In the current era of technology development, how to become an iOS developer most effectively? If this problem hinders your passion for pursuing iOS development, we will give you the most detailed answer.
You will have to go through and accumulate the most basic knowledge to build a strong enough portfolio to attract employers. For a more comprehensive and detailed look at this issue, scroll down to see more!
What Is An iOS Developer?
An iOS developer plays a role in developing apps for smart devices under Apple’s management. To pursue this industry, you must be proficient in the two foundational programming languages , Objective-C and Swift.
Their job includes designing and building the app, then testing and delivering the product to the users. After receiving feedback, they will evaluate and repair the product in time so that the product can serve everyone in the best way.
How To Become an iOS Developer
Just follow the five detailed steps below, and one day not far away, you will be able to fulfill your dream!
1. Start From iOS Development Fundamentals
Before officially entering the path of pursuing this industry, you should prepare mentally because the upcoming time will be full of thorns and challenges.
iOS development is a very difficult field and not suitable for those who lack perseverance. If you don’t have this quality, you will easily succumb and want to give up halfway.
Therefore, our advice is to learn all the information about it comprehensively to make a final decision. If you’re passionate about this industry, there’s no reason not to pursue it!
2. Apply For An iOS Development Course
To begin this process, you need to be familiar with and proficient in using Swift and Objective-C. Although many people think that the skills needed to pursue this industry are quite simple, the learning path is more difficult than that.
Specifically, to program iOS applications, you will have to go through a learning phase and even “wrestle” with Swift. Once you get to it, you will have to learn all the theory (analysis) with Swift. Types, objects, control flow, functions), build iOS apps from scratch, and use the swift library to leverage functions.
Swift is a difficult platform to fully pursue, especially for those unfamiliar with the Mac operating system. If you are in this case, you will have to further research using macOS for creating iOS binaries.
We recommend that you pay attention to the binary file uploading in Xcode during this stage, as this is an extremely difficult area to master.
So, what is the best way to achieve these results?
Getting formal training at colleges, vocational schools, and educational centers is a great idea that you should never pass up.
But if you are short on time, then taking a certification course will save you a lot of time while ensuring quality output.
During receiving education, you need to study diligently, constantly make efforts and actively exchange knowledge with people around you to strengthen your source of experience.
3. Get Used To Key Programming Languages
When it comes to this step, there are three programming languages that you must master: Swift, Objective-C, and Xcode. Once you’ve mastered them all, you’ll be able to put them into practice and expand your knowledge by learning other programming languages.
In addition to the three platforms we introduced above, some popular tools often chosen by developers include Cocoapods, Firebase, and dozens of other available options. This level of diversity requires you to assess their outstanding characteristics before deciding whether to use them or not.
Once you’ve got your hands on the right digital tools, you’re now ready for higher-level iOS development!
To hone your skills, things you can do include writing “if” and “swift” statements, improving interoperability, handling errors, managing layers, and more.
In addition, you should be familiar with network extensions through the JavaScript Object Notation, Grand Central Dispatch, and Core Data applications.
Adding other related knowledge such as information architecture, layout design, and UI/UX design will benefit your future working process. Therefore, do not hesitate to pursue them as soon as possible!
3. Create Your Projects
After you have accumulated enough knowledge in both theory and practice, now is to start creating your first products.
Don’t wait until you’ve mastered it all because you’ll miss out on many opportunities to put what you’ve just learned into practice.
Creating an iOS application is a complex process that includes many steps; depending on the application, the number of steps will vary. That is also why an iOS developer will have different steps for their projects.
No matter how many steps you go through, you need to follow the process below to start your projects most successfully.
First, you need to build the complete idea for your project. Record it as a wireframe so that you can adhere to and create the product as close to this idea as possible throughout your work.
Once the planning is done, it’s time to focus on coding your application. Finally, put it to the test with users, then study the feedback to promptly correct any errors that still exist in the product.
4. Expand Your Soft Skills
Besides specialized skills, it’s never too early to hone soft skills – qualities that every iOS developer needs to practice for themselves.
We consider the most important element in this step to promote working as a leader or part of a team.
In addition to working collaboratively, you must also be able to work under pressure and willing to work overtime to keep up with the deadlines set for you.
Good communication makes it easy to express your opinions and increases the closeness between yourself and the colleagues around you.
A leader must also have this quality to guide subordinates and assign them to work according to their wishes.
5. Build Your iOS Development Portfolio
If you are ready with your knowledge and skills, put together a strong portfolio to find job opportunities!
You should focus on quality rather than quantity for products in this category. Offer products in your area of expertise that you can do well in instead of polishing your name and abilities.
GitHub does a great job at allowing recruiters to see the process of creating an iOS product (whether it’s finished or not). If you’ve assembled a complete portfolio, upload it to the app store platform to get it live.
Then, devote yourself to broadening your horizons by participating in offline or online communities. Introduce yourself to companies and businesses hiring iOS developers because, who knows, you may have just what they’re looking for!
What to Keep in Mind?
Pursuing this industry involves a lot of caveats that you need to keep in mind if you don’t want your research to be affected. Scroll down to see what you should keep in mind during your study!
Say No With Memorizing Things
Having a good brain will help you remember specialized knowledge more easily. But if you try to remember things, you’re just messing things up and making yourself lose willpower more and more.
The learning process gives you so much specialized knowledge that you can’t seem to remember it all after each class. You should review that knowledge to remember it longer instead of cramming it into your head!
Every time you forget something and learn it again, you will remember it longer and more thoroughly than you think. But if you choose to memorize everything instead of revising, you’ll forget it all in no time.
Therefore, the key to memorizing knowledge is review. Relax and never put pressure on yourself!
Skip The Shiny
In our pursuit of iOS development, we have noticed that many people have something called “shiny syndrome”. They are pursuing directions and think it makes them better, but they give up and follow a different path shortly after.
If you also have this problem, then no matter how much effort and time you put in, you will not be able to achieve anything great.
Therefore, the advice for you is that once you have pursued something, keep yourself consistent and pursue it to the end. Only when you touch the results can you feel the great knowledge that this journey has brought you.
Teamwork- Don’t Be A Lone Wolf
Many people live quite self-contained and tend to learn all the lesson’s content on their own without anyone’s help. Only a few people who have extensive experience with programming languages and related platforms can do this.
But if you’re new and want to be alone during this process, you’re only making it harder for yourself. Every time you make a mistake, you may have to waste a lot of time before recognizing it and finding a way to fix it.
Working in a community is a great opportunity to learn more and perfect your skills. Moreover, you also have the opportunity to receive endless sources of inspiration and passion from people who love iOS development just like you.
Therefore, open your heart and stop working like a “lone wolf”. Once you blend in with the people around you, you’ll realize how quickly you’re progressing towards your career as a developer.
Go For The Beta
The beta version gives users a first-hand experience of the product they are about to announce. However, iOS developers who abuse this platform will not bring much benefit to their working process.
It would help if you understood that beta is only a test, so it does not include timely updates. That’s why there are some operations you will never be able to do on this version.
Besides, the stability has a low beta and frequent bugs. Therefore, stop relying on beta because you are just wasting your time and effort on it.
Rely On The Official Docs
The documents in the official docs give you very useful theoretical knowledge about the overall issues related to iOS development. But have you ever thought that being too dependent on it will make your practice skills worse than ever?
Your projects want to be successful, most of which must be based on the knowledge accumulated through extensive research and practice.
Therefore, you should focus more on practice instead of lying inside a sea of theoretical knowledge about iOS all day.
Get Lost In Objective-C
Objective-C served as Apple’s primary development language (before the brand announced Swift). Although it is the basis of Swift, its difficulty is much greater than Swift’s and tends to make learning feel like never before.
But if you’re determined to work for Apple, learning Objective-C is inevitable. Therefore, start now to be able to train your level in the best way!
Say No With Languages Limitations
Many iOS developers decide to stop learning a programming language after mastering swift because they think it is the only necessary tool for their work. It is a mistake we never want you to make later.
SwiftUI and Swift are products inspired by other programming languages. If you study hard, you will find that those languages (such as Java, Python, or Ruby) will have interesting things that you cannot find in Swift.
So, explore other languages as soon as you get the chance. If you limit yourself to Swift, your job opportunities will not be as wide as candidates with a richer list of programming languages!
FAQs
How Long Does It Take To Become An iOS Developer?
The path to conquering this career will take up your time and effort.
Specifically, it takes about three months to a year to fully absorb specialized knowledge. After that, it will take you another three to four years before receiving your bachelor’s degree from the university.
If you decide to join degree programs, the time will be faster, but the pressure to study will certainly multiply. So think carefully about the path you will choose to pursue iOS development in the future.
Is There Demand For iOS Developers?
According to experts, the recruitment demand for developers in this industry will not decrease in the coming years.
Once this demand increases, so will the corresponding salary increase. On average, an iOS developer in the US will receive a salary of $137,070 for a year of their work.
Is It Hard To Become An iOS Developer?
Becoming an iOS developer requires you to go through a lot of hard learning, including basic design, market research, concept, user testing, coding, and many other difficult areas.
But as long as you have enough effort and patience to overcome, you will see that the way to your destination will not be as difficult as you think!
The Bottom Line
Pursuing a career related to programming on the iOS platform is never an easy thing for anyone, whether a newbie or someone with experience.
Therefore, constantly making efforts and cultivating knowledge will be the key for you to become a real developer soon.
After this article, we hope that your questions and issues have no longer troubled you. Good luck on the path you choose!