How to find the right opportunity as a Mobile Apps Developer
In today’s market, mobile apps have been a long-time veteran and are going to be in the running for years to come, for many reasons, including but not limited to their ease of use, intuitive design, accessibility, and wide-spread knowledge in the world of apps. Earlier, we talked about how to hire a Mobile apps developer, but today I want to tackle the other perspective. There is a surplus of available opportunities for mobile engineers, and it seems like all of the job descriptions say the same thing: Companies want one developer who is proficient with a laundry list of technologies that have nothing to do with Android or IOS!
It is important to know that even as an experienced engineer (5-10 years), one would be hard pressed to know all the technologies listed on a job description. My goal is to help narrow down what kind of opportunities you’re best suited for, and how to succeed at passing interviews (and eventually landing a job) at those opportunities.
What kind of opportunity are you looking for?
There are many different types of job positions and availability, so it’s important to know the pros and cons of each type. The three categories I’m talking about are freelancing, contract-to-contract, and direct hire/full-time opportunity.
Free-lancing
Free-lancing means that the developer does not have a consistent project, but rather enjoys moving from project to project whenever it is convenient for them. It is not for the faint of heart, as there can be many ups and downs, but the rewards are many.
Pros:
You can choose to work from (or at) anywhere in the world!
Some of the opportunities can be lucrative.
Provides the opportunity to learn MANY different technologies, and pushes the developer to work outside his or her comfort zone.
Opportunity to work alongside many talented developers from all over the world and build long-term connections.
Cons:
Projects may not be consistent, meaning that there will be periods of times where you have no source of income
Depending on where you work, your hours of operations may be outside normal hours of work in your place of residence. (May be considered a pro if you’re a night-owl or morning person)
Freelancers generally have highly competitive rates, and as a result, the developer may have to sacrifice their usual rate if they want a higher chance to be hired
Contract Roles
Contracting opportunities provide a bit more stability than free-lancing, but also provides more flexibility for switching positions or locations than a direct hire or full-time opportunity. Contracting usually means that you work for a specific consulting or contracting agency and hired on by client companies on a contract-to-contract basis, for the purpose of completing short or long-term projects.
Pros:
Allows you the opportunity to relocate often. Ideal if you don’t like staying in one place for too long.
Some clients offer contract-to-hire, which means that if they like you, they will offer you a full-time position there.
Often you will get a chance to work with top companies from all over the world, because consulting agencies usually have relationships with these companies.
You will also have the opportunity to learn many new technologies, since you will most likely work in different companies and be introduced to different work environments.
Change is part of the job description.
Cons:
Some projects may end up cutting short once the task is completed
The period between jobs can be a long and stressful one
May not provide stability in terms of location, because contracting agencies will often ask if you are okay to relocate
Direct-hires/Full-time Roles
This is the most stable of the three categories, but also comes with its list of pros and cons.
Pros:
You have the opportunity to settle down in one location.
Can be a more permanent position.
More opportunities for growth (I.e. you can climb up the corporate ladder more easily depending on your field and what you’re looking for.
Cons:
May be stuck on the same project for a long time.
Less opportunities to learn new technologies.
Less opportunities for a change of pace.
How to personalize your resume and profile to match the Employer’s needs
As discussed earlier, it is not uncommon for a recruiter to list every technology and its parent on the job description “requirements”. As a developer, it is your responsibility to do research on the company itself and narrow down which technologies are most beneficial to it AND are within your reach or capabilities. The easiest way to do this is first making a list of the technologies you already know or are interested in learning, and then cross-reference it with the list provided by the recruiter. By this point you should already be able to tell which technologies the engineers in your wanted role are actually looking for, and which would just be a “nice-to-have". When applying to these roles, it is important to highlight the skills that match those criteria. This is usually done in the application itself and in the cover letter.
What to say during the interview
Once you finally land an interview, there will usually be an opportunity to talk about yourself and your experiences. If you’ve gotten to this point, then you know the importance of research about the company you want to work for, so make sure you are well prepared and well informed about what the employer is looking for. Briefly talk about your experiences, then highlight the technologies that they want, if you have experience in them. If it is a technical interview, make sure you can speak to the technologies and provide both a high level explanation as well as an example implementation of said technologies.
In conclusion...
It is easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of opportunities available and the obnoxious amount of requirements that employers seem to be looking for. It is your responsibility to narrow down the most successful path to getting an interview (and eventually a job) by determining what you are looking for, what technologies you have experience with, and which of those align with company goals. It will take a lot of practice, but once you get a groove going, the interviews will be flowing in!