Becoming an Android Developer: 5 Important Things to Know

Becoming an Android developer in 2020 is both ambitious and challenging. While it is a career with never-ending job prospects, getting to the point where you are a good Android developer takes quite a lot of time and effort. That’s why you need to know some tips and tricks that will help you reach your goals faster and become one of the best professionals on the market. Here are a few important things to get you started on this exciting journey.

Research Android Best Practices

To become an Android developer in 2020, you need to come fully prepared for the challenge. That also means that it is good to know who to look up to in the field. There are a lot of successful Android developers in the world, but you should probably start by exploring the biographies of Jake Wharton, who was there at the very beginning of the Android history, and Chiu-Ki Chan, who worked for Google as a software engineer and then started her own mobile development company called Square Island.

Researching best practices in the domain of Android development will give you a competitive edge when building apps and competing against other developers. You need to research the dos and don’ts of the craft as this knowledge will make your work more noticeable. A degree in related field will give you a competitive advantage as well, so consider applying to a good university with a strong IT program. And in case you are not so good with essay writing as programming, you can reach out to an admission essay service to help you out with an application essay.

Learn More Languages

It is best to learn a few programming languages to keep yourself updated on everything that is happening in the world of programming. Even if you don’t need those languages in developing Android apps, they will still be of great help when you look for new ideas and unconventional perspectives. Plus, you get to significantly improve your programming skills.
It’s good to set some personal goals at the beginning of your programming career. For example, to learn a new programming language each year. It will also be much easier for you to develop design patterns and communicate with other developers even if they specialize in different languages or types of development than you do. By being well-versed in several languages, you also give yourself considerably more employment options.

Manage Your FOMO

The world of programming and Android development, in particular, is huge. Some programmers find themselves being haunted by FOMO, fear of missing out. It is important to be mindful of the fact that no matter how much you learn, there will still be a lot of things you don’t understand, and it is completely normal. Try to manage this fear because it might stop you from focusing on the right areas of development and sufficient practice, which will only result in time loss.

You need to balance theory and practice. When you have mastered the basics of Android programming, it is important to apply your knowledge in practice right away to understand it better. You will have enough time to learn more things and expand your horizons later on.

Develop Your Soft Skills

Even as a programmer working with computer languages, you still need to have advanced soft skills to be able to cooperate well with your teammates. Soft skills will also help you be more successful in learning Android development. Here are the main skills to focus on:

• Perseverance. Learning code takes time, and there is no way around it. You need to learn and practice a lot to bring your code to perfection. Don’t expect to get everything running on your first try, and don’t get frustrated when you fail. It is just part of the deal, that’s how growth works;

• Collaboration. Learn how to work with other people, listen to them, and understand their points of view, even if they are different than yours. You will also have to collaborate with people who don’t do programming, yet are no less important to product success, that’s why being a people person is a considerable advantage in the job of a developer.

Read More Code

One important thing you could do that other developers don’t usually do is read other people’s codes. It is an excellent source of learning and inspiration. You can see what mistakes people make and what things they do better than you do. You will get a lot of ideas on how to improve your code and become a top developer in the field. Additionally, make sure to maintain a healthy thirst for knowledge as it will motivate you to learn new things no matter how experienced you get. Make sure to always read and learn new code if you want to see a constant progress curve in your career.