F# Skills

What is F#?

F# is a strongly typed programming language that combines functional, imperative, and object-oriented programming models. It is maintained by Microsoft, open-source contributors, and the F# Software Foundation. While it’s typically used as a cross-platform language, it can also output JavaScript and GPU code. It is frequently used for scientific and data analysis but can be used for many other applications.

What to use F# for

• Concurrent and Parallel Programming: F# is well-suited for concurrent and parallel programming tasks, thanks to its immutable data structures, built-in support for asynchronous workflows, and lightweight concurrency primitives.
• Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs): F# is often used for building domain-specific languages (DSLs), such as financial modeling, data analysis, and scientific computing, where its functional nature and expressive syntax excel.
• Web Development: F# can be used for web development using frameworks like ASP.NET Core, Suave, and Giraffe, enabling developers to build high-performance and scalable web applications with functional programming principles.
• Data Processing and Analysis: F# is ideal for data processing and analysis tasks, thanks to its powerful support for pattern matching, sequence expressions, and type providers, making it easy to work with data from diverse sources and formats.
• Cloud and Distributed Systems: F# can be used for building cloud-native and distributed systems using platforms like Azure and Akka.NET, leveraging its support for message passing, actor-based concurrency, and distributed computation.

What is an F# developer?

Here’s what it means to be an F# developer:

• Functional Programming Enthusiast: An F# developer is a software engineer who embraces functional programming principles and practices, leveraging immutability, higher-order functions, and composition to solve complex problems.
• Proficient in F# Language: An F# developer is proficient in the F# programming language, including its syntax, type system, and core libraries, and knows how to leverage its features to write clean, concise, and maintainable code.
• Experience with .NET Ecosystem: An F# developer has experience working with the .NET ecosystem, including libraries, frameworks, and tools, and understands how to integrate F# code with other .NET languages and technologies.
• Problem-Solving Skills: An F# developer possesses strong problem-solving skills and can apply functional programming techniques to solve a wide range of problems, from algorithmic challenges to domain-specific applications.
• Collaborative and Adaptive: An F# developer is a team player who can collaborate effectively with other developers, designers, and stakeholders, and is adaptable to changing project requirements and technologies.

Most important F# developer skills in 2024

• Functional Programming Fundamentals: Mastery of functional programming concepts such as immutability, higher-order functions, pattern matching, and type inference.
• Concurrency and Parallelism: Understanding of concurrency models, asynchronous programming, and parallel computation using F# async workflows, agents, and computation expressions.
• Domain Modeling and DSLs: Ability to design and implement domain-specific languages (DSLs) and expressive domain models using F# type providers, computation expressions, and active patterns.
• Web Development with F#: Proficiency in web development using F# with frameworks like ASP.NET Core, Suave, and Giraffe, including server-side rendering, RESTful APIs, and real-time communication.
• Data Analysis and Processing: Experience in data analysis and processing using F# data manipulation libraries, type providers, and integration with data storage and analytics platforms.

F# resources

Check out our resources to continue sharpening your F# skills.

Hired profiles help developers showcase their top tech skills

After passing Hired skills assessments, candidates have the chance to showcase their skills to employers. They can opt to present an ‘Assessments’ badge on their profile. Candidates may take various assessments including Programming Skills, Full Stack, Backend, Frontend, iOS, Android, Debugging, Dev Ops Generalist, and Dev Ops AWS.

Why should you hire F# developers?

• Functional Expertise: F# developers bring deep expertise in functional programming, enabling them to write concise, expressive, and bug-free code that is easier to understand, maintain, and refactor.
• Concurrency and Scalability: F# developers enable you to build highly concurrent and scalable applications that can handle large volumes of data and concurrent user interactions with ease.
• Domain-Specific Solutions: F# developers enable you to develop domain-specific solutions and DSLs that capture complex business logic and domain concepts in a concise and expressive manner, improving developer productivity and system reliability.
• Interoperability with .NET: F# developers enable you to leverage the vast ecosystem of .NET libraries, frameworks, and tools, while also providing seamless interoperability with other .NET languages like C# and VB.NET.

Assess tech candidates for F# skills

Looking for candidates skilled in F#? Technical assessments are a multi-pronged solution. They allow you to streamline the hiring process and reduce bias with tech skill-focused benchmarks. 

Hired Assessments offer a library of hundreds of questions and customizable coding challenge campaigns tailored to technical preferences. Centralize and standardize your evaluation process as you surface top talent with specific, hard-to-find skills.

See how Mastercard and Axon used Hired Assessments to vet top candidates.