What is a Mobile Developer and Why are they in High Demand?

There is a current change in work trends; more people are willing to step outside the box and follow non-conventional career paths in technology.

Years ago, finance, healthcare, and engineering were the go-to jobs for young people. Nowadays, tech jobs offer the opportunity for workers to work from their convenience at home and with good pay. This is why more people are choosing to work in the field of technology. Mobile website and application development is one of such jobs in high demand, and for a good reason.

A mobile developer does either mobile website development and/or mobile application development. Mobile website and application development is simply the creation of websites and mobile apps that are meant to be accessed via mobile phones with smaller screens than the typical desktop or laptop and with a touchscreen feature.

A mobile website developer writes code that results in the creation of a website that you can use from your iPhone or Android while a mobile application developer creates your apps. In most cases, mobile website and application development go side by side because most websites have a corresponding app. Think of mobile website and application development as twin brothers: they are always together.

Forty years ago, there was no access to the web or use of websites and applications. However, in 1999 the World Wide Web was launched and websites were created to serve as a feature of mobile phones. Then, websites were created with Wireless Markup Language, a now obsolete programming language. 

Wireless Markup Language was designed to provide links, photos, form, and text. With the advent of touchscreen mobile devices that have bigger screens and better features, old programming languages are now a thing of the past. Hypertext Markup Language, JAVA, Python, and C++ are the programming languages mainly used in the development of websites these days.

Mobile applications share a different story: In 1983 when Steve Jobs thought of the Apple Store, there were not many mobile applications. In 1997, Nokia released the first mobile "application" called Snake. Many years later, there are numerous mobile applications available on the Google Play store, Palm Play Store, and the iOS store. These applications range from free to paid and maybe location-sensitive. 

Over the years, websites and applications change in terms of functionality, design, and user interface. In years to come, these commonly used programming languages will become obsolete. This is why a good mobile developer stays ahead of trends, learning new programming languages as they come. The job keeps you on your toes, and the demand for such work is very high.

Social media jokes about tech workers reveal one presumption: anyone working in tech has a lot of money. Although this is not true in all cases, mobile website and application developers often earn enough to live comfortably. 

A mobile website developer can earn over $100,000 every year while a mobile application developer can earn over $115,000 every year. This is better than the average office job and such salaries come with perks that employees find attractive.

Everyone would love a job that offers convenience: mobile developers in most cases do not have to show up at work in a suit and tie. Work hours are not monotonous and employees have the option of working remotely. There is usually no strict dress code and boring office days stuck at a computer. The job also provides the fulfillment of adding value: the developer is joyful when they read the reviews of website and application users. 

Many young people these days are looking into filling the roles of website and application developers, but the competition is high because of the increased awareness of the perks of the job.

Mobile website and application development jobs do not always require a specific university degree. The job application process is based on your skills, not necessarily paper certification. If you want to become a mobile developer, taking online courses in both mobile website development and mobile application development will help you move towards reaching your career goal. 

FutureLearn, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Pluralsight provide good platforms for learning. Some online courses are free, but you might need to pay for certification or exams. Take the courses relevant to the path you are interested in and acquire certifications.

You may opt for physical training in your area if online courses do not cut it for you. After you acquire certification, the next thing is to get a professionally written resume and apply for jobs.

You can volunteer or intern for organizations in your environment while waiting for the jobs: it adds to your work experience and helps you learn.

Then you will get the job in your chosen career path; when you get it remember to send me money ;)

Find helpful resources from EdX, Coursera, HackerNoon, Udemy, and FutureLearn attached here:

Some of these courses come with a price, but they are a small sacrifice for a successful career as a mobile developer. Others are free but you will have to pay for the certification. However, the HackerNoon resource is free: click the link and thank me later.