Mike Edwards

💻 JavaScript hiring – a bit of insight into some industry trends 💻 LinkedIn is feeling a lot busier with JavaScript roles at the moment which is great to see.   Echoing Ben Clarfelt's point in his previous post the LinkedIn apply system is not the best. A word of advice is to always follow up with the hiring or talent manager via a message expressing your interest. It really helps you to stand out from the crowd. Yesterday I took a look at 50 JavaScript roles to see if anything stood out and there’s several things worth highlighting: 📊 78% of JavaScript roles were working with TypeScript 💻 There were only two junior roles. We’re seeing an emphasis on mid and senior roles 🤖 A significant number of roles (46%) mentioning a want for experience with AI, or a willingness to integrate it into your workflow On the seniority point, are we seeing a shift away from junior roles because companies can now automate a lot of tasks with AI? Total breakdown of seniority was: ⭐10% Lead and Principal roles ⭐56% Senior roles ⭐30% Mid roles ⭐4% Junior roles This was only a sample of the latest 50 roles posted in the UK so not a thorough breakdown of the market. It’s interesting to see some pretty clear trends though.

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Blazor United and the rise of full-stack .NET is something that’s been coming up more and more in conversations I’ve been having with .NET developers recently. A common theme I’m hearing is frustration around constantly needing to jump between backend C# and whichever JavaScript framework is currently in demand. Blazor United seems to be changing that conversation, with developers telling me they’re excited about being able to build across the full stack using .NET. The ability to combine server-side and WebAssembly rendering in one model is a big part of the appeal, along with improvements in performance, payload optimisation, and built-in security features. From a recruitment perspective, it feels like this could drive stronger demand for engineers who can deliver end-to-end solutions within the .NET ecosystem. Definitely one to watch as adoption grows. Do you agree? #DotNet #Blazor #FullStackDevelopment #TechHiring

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"You're not a junior anymore - but you're not quite 'senior' either. So what now?" That awkward space in the middle. Too experienced for junior roles. Not quite ticking all the boxes for senior. I speak to a lot of .NET devs who feel stuck in the "mid-level gap". Here's the reality - this is where you build influence: - Own small projects or features from end to end - Mentor others, even informally - Speak up in sprint reviews and planning - Learn to explain technical decisions clearly Hiring managers aren't just looking for strong coders at senior level - they want problem solvers who can shape direction. If you're in that gap and not sure what to focus on next, feel free to get in touch. #DotNet #SoftwareEngineering #CareerGrowth #TechCareers

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Seeing far fewer Frontend roles right now Spoke to an engineer yesterday who thinks this is partly due to how easy it is to prompt AI to generate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript using frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular Whats everyones thoughts? Surely this can't be the only reason for the decline in demand

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💰 Software Developer Salaries in Wales – Aug 2025 Snapshot 💰 Thinking of hiring or making a move in tech? Here's a breakdown of what Software Developers and Engineers are earning across Wales right now: Interestingly, The Median Salary for Software Developers in Wales is £42,473 per year, showing a 5.88% increase from 2024, but compared to the national average Wales is still 13% below this! Salary Ranges based off major hiring spots in Wales are reported to be: Junior/Graduate level Software Developers - £28,000 – £35,000 Mid-Level Software Developers: £42,000 – £50,000 Senior Software Developers: £55,000 – £65,000+ Lead Software Developers: £65,000 - £80,000 Regional Highlights Wrexham: £53,933 Cardiff: £45,830 Swansea: £43,183 Newport: £37,730 Salaries are rising steadily, especially in Fintech, AI, and cybersecurity. With the increase in digital transformation and cloud migration in multiple public sector organisations this could also be the reason for an increase in Software Development resources. We are also finding that Hybrid and Remote roles are pushing compensation higher in competitive regions to compete with other areas of the UK. Whether you're benchmarking for hiring or planning your next move, drop me a DM for a more detailed 2025 Salary Bench-marking document 🙌. #recruitment #salaries #technology *Information is based off 153 adverts/salaries reported around 18th August 2025.

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I’ve been getting a lot of messages lately from candidates struggling to find roles (or even secure interviews) the truth is hiring for developers in PHP and JavaScript isn’t as in-demand as it used to be. Here’s some advice from what I’ve found to date, hopefully it helps at least one person land that perfect role! 1. An obvious one for some, communication You know how to write code but in interviews, your ability to explain how and why you made certain technical choices is just as important. Ensure you're prepared to walk through your past work clear and confidently. 2. Personal Projects Matter When competition is tight, showing a GitHub repo or side project, especially one that solves a real problem can set you apart. Employers love to see initiative, not just job history. 3. Tailor your CV Generic CVs with little or no info are more likely to be ignored. As much as possible, tailor each one to the job description with the tech stack and focus on what outcome you achieved. 4. Technical tests I know tests can be annoying, but unfortunately, it’s pretty standard for most roles, practice explaining your logic as you go and don’t hesitate to ask extra questions for clarity. There are opportunities out there but they’re going to the developers who put that extra effort into the application, pairing strong code with communication. Hope this helps 👨‍💻

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PHP may not be the flashiest language, but it’s still powering essential infrastructure across high-growth sectors. Here are the top 3 industries I’ve noticed actively hiring PHP devs right now: 💳 Fintech – Recently boosted by significant private funding! They often offer the highest paying roles ($120K–$180K) for devs building secure, compliant financial systems. Plus, many legacy PHP systems need ongoing maintenance and upgrades. 🏥 Healthtech – Demand for PHP in patient portals, telehealth platforms, and EHR systems is rising fast. Post-COVID, more patients want remote consultations, driving the need for skilled software developers. 🛍️ E-commerce – Magento, WooCommerce, and custom platforms continue to drive steady demand, with many companies still opting for WordPress, Magento, and Shopify. Are there any industries I’ve missed? #PHP #WebDevelopment #TechHiring #Fintech #Healthtech #Ecommerce #Laravel #DeveloperJobs #2025Trends

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I'm keen to get opinions from JavaScript professionals, those that are leading, hiring and coding! The frontend dev landscape has completely transformed over the last few years. I'm seeing a real shift in demand from "just" frontend developers to proper product engineers - people who can think beyond the UI and understand the full product lifecycle, user experience, and business impact. The technical bar has definitely been raised. Modern SaaS platforms need engineers who can architect scalable solutions, not just implement designs. Question for my network: For a large-scale, maintainable SaaS platform, what's your take on Vue 3 vs React? I've recently seen a few teams lean towards Vue 3 for its: Composition API flexibility Better performance out the box Cleaner learning curve for new team members But React's ecosystem and talent pool definitely has the lions share. What factors are driving your tech stack decisions in 2025? Performance? Team expertise? Long-term maintainability? Would love to hear thoughts from both hiring managers and engineers in the trenches. #ProductEngineering #Vue3 #React #SaaS #Frontend #TechStack

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Freelancer chaos? You’re not alone. One of the biggest fixes for IHAs is putting proper freelancer pools and IR35-compliant systems in place — saves time, stress, and money. That’s hack #5 from our list — but the other 4 are just as useful if you’re hiring full-timers too.

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One month back at OpusRS – here’s what I’m seeing in the JavaScript contract market. It’s been great to get stuck back in, and I’ve already noticed some clear trends across the UK JavaScript contract space. 🏢 Hybrid working is shifting. Fully remote roles are becoming less common, with more contracts now asking for 2–3 days a week in the office. Collaboration and team presence are making a comeback. 💬 Contractors who know how to add value and communicate clearly with clients are being consistently extended. It’s not just about technical ability—commercial awareness and soft skills are making a real difference. 📉 Rates have taken a hit compared to a few years ago, but demand is still strong for those who can hit the ground running. ⚙️ Next.js is gaining serious traction. While React remains dominant with 39.5% of developers using it, Next.js is quickly rising with 17.9% adoption—thanks to its performance benefits and built-in features like server-side rendering and static site generation If you're a contractor looking for your next move, or a business needing top JavaScript talent, I’d love to connect. #JavaScript #NextJS #ReactJS #Contracting #TechRecruitment #OpusRS

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Over the past few years, I’ve seen a steady rise in demand for backend developers with Node.js experience. The reasons are clear: It scales effectively for high-traffic applications Teams benefit from using JavaScript across frontend and backend The ecosystem is vast, enabling faster development It’s a natural fit for real-time apps like chat, streaming, and collaboration tools For developers, this creates opportunities to work on innovative projects. For businesses, it provides the flexibility and scalability needed to stay competitive. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts: is Node.js becoming the standard for backend development, or just one strong option among many?

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