So you want to take a piece of the mobile pie, the hottest tech thing around right now, and learn iOS development? Good decision
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Mobile is hot, indisputably, and probably will be for a few incoming years. There are hundreds of unfulfilled job positions, wherever you are located. Companies are looking for every level of programmers interns, juniors, mids, seniors, experts. This article is for beginners I will try to help you.
What do you need to do to become an iOS developer?
1. Buy a Mac (and iPhone if you don't have one).
To develop for iOS you need a Mac
2. Install Xcode.
Now, when you have your shiny new Mac on your desk, it’s time to install the most important software for iOS developer Xcode. Xcode is your IDE (integrated development environment) for making iOS apps. It’s free and you can download it straight from the Mac App Store, which you should do right now.
In Xcode, you do code writing and editing, debugging, “drawing” your app in storyboards, unit test your app, and many, many other things. You also use Xcode to upload your app to the App Store. Get familiar with it, it’s the most important software for every iOS developer.
3. Learn the basics of programming.
Now one of the hardest steps is you need to jump straight into code. If you have some programming background, picking up Objective-C or Swift wouldn’t be hard they are mostly standard, object-oriented programming languages. But if you haven’t written a single line of code in your life, don’t worry there are two great resources for true beginners:
- Ry’s Objective-C tutorial:- For “old school” Objective-C fans. You don’t have to truly master Objective-C, but it’s good to know the basics and to be able to read the code written in this language.
- Swift language guide by Apple:- This is the Swift language reference you want to use and learn from. Official Apple documentation, great as always.
Of course, you don’t have to understand everything in depth this will come later with experience. But you need to fully immerse yourself into all these variables, pointers, classes, data types, and loops. It will give you context for further learning.
4. Create a few different apps from a step-by-step tutorial.
This is the point when you are finally starting to make something useful. Check these sites:
- AppCoda:- probably the best starting point for beginners. You will find there many different tutorials, step by step with a lot of description. Definitely go through all of them!
- Ray Wenderlich:- another useful site with a giant database of iOS development tutorials. Learn from it, step by step.
But don’t stop only on these sites and tutorials! Move along and create a calculator app. Then create a weather app. Then a currency converter app. Music app. Did you get the point? Create whatever you find a tutorial for.
5. Start working on your own, custom app.
OK, things are getting serious. At this point, you are starting to make your own, custom app that you will show to your future employer on the interview.
But don’t be scared! You don’t have to create a second Facebook. You are starting for a junior position, right? A position, where you are supposed to learn from other employees as much as you can, not to be an expert with 5 years of experience.
So stay calm and think about what areas of iOS development you are currently best on.
Maybe you have created an app, that uses networking a lot? Maybe you have studied UIKit the most and you are comfortable with creating complex user interfaces? Or maybe you created a music player and audio on iOS is your favorite part of developing? Leverage that interest and knowledge and build your app upon that. Focus on clean, stylish, and working code.
6. In the meantime, learn as much as you can about software development generally.
If you are reading this, you probably don’t want to go to university for a few years to study computer science. The good news is you don’t have to!
A lot of computer science/programming/software engineering topics you can learn at your home, online.
Of course, it won’t replace you getting a degree, but to get a job as an iOS developer you don’t have to have it. See the picture above? Learn about these things written on it. And I won’t give you links no searching for information is one of the most important developer’s skills. Start train it now. Google is your friend.
7. Finish your app.
After a few days, weeks, or months of learning and working on your app, you should have a working app. This app is your resume you should put into it your best work. A lot of it. Here’s a list of suggestions of what employers will be looking for in your app:
- working app
- clean code
- code organizing small classes, well-selected names for variables, nice file grouping inside the Xcode project, etc.
- usage of storyboards
- usage of CocoaPods
- some simple unit tests
- usage of external libraries
Of course, everything depends on the company and job you are starting for, but generally with these skills above in your belt you can probably start for every junior iOS developer position.
OK, you have your beautiful, shiny app. The next step is,
8. Publish your app to the App Store.
It’s up to you that you want to or not to have an app in the App Store, but a lot of companies evaluate this as a big plus in your resume.
Having an app in the App Store means that you know how the publishing process works, what are Apple’s restrictions about apps, what you need to publish instead of the app itself (description, keywords, screenshots, promo video), etc.
9. Upload your app to GitHub.
GitHub is a social platform generally used for code sharing (a similar, but less popular alternative to GitHub is Bitbucket).
You can upload your app’s code here (and make it public or private), you can watch other people’s code, you can also contribute to open-source projects. It’s widely used and you can benefit from GitHub even if you are a solo-only developer by better organizing your code and having the best possible backup.
But why should you upload your app here? Well, to show your code to your future employer!
10. Contact the company you want to work in!
And this is it now you are prepared to get your first job as an iOS developer! Intern or junior probably, but it’s not important the important thing is now you have the skills to get the first job, and when you achieve this, the rest will take care of itself.
So prepare your resume, find that awesome company you want to work in, and go create apps with them!
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