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12.11
 Career Focus:
App Development
By John R. Platt
Apps apps apps — that seems to be all
that anyone is talking about these days. But
while many of the most talked about apps may be
simple or flashy games or programs for mobile
devices, the real growth in the field is in
serious business productivity or marketing
applications. Meanwhile, the need for good app
developers is growing at a record pace.
“This is a really interesting
time for people working in software
development,” says Dave Howell, Founder and CEO
of
Avatron Software. “There are all kinds of
career paths, and they're all good.”
“It's definitely a growing
field,” according to Bob Klein, COO of
Digital Scientists, who says that apps have
become a necessary utility for businesses, even
though the general perception of the field may
still be stuck on mobile games or other trivial
applications. He argues that using the word
“app” itself may create an image of the field
that is too narrow. “It makes it seem
throwaway,” he says. “Today's software
development is app specific, but the app is the
delivery mechanism. A very simple app requires a
back end that is very complex.”
Yes, apps have come a long way.
Excluding games, there are now informational
apps, internal apps for employees or customers
of specific companies, marketing-themed apps,
productivity apps and much more. No matter what,
though, Klein says one thing all apps have in
common is that they are really products. “It's
the custom software business, even if you're
giving it away,” he says.
The quick and expansive birth of
the app market has created a huge need for
employees, both for consulting work and
full-time positions. “We're hiring 2-3 people a
week,” says Mark Haynes, HR and Recruitment
Director for
Applico Inc., a company that has recently
experienced 800% growth. Haynes says that growth
has allowed his company to add positions on
several levels, including software engineers,
product and project managers, account managers
and quality assurance testers.
But because the field is so
young, some companies are having trouble finding
the people they need to fill their open
positions. “There's not a huge pool of talent to
tap,” says Jason King, President and CEO of
Accella.
Part of the problem is the app
field has developed faster than the pool of
experienced developers. The other problem is the
rapid change in mobile technology. At first,
most mobile apps were developed for the iPhone.
Now there are also Android, BlackBerry and
Windows platforms, as well as apps for phones,
tablet computers, desktops and even Kindle
devices, just to scratch the surface. “It's
tough to find people who can keep up with the
dynamic field,” says Jacob Haskins, Director of
Mobile Development for Accella. “You have to be
able to learn at a rapid pace and stay on top of
these technologies.” He says that his company
seeks to hire not just experienced developers
but people who can keep up with the changes in
the field.
What Makes a Good App
Developer?
While many companies have job
listings for programmers on specific platforms
(such as iOS or Android), many also say that the
platform is less important — especially
long-term — than just the ability to program. “I
see things in mobile changing rapidly,” says
King. “In five to ten years, you don't know what
the mobile market is going to be like. We're looking for people who can just develop,
who are problem-solvers and can pick up on
technologies quickly.”
The ability solve problems is
key in such a young industry. “You need to be
able to adapt,” Haskins says. “You're working on
so many different things. A client might request
some functionality we hadn't thought of before.
If you can't overcome those types of challenges,
you're not going to be able to make it.”
Many companies hire young
engineers and stress the value of mentorship
from their more senior employees, but all talked
about the importance of focus and passion. “It
requires self-motivation and being proactive,”
King says. “Every company is looking for that.
That's crucial for us.” Focus might be
especially important when working for a company
that puts everyone on a large, noisy programming
floor, or for those who hire telecommuters who
need to be able to work on their own without
someone looking over their shoulders.
Communication skills are also
critical, since you may be working directly with
the client that has hired your company to
develop an app. “The ability to communicate is a
really huge part of our company,” King says.
“It's not a technical skill, but it's important
in our initial interviews. We look for people
who are able to talk. Because we build
applications for clients, our engineers need to
be able to talk to clients as well.”
Want to Develop Apps? Develop
Yourself First
One of the most important resume
elements most companies say they are looking for
is proof that you have already developed and
released a few apps on your own. Since the tools
to create apps are freely available and anyone
can upload an app to the iTunes or Android
stores, that's not that hard a challenge, says
King. “Do some work on your own time,” he says.
“It shows that you're motivated. That really
stands out.”
Having a portfolio of completed
apps — even simple ones — can help show a
potential employer what kind of attention to
detail you have. “I'll look at the polish around
the edges,” says Howell. “Does the app get error
messages, or does the right thing happen even in
exceptional conditions?” Howell says the app
doesn't need to be the most beautiful thing in
the world, since many teams come with their own
graphic designers. “It's not a deal killer if
someone has an ugly app that's still well
executed.”
Not having much experience in
the mobile industry is not usually going to be a
problem. “The mobile technology is relatively
new, so you're not going to find someone with
six to seven years of experience,” says Haynes.
What's more important, he says, is passion. “If
you're hiring someone who's passionate about
what they do, they are more likely to give
everything and learn more.”
Some of the best app developers
are those who are also app users. “One thing
anyone can do to stay on top of things is to be
a mobile user themselves,” says Haskins. “If you
use an iPhone or Android or tablet, look at apps
that come with it and the new ones that come
out. Stay on top of what others are doing. Take
what you've seen and find out how exactly to
implement it. Taking a visual experience and
translating it to 'how can I build this' is a
very good way to improve your own skill set.”
Additional important skills are
the ability to write lean code, an understanding
of back-end servers, and a focus on security. “A
lot of the business apps have a back-end
component to them,” says Steve Smith, Chief
Technology Officer at
Chaotic Moon.” When we work on enterprise
solutions, we want to make sure that the data
transfer is streamlined.”
“Mobile devices are not as
high-powered,” says King. “Memory management is
always an issue. You're passing data back and
forth between a smartphone and a server.” He
says app developers need to understand how
information should be sent, received and
compressed between these two sides of the
equation. As a result, security and encryption
are also sometimes important.
No matter your experience level,
be prepared to devote some of your time to
keeping your skills up to date as the industry
evolves. “Every developer, new or highly
experienced, must take time to improve their
abilities,” says Haskins. In addition to reading
industry publications and trying new apps on
your own time, he recommends attending
conferences to keep up with the development of
the field.
Salaries
So how much will you make as an
app developer? The companies I spoke with did
not disclose their salary ranges, but many said
that the numbers are on the high end. “I can
tell you that a mobile developer compared to a
regular software developer does make a premium
compared to the same amount of experience,” says
Haynes.
Patrick Emmons, Director of
Professional Services at
Adage Technologies, says that the high demand
for app developers means that both salaries and
benefits are very good. “We need to offer not
just financial compensation but also quality of
life incentives such as flexibility in
scheduling and freedom to make decisions that
affect them.”
Where the Profession is Going
“The mobile industry is still in
its infancy,” says Smith. “There's still a lot
of growth left in the market.” But at the same
time, some experts predict a 90s-style tech
bubble could affect the industry in the near
future. “There will be contraction,” Smith says.
“As the market matures, the hype will settle
down a bit and we'll get down to more sane
business. The people who were in it for the gold
rush will go back to their old business. We're
already seeing some of that.”
Howell says the bubble has
already burst for some, but it's been
overshadowed by the field continuing to grow. “A
lot of us predicted some level of aggregation
and consolidation,” he says. But this may have
had more effect on the individuals who were
working for themselves rather than app
development companies. “Someone working out of
his home is now competing with teams of 10
engineers and designers. It's tough for a single
person to compete,” Howell says.
But meanwhile, there is plenty
of work for people of all experience levels in
app development. “There's room for a full
spectrum of experiences from entry level right
out of school to old dogs like me,” says Smith.
“Understand what you want to work on and ship
products and you'll be valuable to the
industry.”
Additional Resources
Apple iOS Developer Center
Android Developers Guide and SDK
Free
online lectures on iPhone Application
Development from Stanford University
PhoneGap app authoring program (there are
several other tools like this, so dig around)
Computer magazine article about
Applico and its commitment to onshore
development
Great article from Accella on
what they are looking for in employees
John R. Platt is a freelance
writer and entrepreneur, as well as a frequent
contributor to Today's Engineer,
Scientific American, Mother Nature
Network and other publications.
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