8 Key Tips to Become an App Developer

Lately, computer programming has become a top-of-the-line profession among young people beginning their career, and the reason behind it is not hard to guess. Among different ongoing global startup booms, many have decided to opt for coding as a one-way ticket to financial security and a reputed job with a ping-pong table. Becoming an app developer is undoubtedly one of the satisfying experiences, but achieving it is not a cakewalk. You have to make a certain strategy and follow the same until you reach your destination.

Developers need to spend most of the time writing codes in front of computer screens. But, it is not only about writing codes like a machine. What makes the life of developers interesting and full of fun is the capability to build cool stuff and simplify things. 

If you also want to become a developer and do not have any idea about how to begin? Then, these are some tips you can opt for:

1. Go Ahead, Only if you Really Love Programming 

We always hear people saying, “Do what you actually want to do in life”, which is so true. You may be the smartest person in the world, but if you do not like programming, you cannot become a successful developer. To get success as an app developer, what you need to learn is how to be real. You should have a passion for creating software and working with computers. Inevitably, working in technology implies working in an unstable industry that keeps on changing. 

If you don’t love learning new programming languages, hardware devices, and platforms, it is definitely going to be a tough path for you. Therefore, rather than jumping in head-first, take enough time to read a programming book. You can even try some online course or go for a computer science class in school. There are chances, if you are a kind of person who is prone towards programming, you will know it quickly. 

However, if you are not serious for coding then you are 100% going in the wrong direction. Spending the whole day in doing something, which you don’t like is a hard nut to crack. Only your passion for coding can lead you to become a developer. Choose the technology you want to learn and then proceed. 

2. Don’t Jump, Learn Step-Up-Step

Engineering is such an extensive field, it can be tough for a novice to figure out where to begin. With a large number of computing devices, as well as programming languages, how can you decide which one to study first? 

As per my point of view, you should start by understanding code in a simple and accessible programming language. Python is a great entry-level language to learn, but others, including C/C++ and Java can also work. Apart from starting from the basic languages, another crucial thing is that your programming knowledge is based on a wider understanding of how computers actually work. This is why it is really a good idea to get the inner workings of computers and the main parts such as the CPU, operating system kernel, storage, and memory. 

3. Try to Build Your Own Innovative Projects in Free Time 

Hope, you must be aware of computer engineering is not only about understanding how things work. You also need the innovative mind to build your own programs from scratch. Most of the employers want to hire app developers who have taken the initiative to build their own app or projects. 

Hence, prior to applying to jobs, you need to spend some time utilizing programming fix an issue in your own life. Practicing this way will give you something out-of-the-box to flaunt in front of the hiring manager while giving interviews. Also, it will show how passionate you are for your work and willing to find a solution. 

4. Join an Organization that will Allow you to Grow

Another important aspect to growing as an engineer is to join an organization that gives you freedom and support to explore new things. Don’t let perks and happy hours to catch all your attention. 

Find an employer that allows you to spend more time on research, in order to produce high-quality work because good things, take time. Though every organization will, at times, need you to rush to fulfill some projects within a short time period, the right firm will generally balance these requirements with your professional development. Seeking out an employer, uses advanced software development approaches, including Kanban and continuous deployment to stay updated with the latest trends.

Last, but not the least, ensure your new employer will offer a sense of personal fulfillment. Working at a firm, which hires the best people possible, generates a fun work environment and enable developers to be more creative. Therefore, enjoying your work is also essential to get yourself at a certain stage as a developer.

5. Select Right Learning Resources 

I must say this is a challenging procedure. The reason behind this is not because there are few reliable and properly documented resources, but they are too many. Going through different tutorials may overwhelm you at first, however which one should you follow is quite difficult to decide. Therefore, pick one of them intelligently because a bad tutorial wastes your time and demotivates you from moving ahead.
 
By seeing different tutorials, you will be able to recognize the authentic one that can help you to learn crucial things. You can go through different videos, textbooks, ebooks, and in-person or online bootcamps. Personally, I like to view videos as they make me understand things properly. Nevertheless, if you like reading you can refer some good books available in the market. Eventually, you will realize the importance to combine these learning methods.  

6. Make Your Professional Network 

Once you will get an idea of how to code, create projects, etc., you should be gradually cultivating your professional network. The reason is when it comes to searching for a job, it takes more than just applying for them. According to Jobvite (a leading recruiter software), 40 percent of new hires come through employee referral, the most common way. Your goal should be to connect with as many developers as you can. You can send the connection request to the employees of organizations, where you want to work. Apart from this, there are several other ways to make new connections, including maintaining a blog, volunteering, going to meetups, speaking at events or getting involved in different things happening in the technical world.

7. Surround Yourself with Tech People 

Finding a community to understand can make or break your success, especially when you are just beginning. When you will be surrounded by a tech community, you will have an automatic support system i.e. a group of individuals you can call upon whenever you have stuck anywhere or lose motivation.

8. The More Practise You Do, the More you Learn 

They say practice makes a man perfect, and it goes true for development also. Now, when you have some idea of where to start, what to read, and how to go ahead, it is time to perform it practically. To have the in-depth knowledge of all the things, you need to spend a lot of time in practicing things. To achieve the mastery in code, you need to put in tons of work. It is not possible to fill the gap between a beginner and an experienced developer. In short, we can say that to be an expert in a programming language, you will have to spend hours and years of practice.  

This is how you can do this:

Follow along with the tutorial, you are watching or reading, and resolve actively StackOverflow or Google bugs, which you might face while doing so.
Make sure, you are devoting a certain period of time/ day to write codes.

That doesn't mean you can’t rest. Take a break, play some tech games, do whatever you want if you are tired. You can even visit the forums and platforms where tech geeks and experienced developers share new things happening in the tech world. 

Once refreshed, you can continue with the tutorial and practice. Always keep this thing in mind, you are moving to the next crucial steps of the success ladder. The more you work, the more enthusiastic and confident you become. Do not try to seek any shortcut methods as there is none. To be a successful developer, you have to spend time, and it cannot be achieved overnight. If you get stuck anywhere while practicing the code, take help from your friend, note it down, or search for the solution on Google. 

Take Away 

No doubt, you have to work hard to become a successful developer. You can take the help of different learning resources for developers and make your journey smooth. You should learn something from your failure and be committed and responsible for your schedule. If you will follow all the above point as mentioned, you will definitely reach your goal.