Kick Start Your Mobile Development Career
You want to develop the world’s next Angry Birds, but you’re not sure how to get from Mobile App Development 101 all the way to Rovio level development. Follow these steps to kick start your mobile development career and hone in on the best mobile jobs.
Identify Your Passion
The most common quality hiring managers look for in mobile developers is a passion that would drive them to develop even if they weren’t being paid. Before you charge into your career, figure out what are the latest mobile design trends that interest you. Is it just one platform? Is it one type of application? Is it the technical aspect of coding or is it the more conceptual problem solving part? Whatever it is that fires you up, identify it and stoke it every chance you get.
Get Published
The goal here is to get registered on your choice of mobile app market places, and create a working app that shows off what a creative and technically savvy developer you are. Getting this app published is like creating a walking resume; it shows future employers exactly what you’re capable of, and more importantly, how marketable your work is. What’s better than showing off how many times your app has been downloaded?
Build Up Your Brand
While it’s possible to build a successful mobile dev career on just skill alone, hiring managers want to know more about YOU before they make a decision about whether or not you’ll get the contract. Mobile dev communities offer another opportunity for you to show off your skills and knowledge and prove that you’re a team player. Just join in on the conversation, ask and answer questions, and you’ll be building up personal brand value for yourself in no time.
Find Those Jobs
There is absolutely no shortage of mobile application development jobs right now, which means new opportunities won’t be hard to find. The trick is quickly finding the ones that will be the best for you and your career. Make sure you use both a broader job search approach and one that is tailored specifically to mobile developers. Give job boards like mobiledevJobs.org a try and don’t forget to talk to your local Onward Search recruiter.
Impress and Land Those Jobs
Once you find the job and get an interview, it’s time to prove that you’re the best developer for the job. Beyond the specifics of the contract or project, make a point to talk about how your approach to the development will keep both the target customer and the company in mind. Your solutions should appeal to both worlds and a hiring manager will be thrilled to hear that. Don’t be shy about discussing your entire range of skills either. Everything from your design and creative chops to your deep appreciation for user experience matters here so share it with your interviewer.
An exciting and lucrative career in mobile application development is waiting just around the corner for you so take these tips and go get it!
