The BBC ranks programmers and IT developers among the top five most in-demand professions in the world.
Mobile developers boast good salaries and the special features of the profession allow them to work remotely, from any convenient location.
Who is a mobile app developer
A mobile developer is a specialist who creates software applications for mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, smart watches, e-books and other portable gadgets). A good developer has to know more than programming. An expertise in UX\UI, business logic, prototyping – all these things distinguish an enthusiast with great prospects in life from the person who only exchanges his time for money.
The BBC ranks programmers and IT developers among the top five most in-demand professions in the world. They are surpassed only by nurses, mechanical engineers, doctors and electrical engineers.
Users spend $1 billion a year shopping through apps on smartphones and tablets. That number is growing, and with it, the need for highly skilled developers continues to grow. Even now, the emerging digital environment is experiencing a shortage of good professionals.
So if you’ve been eyeing this profession for a long time, now is a good time to start taking your first steps in development – you’re sure to get a job.
What are the prospects for mobile development
Today, there are 5.5 billion smartphones for every 5.5 billion people over the age of 14 on the planet. On average, each has 35 apps installed. Only 204 billion apps were downloaded by users in 2019.
Mobile Internet has outpaced fixed-line users as recently as four years ago. The mobile development market in general grew by 40% in 2019, and there is no reason to assume a decline in numbers. On the contrary, the field of mobile systems and mobile development has become actively involved in global economic processes.
What a mobile app developer does
This is a specialist who develops applications for all kinds of mobile devices. Apart from direct programming, this person often communicates with other departments on the product, tests various forms and stages of app development, conducts final reviews, and uploads the app to the right platforms.
What tasks a mobile developer has to solve
The roles and tasks of the developer depend directly on their area of responsibility, which has been defined by their manager. Most often, a new application is created on the basis of the terms of reference from, for example, the product manager. In this case, the developer-executor discusses the timing and progress of the project with his colleagues, agrees on all the stages of creating the application, and adapts it to the necessary platforms.
Sometimes the work of a mobile developer is entirely creative: the idea for a new app comes either from himself or from other employees, but without a clear technical task. This is a more complex form of cooperation, in which the developer is the leader. He or she not only writes the code, but also delegates tasks to colleagues, monitors the quality of their execution, gives advice, and conducts code reviews.
What trends in mobile development exist
The vacancy “Developer” is almost impossible to find: it will always be with some kind of prefix which defines the functionality and area of responsibility of the employee on the project. The world of mobile development is also vast and varied, for example developing for Android and iOS – two parallel universes. The training process will be more productive if you determine at an early stage what area you want to master.
There are two main areas in mobile development:
1. According to the purpose of the product to be developed:
- games; ( A good example of a mobile game is the Aviator APP )
- business applications;
- social applications;
- applications based on sensors and IoT in general (navigation, physiological, etc.);
- neural network applications.
2. By technical parameters and the platform for which the application is being developed:
- iOS apps;
- Android applications;
- Cross-platform applications;
What is a mobile developer’s salary
The vast majority of mobile app developers choose this profession for very down-to-earth reasons: the profession is considered one of the highest paid and most promising. It is also really the point at which you can get the most out of it, and it’s not about the money, it’s about the scale of the projects and the impact on the world.
No one can give you an exact average figure for the fee question – it varies greatly depending on the professionalism of the specialist, the level of the company he works in and the region.
The career ladder of a developer in many IT companies is quite multistage and allows development in both managerial and technical ways. The first one usually involves vertical growth: it takes an average of five years to grow from junior to team leader. The second prioritizes an increase in technical expertise rather than managerial positions. Employees who do not aspire to become managers can grow professionally and horizontally, developing on different projects and platforms.
What are the requirements for a mobile developer candidate
There are some basic profile knowledge and skills without which the chances of getting into a good project are greatly reduced:
- Depending on the platform, you need to know different programming languages (Objective-C, Swift, Java, Kotlin, etc.)
- Excellent knowledge of the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, as well as the ability and experience to put apps on those stores;
- Understanding the details of design, layout, mobile app design, UX and UI;
- Know the basics of object-oriented programming;
- Know the tools needed for the project (libraries, platforms, and frameworks);
- Be able to read other developers’ code and fix it.
- Skills in debugging and testing applications;
- Fluency in English;
- Understanding of the application’s architecture and the ability to build it in a way that works well;
- and the ability to put together technical documentation for applications made.
Android developer
Android specialists write in Java & Kotlin. These languages are the mandatory requirement for applicants. In addition, the candidate should be proficient in the Android SDK system, know the whole architecture and the Android environment.
It is also useful to have a look at the platform’s additional resources. Android has a special website for developers with useful documentation, an alternative version of the Google Wear operating system for programming smartwatches, and a separate platform for working with augmented reality applications. Apart from that, the requirements are not much different from the general ones listed above.
iOS Developer
To work on the iOS operating system, first of all, you need Swift, and also Objective-C. It is important to have in mind: to write for iOS, you need Apple hardware. Most often, the company offers employees corporate laptops, but if you are a freelancer, you may have to take care of the equipment yourself. However, keep in mind that Apple is a separate caste and a fairly closed ecosystem, so you will still have to get used to working on a MacBook.
What mistakes beginners make
In a profession that is still new to the world, many are groping for it, learning from their own as well as others’ mistakes. Already successful professionals are happy to share their start-up fails as well. They remind us that they, recently, were newcomers too, and this has not hindered their careers, because the main thing is to work on mistakes.
The failures of newcomer developers and their major blunders can be divided into two categories: professional and personal.
Among the professional ones:
- Focusing on one programming language and an unwillingness to learn others;
- ignoring the fundamentals of programming in search of the latest development trends;
- misunderstanding of market conditions and consumer needs;
- lack of an “outlet” – out-of-work projects that allow to hone skills and apply all the skills, but at the same time are a kind of entertainment (creating a mini-game for a child or working on a new idea for a startup).
Among the common:
- unwarranted perfectionism; sometimes the best is really the enemy of the good;
- Unwillingness to ask for help from more experienced colleagues;
- Over-reliance on ready-made solutions and lack of creative thinking;
- fear of error and criticism;
- ignoring the physiological needs of the body, sleep and rest, which often leads to burnout and stress.