Javascript framework experience required for getting a job.

I’m broke, and need a job. To get a job, I need demonstrable JavaScript framework experience.

I have most of the technologies I can use demonstrated on my data-driven portfolio site https://money.style, however I don’t use a JavaScript framework.

I’m hoping that the good members of this community would point me in the right direction as to:

Which framework (Angular / Vue / React / Node) is appropriate given the example site?
What stands out as the most obvious place to incorporate a framework?
Would someone be willing to get me started with a code snippet?
I believe once I get started, a framework will make things easier long term. I just need a starting point.

Thanks for your attention, and any replies.

Matt

Comments

[Christian Kreiling]

Hi there, I'd say your frontend framework of choice should be based on your use case. Not everything you named is necessarily even a framework - for instance, React is just a view library that makes interacting with the DOM more of a breeze. I'll outline my thoughts below:

• React: like I just mentioned, it's not actually a framework! Within the context of MVC, it's the 'V'. It uses a JavaScript object which maps directly to the DOM to render DOM trees, diff it against the existing DOM, and replace only the nodes in the DOM that need to be updated. React is great if you want to get a feel for single-page applications and be ~trendy~. I actually recommend a static-site generator, Gatsby and its training modules, for learning React. I built my personal website in Gatsby.
• Angular: this is, perhaps, the most "framework-y" out of the list you've named. It provides a means of managing data, writing business logic which manipulates that data (and fetches/interacts with any external resources), and then updating the DOM in order to reflect those changes. It's pretty heavyweight, so if you're looking for a large but rewarding undertaking, this is a good fit.
• Vue: This is usually compared to React, both in dogma and popularity. You can probably tell by the name, it's also the 'V' in MVC. It's great, I like it a lot. It doesn't require as much build complexity as React, which makes it a little more accessible for beginners.
• Node: Node is actually a JavaScript runtime! It runs on Google Chrome using the V8 engine. JavaScript engines are in charge of the "meat" of implementing the language. There's a JavaScript spec, and it's up to engines to implement its types and their corresponding methods. Node is by far the most popular, but Mozilla and other browsers all run their own!

I hope this gives you some insight. I love JavaScript development, and am personally a fan of React as a frontend library. It makes interacting with the DOM far more enjoyable. Gatsby is my go-to when it comes to quickly building sites.

When you're choosing tools, be sure to think about what you want out of it! If you're just building a static website, then Gatsby and React is a great place to start. But if you're looking for a frontend with lots of business logic, and a strongly-typed backbone, Angular might be more up your alley (written in TypeScript!).