Building a career in Mobile App Development

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

Mobile app development is increasingly popular, with an expanded array of devices encouraging an even larger pool of applications. When it comes to the IT industry, there are plenty of career paths one can take.  But one field that has seen a tremendous rise in popularity, of late, is that of Mobile App Development.  

manpreet 2 years ago

So you’re considering a career in the mobile app industry. It’s no secret that apps have only gained popularity. Smartphone usage has only gone up, and it will continue to rise. Companies, organizations, and educational institutions are all resorting to apps to improve their accessibility and customer relations, and someone has to create those apps through collaboration. If you want to be the one to do that, there're a few things you should know before you consider app development your primary career.

1. What kind of degree you’ll need

You can’t just roll out of bed and call yourself an app developer. Serious enterprises are only going to hire qualified professionals to design their apps. You’ll need to be fluent in popular programming languages, and have a degree behind you. Mobile computing, computer science, and software engineering may work if you don’t want the focus of your degree to be specifically in mobile application development.

2. How much money you’ll make

Surprisingly, there’s a decent salary in store for qualified and successful app developers. As an experienced app developer, you can expect to bring home somewhere between $85,000 all the way up to $125,000 a year. It’s not a shabby paycheck, but it may take you a while to work your way up the ranks. Make sure you have as many qualifications and certificates as possible if you’re looking to coast up to the top tier. You’ll be busier, but you’ll have a better income to show for it.

3. What your responsibilities entail

It’s not only your job to develop the apps, but to test and debug them as well. Since you’re communicating directly with a client, this may mean that your apps will require a lot of revisions. You’ll also need to develop several different versions of the same app, as the majority of apps are released for both Android and iPhone. You may think that being an app developer will give you a lot of freedom, but you do have plenty of people to answer to and play nice with.

4. What your career outlook is

In the coming years, companies will only need more app developers. With technology that’s becoming increasingly more popular, more jobs in the field will start popping up on the horizon. If you’re looking to cement yourself a place, the sooner you start, the better you’ll do. Getting a head start means you’ll reach the job market before it becomes oversaturated. Don’t wait until everyone else has chosen the same career path, as that will only increase your competition.

5. Where to look for jobs

Both large and small enterprises are constantly hiring for app development. If you don’t secure yourself entirely to one parent brand and absorb the needs of their individual companies, you can always look on places like Gumtree for trial jobs. Especially in the beginning, you’ll want to apply your skills on budget jobs so you’ll have something to show in your portfolio. As you gain experience, you’ll be able to move up the ladder by investigating corporate websites for companies that are looking to create or improve apps.

Mobile app development can be stressful, but experienced and dedicated developers will get back way more than what they put in. Take your education seriously and get plenty of practice before you shoot for the stars, and don’t forget to create yourself a portfolio website to showcase your accomplishments

What's The Attraction Of Getting Involved In Mobile App Development? 

#1. The allure of designing something new and fresh.

#2. The opportunity to be able to reinvent the way mobile technology is used.

#3. The fact that app developers can work anywhere – all they need is access to a good internet connection and a good SDK.

Stages To Becoming A Mobile App Developer

As a mobile app developer, your apps will likely be written in such popular programming languages as Objective C, C++, C# or Java.  The specific choice of language naturally depends on what mobile platform and OS it is they are creating the apps for.  For example, if is for Apple's iOS, they would need to know how to use Objective C, whereas Java is the language to acquire proficiency in for Android Apps.

Learn Java to begin developing your own mobile apps.

Most employers these days look for mobile apps developers who possess at least a bachelor's degree in one of the following disciplines:

- Software Engineering

- Mobile Application Development

- Mobile Computing

- Computer Science 

Or any related field of study that is program based 

Training programs:

There are a few training programs available for mobile app developers through 2 mediums:

1. College/ University

2. Online training – There are online training providers who give training in mobile app development. Simplilearn offers training courses like Certified Android App Developer and Certified iOS App Developer which will help professionals get the best updated knowledge in the domain.

3. Certifications - Currently there are only three certificates in mobile development that you can attain:  

- CompTIA Mobile App Security+

- OCA (Oracle Certified Associate)

- OCP (Oracle Certified Professional)

Companies, today, want their developers to have up-to-date knowledge in the domain. The best way to do this, of course, is by taking a training course or getting real-time experience.

What’s The Pay Like?

With the necessary qualifications and experience, your salary per annum can range from between $89,000 and $125,000.   This will of course depend on who you are working for and what programs you are using to develop your mobile apps, as well as on the amount of experience you have earned.  

What Would I Be Doing As A Mobile App Developer?

As Mobile App Developer, your responsibilities will depend on a number of factors.  The first of these, of course, is the employer.  The second would be how much experience you have in developing apps, with the third major factor being the platform\OS you develop apps for.

You will be:

1. Responsible for developing applications, but also testing and improving them.  

2. Quality and functionality of apps is in line with your clients’ requirements.  

3. Write code for apps for specific operating environments.

4. Design and develop the app’s interface. 

5. Communicate ideas and designs with team members

6. Provide support for your app, so that any issues that arise can immediately be dealt with.

7. Devise fixes and workarounds for any issues that arise.

Who will you be working with?

1. Analysts

2. Project managers

3. Software engineers

4. Other app developers

What's The Outlook As A Mobile App Developer?

The demand for new and innovative mobile apps continues to grow. Because of this rapid growth there are plenty of opportunities for you to work either as part of a company or on a freelance basis.

According to many IT recruiters and managers, the demand for mobile app developers far exceeds the supply, at the moment. Over the next few years, the job market is expected to grow substantially. In fact, it is believed that by 2020, as many as 300,000 new mobile app develop roles will be created, of which the major will involve work on iOS and Android apps.

So finding a suitable position that meets your particular skill sets now or in the future won't prove difficult.  But the challenge will, of course, be to come up with an app that is completely unique and innovative.

About the Author

A senior software engineer and mobile application developer at VcareAll, Misbah’s area of interest is application design and development for the societies/industries, client, and companies. With a degree in master of computer applications, he also covers the latest trends in the IT industry and is a passionate engineer.