‘ appy days! APP DEVELOPMENT
Fancy a career in the cutting edge world of app development? Here’s how to take steps to get closer to that target! BY MARIA HASAN ere’s the lowdown. There are two types of app development – front end and back end. Front end development consists of the design, layout and interactive user interface content. Front end designers need to have creative flair and knowledge of what looks good and which will present well on a smart phone or tablet. By contrast, the back end developer deals with the more technical side of app construction like the coding process for example. If you haven’t heard of the coding phenomenon, where have you been?!! Think of an app as being like a bike. The front end designer creates the body work, chooses the colour scheme, designs the handlebar shape and the overall look of the bike. The back end developer develops the brakes, sorts out the mechanical stuff needed to build the bike and deals with all the technical things a bike needs to function properly and run smoothly. App development works in the same way. If you’re currently considering your GCSE or A-Level options then it’s key to make choices that will help you to achieve your app development career goal. If you aspire to being a front end designer, courses such as graphic design can be beneficial as you’ll gain the creative and artistic skills you will need to stand out in this competitive field. Alternatively, if you prefer the idea of being a back end developer then an IT-
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based course will be more useful to you as it will equip you with the technical nuts and bolts skills required for this area of app development. Software development courses as offered by Robert Gordon University of Aberdeen have a good reputation for offering a ‘foot in the door’ of the industry from a technical and creative perspective. It’s a two year top-up programme which will lead to an honours degree. You’ll gain the knowledge to progress further into app development and all you need to know is covered on this course. With bags of determination, your ambition to be employed as either a front end designer or back end developer can be a reality. For those who don’t want to study app development at university, the good news is that it’s not essential to gain a degree in the subject in order to work in this field. You could do an internship at one of many of the many app development companies which have cropped up in the last few years. If you want to be a front end designer then doing an internship may be a better option for you. Apprenticeships are another excellent option. There are lots of pioneering software development companies who offer apprenticeships in the IT sector. So there you have it. What’s stopping you? Design, develop or code your way to the career you’ve always dreamed of! ■
“IF YOU’RE CURRENTLY CONSIDERING YOUR GCSE OR A-LEVEL OPTIONS THEN IT’S KEY TO MAKE CHOICES THAT WILL HELP YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR APP DEVELOPMENT CAREER GOAL.” For information go to: www.bigambition. co.uk
MOVING ON APRIL/MAY 2015
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