When it comes to technology, there are plenty of career paths one can take. One area that has seen an incredible rise in popularity is that of app development. There are literally millions of apps available today, from music apps to banking apps. that help people perform specific tasks.
An app developer is a computer software engineer whose primary responsibilities include creating, testing and programming apps for computers, mobile phones, and tablets. These developers typically work in teams, and think of ideas and concepts either for the general public, or for a specific customer need.
App developers understand coding languages and how to use them, and may also work alongside graphic artists, data scientists, and other software experts to create applications. They also test and fix any bugs that are found before the product is launched.
Applications software can be written for a particular operating system (OS), such as Android, iOS or Windows. App developers typically specialize in a specific development area, such as mobile phone applications, graphics software, accounting software, or office suites.
Marketing firms often conduct research in order to gather information relating to consumer needs. This information is then passed on to app developers who create new applications that meet the public’s needs in terms of use and cost. Several versions are made of the same basic application that can be read by different types of devices, such as cell phones, tablets and personal computers.
Once an app is complete and goes into production, the app developer works on creating patches (upgrades), that are periodically released to the public. App developers work for themselves just as often as they work for small, medium and large sized companies, building ‘native’ experiences that allow people to complete tasks, consume content and interact with brands and other people.
The following are three types of App Developers:
Mobile App Developers
Smartphones and, more recently, tablets are increasingly becoming the computer of choice for more and more people. Mobile app developers have specialized training in design for small electronic equipment, and write computer programs for smartphones and other mobile devices.
Instead of building for a larger PC screen, these developers are dealing with extremely small Android, iPhone, or BlackBerry screens. They are experienced in multi-media applications and multiple mobile computer programming languages.
Mobile app developers typically write programs using either objective C, C++, Python, or Java. Each mobile device uses a specific programming language which app developers must understand.
Android Developers
Android is the name of the mobile operating system owned by Google. Android typically comes installed on a variety of smartphones and tablets from many manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, and Motorola (as well as on Google’s own Nexus smartphone), giving users access to Google services such as Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, etc.
An android developer develops applications for use on phones and tablets that utilize the android operating system – everything from interactive games to media players, to electronic book readers and global navigation software. The code required for android development is mostly open source and available freely for anyone interested in developing apps for use with the Android OS.
It’s an exciting time to have a career in Android development. There is a healthy supply of jobs, demand for Android apps is accelerating, and technology is advancing.
iOS Developers
iOS is a shortened way of saying ‘iPhone OS’, or ‘iPhone Operating System’, and is the mobile operating system that runs on Apple’s mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads.
iOS developers build software – they know how to structure it, test it, debug it, and how to use source control. iOS developers know Swift or Objective-C (and some know both languages, which is best).
They know iOS, which means they have a good grasp on build views; can handle user interaction; can display data; show alerts; handle navigation; display images, labels and text views; and integrate with REST APIs and parse JSON.
App developers work in a range of business sectors, including finance and the public sector. They often work as part of a team with other IT professionals, such as software engineers and systems analysts , and write programs according to their specifications.
A person working as an Android Developer in Kenya typically earns around KSh144,000 per month. Salaries range from KSh74,700 (lowest) to KSh220,000 (highest).
The demand for the number of developers is expected to increase because the total number of smartphone users worldwide today crossed 3 billion, and it will further increase by several hundred million in the next couple of years.
Most employers require app developers to have a bachelor’s degree in computer programming, computer science, or a related field. Many major information technology firms recruit recent university graduates, however, other firms require postgraduate degrees that focus on specific aspects of programming.
Some employers have entry-level positions for people who have basic programming skills but no university degree. Entry-level employees are sometimes able to transition into higher paying positions if they prove proficient at handling software development.
Some form of experience is usually necessary. Students who wish to gain experience can take advantage of various internship opportunities which allow new developers to gain real-world experience with programming languages and deadlines.
