Indeed, Android Development is one of the fastest evolving tech domains across the world. Statistically, Android occupies more than 80% of the overall market share for the entire mobile operating systems that make it the most used mobile platform across the world. There are various IT giants such as Google, Facebook, etc. that offer various ravishing career opportunities to Android Development professionals. Needless to say, the demand for worthwhile Android Developers is going to rise rapidly in the upcoming times and with the same concern, you can look forward to building a career in Android Development to achieve your career goals!!
Before moving further, let’s discuss – What is Android Development? Android Development is the process of building applications that are compatible with the Android Operating System. Meanwhile, Android is an open-source Linux-based operating system that is developed for mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and many more. In general, an Android Developer is usually required to develop applications for the Android OS-based devices and to create rich experiences for the users. Now, let’s take a look at several major roles & responsibilities of an Android Developer:
- Design & build applications for the Android platform
- Work with various data sources & APIs
- Bug fixing and enhancing the performance of the application
- Research for new technologies, market trends, etc.
Okay, let’s get back to the main concern – How to become an Android Developer? Though there are not any specific or essential eligibility criteria to get into the Android Development domain still having an academic background in the related field such as Computer Science / Information Technology, etc. can help you to get a good start for the same. You can opt to earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the concerned field and can go for several training programs or courses relevant to Android Development. Moreover, as various big tech companies demand these educational qualifications as prerequisites hence it can help you to get some worthwhile career opportunities as well. Furthermore, apart from the academic criteria, let’s come to these 5 tech skills that can help you to start your career as an Android Developer:
1. Understanding of Programming Languages – Java or Kotlin
The first and foremost tech skill you’re required to possess for getting into the Android Development domain – have a thorough understanding of relevant programming languages like Java or Kotlin. Java can be considered as the fundamental need for Android Development and you’re required to have a sound knowledge of its syntax, basic to advanced concepts like loops, classes & objects, OOPs concepts, etc. to become a proficient Android Developer. Moreover, when it comes to Kotlin, Google has officially supported it as the first choice from all programming languages for Android development that makes it crucial for you to gain an understanding of Kotlin for Android Development.
2. Proficiency in SQL & XML
Apart from the proficiency in Java or Kotlin, you’re required to have adequate knowledge of SQL (Structured Query Language) to manage the data and organize the databases for the android application. The knowledge of SQL is crucial for android development to send and retrieve the data or information with the database. Furthermore, you need to have a decent knowledge of XML (eXtensible Markup Language) to describe the data for the application. The XML is used for many prominent tasks in android development such as controls data presentation, parses data feeds, etc.
3. Knowledge of UX and UI Components
Here comes another prominent tech skill required for Android Development – knowledge of UI (User Interface) Components and UX (User Experience). As there is always a demand for the android application that it should be responsive and have an engaging & intuitive design hence you’re required to have a thorough understanding of Android UI design principles and patterns to get the desired outcomes. Furthermore, you’re strongly recommended to learn about material design (a design system, developed by Google, that helps to build high-quality digital experiences for Android & other OS as well) and other related concepts & principles.
4. Get Familiar with Android SDK & Android Studio
To get into the Android Development world, you’re required to get familiar with Android SDK & Android Studio. When it comes to the Android SDK (Software Development Kit) – it is a set of development tools that includes software libraries, debugger, and many more tools that helps to build applications for the Android platform. Moreover, Android Studio is one of the most-recommended IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for Android development that comes up with various inbuilt features and both (Android SDK as well as Android Studio) are free of cost and can be downloaded easily.
5. Get Proficient with Android APIs
This is one of the core tech skills for getting into Android Development – to learn various Android APIs. In general, Android API (Application Programming Interface) is concerned with the set of programming instructions or functionalities that can be reused by other programmers for building an Android application. Meanwhile, you’re required to have an understanding of the android development lifecycle, RESTful APIs, the transformation of data from a REST API to local data structures & classes, etc. Once, you’ll have proficiency in the APIs, it’ll become easier for you to implement the required functionalities in the Android application.
So, these are some must-have technical skills required to become an Android Developer. Apart from these tech skills, there are some non-tech skills as well that are also required to be taken into consideration. Firstly, you need to possess some good critical thinking skills to analyze various aspects of development optimally. Moreover, you’re also required to have better communication & collaboration skills for teaming up with other professionals. There are several other crucial skills also such as Perseverance, Problem Solving, Research & Analysis, etc. that can be considered to become proficient Android Developers. Furthermore, there are several most-recommended books mentioned below that can help you in your journey of getting into the Android Development domain:
- Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide
- Headfirst Android Development
- Android Cookbook: Problems and Solutions for Android Developers
- Android Application Development All-in-one for Dummies
So, these are the 5 must-have tech skills that you need to possess to make a career as an Android Developer. However, the journey of getting into Android Development is quite long and also demands hard work & consistency from your side but it is worth it as there are a lot of ravishing career opportunities in this particular domain and the industry is showing no signs of slowing down in the upcoming times as well!! Now, what are you waiting for? To enhance the above-mentioned skills and start a worthwhile career as an Android Developer!!
