answers move between the browser, the API and the data with concrete examples. Answers that stay on one side may point to a frontend or backend specialist instead.
Full stack, frontend or backend engineer?
A full stack engineer suits small teams and products where one person needs to own features across the stack. As the product grows, many teams add specialists: a backend engineer when the server side is the bottleneck, or a frontend engineer when the interface needs more depth. If you are hiring your first or second engineer, full stack is often the right choice.
Why Latin America for full stack work
Full stack engineers talk with product, design and the rest of engineering every day. Engineers in Mexico City, Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and São Paulo work within two hours of New York time all year, so they are online when your team is. See the time zone comparison.
How we help
Tell us about the role. We speak with each engineer about it before we share their profile, and you receive a shortlist of vetted engineers. You only pay when you hire, and if the hire leaves within 90 days, we find a replacement for free.
Questions companies ask
Can a full stack engineer also build mobile apps?
Some can, especially with React Native, which reuses React skills. If the mobile app is the core of the role, ask for apps they have published on the App Store or Google Play, or hire a mobile engineer.
Can the engineer work as a contractor?
Yes. Boecia Talent recruits for contractor and full-time roles, and each role says which one. The company hires the engineer directly or through an employer of record or contractor platform such as Deel or Remote; Boecia Talent never employs the engineer. More in contractor or employee in Latin America.
Do I pay anything if I do not hire?
No. Companies pay Boecia Talent only when they hire someone it introduced. The fee depends on the role and is given in the quote before any work starts, and a hire who leaves within 90 days is replaced for free.
Related guides
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