Jakub Chmiel

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How to land Android Dev job in 2019 part1

Jakub Chmiel 2 Comments

How to land Android Dev job in 2019 part1

This is an article for people who know the basics of programming but want to become professionals.
 
If you are an aspiring Android developer, you have a lot to learn. This article can help you land Android developer job faster. So you can get it ASAP and continue the learning process. But this time being paid for learning. 

Introduction

I dropped out of college and landed the Android dev job I wanted using this plan. It took only 6 months. And I had full-time hustle at the time! 
  
So how does this plan look like? 
 
I broke it down to 2 parts. This is the first one and it’s about getting the technical work done. The second part is about using it effectively to find a job. 
 
Let’s start with the first part. Here are 6 steps you need to know.

1. Do the Maths

If you decided that you want to be an Android developer, you need to plan your process. If you don’t do it now, you waste your time. So schedule uninterrupted time blocks. Aim for at least 4h a day. 

And do the math. It is not so obvious but it’s really important. The toughest thing in this plan is to realize that nothing is random. You are not paid for learning on your own so you don’t see results in cash for now. You may think that 1 wasted hour doesn’t change a lot. But it’s bullshit.

If you finish your plan even 1-day sooner– you will earn one daily rate more. If you invest 1 hour every day for 6 months, it is 180 hours  (22.5 work days). That’s how you have one monthly salary more. Nothing is random. Do the math every day to create urgency. You won’t waste time as soon as you realize how much it’s worth.
 

2. Learn the basics of Java language

Why not Kotlin? Kotlin is much better but Java is essential. Learn the basics of Java before you put your hands on Kotlin.

If you already know the basics of Kotlin, Java or a similar language(C#, Swift, C, C++, Python)- just check out Java syntax. This way you will understand the code in Android Framework guides.

Otherwise, invest some time in learning Java or find a full Android course that doesn’t require Java skills. Buy a full course on Udemy if you want to save time.

3. Use GIT version control

It’s super important to learn the basics of GIT. This way you can publish your progress on a public repository.

You don’t have to know how to use rebase, GitFlow, cherry-pick, etc yet. Just learn about master and dev branches and how to merge them.

Extra points for checking out tags and app versioning. Those 2 things are really simple.

4. Learn Android Framework

You can buy a full tutorial so you can code along with the instructor to learn faster. Remember to use GIT. Let’s look at examples of things that are super important, nice to know and things that you should avoid for now.

Super important to learn:
1. RecyclerView lists
2. Activity lifecycle
3. Skim through Android components
4. Material Design for Android principles
5. Displaying images and icons
6. Adding icons to a project

Nice to know:
1. Shared Preferences
2. Simple web requests
3. ScrollView
4. CardView
5. SwipeRefreshLayout

Things to avoid for now
1. Don’t learn RxJava/RxKotlin before app hits version 1.0
2. Don’t dive into Dagger or dependency injection before v1.0
3. Avoid spending too much time on Fragments for now
4. Design patterns

5. Develop a simple app

To get an Android job fast there is nothing better than a simple app in your portfolio. It’s like flying private, passing by a line of a people that only have college diplomas and fly commercial. A diploma is only useful if you display it in a nice ScrollView and deploy to Google Play. But there are better app ideas.

Develop an app that displays a list of items in RecyclerView. It’s important because this view is used everywhere. Paginate the list for extra points. If you can’t paginate then at least learn how it works. Then copy implementation from StackOverflow.

And maybe a simple preview of this item in a new activity. It can include zoomable ImageView too.

It doesn’t have to be innovative. If you don’t have an earth-shaking idea, don’t overthink it. Go for a list of your dream guitar collection or list of characters from your favorite movie. You can model it after my simple application: MyWins2. It’s the second version of one of my first Android app.

Aim for a simple version 1.0 that works properly and looks good. Store all the changes in a public Github/Gitlab repository. This way reviewers will be able to check out your repository and see changes.

6. Publish your app

Create a google developer account and deploy your app in version 1.0 to Google Play. Prepare some photos and description for your GitHub/Gitlab repository. Preferably with some images or a nice GIF.

Do the same with your app description on Google Play. It improves the presence of your app.

What's next?

As you have published your own app- it is already much easier. But sending CV randomly is not efficient. Read How to land Android Dev job in 2019 part2.
 
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Jakub Chmiel

I’m Jakub Chmiel. In the Android world, I’m in the process of developing 2 project management mobile applications for construction teams. In these projects, I add business value fast trying to minimize technical debt.

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2 thoughts on “How to land Android Dev job in 2019 part1”

  • GuQinPu
    June 28, 2019 at 5:54 pm
    Permalink

    fantastic put up, very informative. I wonder why the opposite experts of this sector do not realize this. You should continue your writing. I’m confident, you have a great readers’ base already!

    Reply
  • Bryce Paterniti
    October 25, 2019 at 2:03 am
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    Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your site. You have some really good articles and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please blast me an email if interested. Thank you!|

    Reply

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