Your App Development Career: The Most Important Things To Know

So you want to start your freelance app development career. You like this field; you are interested in learning more about it. In fact, you want to make apps and get paid for it. You know that apps are very popular, and app developers are in demand. But how do you even begin?

We want to bring some key insights into how to become an app developer. They will include skills you need, projects you will probably start with, and the reputation you want to maintain. Let’s take a look!

What Does a Freelance App Developer Do?

There is no single answer to this question. Depending on what you can and want to do, this list can be modified. However, here are the key responsibilities of an average app developer.

• Finding jobs. As a freelancer, you are responsible for finding your customer. Freelancing platforms like Insolvo help with that. They also typically make payment easier and more secure.
• Creating apps. A very common task is to make an app, and it can be all kinds of apps. From games to wellness to social media, the apps that you can be tasked with developing are numerous. What it actually involves is mostly coding and designing, as well as testing.
• Making changes to an app, fixing bugs, and other instances of adjusting what has already been created. It can be an app you have made or someone else’s work. 

Additionally, collaboration may be required if you are asked together with someone by the client. Naturally, collaboration with the client and revisions based on their recommendations are also a part of the job.

Is a Freelance App Development Career Challenging?

You need to be aware of the pitfalls before you commit to your app development career. The truth is that being a freelance app developer is not easy. As a freelancer, you do not have access to as many resources as a company. As a result, it is more difficult for you to afford courses and classes for continuous learning. You are also unable to offer as much of a combined expertise as a large agency. In addition, the competition is very prominent in freelancing. After all, it is global.

On the other hand, you have access to buyers from all over the world. Freelancing also offers a lot of flexibility, and freelancing platforms can help you get secure job offers. There is a real demand for affordable app development. 

Moreover, you are curious and hard-working, and you genuinely enjoy programming. You are interested in creating apps. So let’s see what skills you need for that. 

Necessary Skills for Your App Development Career

To succeed as in your freelance app development career, you need a lot of skills. Some of them are related to app making while others are connected to finding and keeping tasks. Let’s take a look at the most important skills.

Working with the App

• Coding. Most often, an app developer needs to be familiar with code. You cannot learn everything, so you need to choose a few languages and become proficient in them. In addition, you may want to choose a platform (iOS or Android) or focus on cross-platform frameworks (for example, React Native and Angular). The platform will also determine the languages you need: Java and Kotlin for Android, Swift for iOS. 
• No-code development is also a thing. For example, see Thunkable. Sometimes, you can get away with learning to use a couple no-code platforms and using them to become an app developer. Do keep in mind, though, that while faster and cheaper, no-code tools are limited in what they can offer. If you choose no-code development only, you might not be able to help every client.
• Databases. You need to know how to work with databases and manage and optimize them. 
• UI/UX skills. User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are extremely important in app development. Since you are a one-person team, you would benefit from having skills related to these areas. You need to be able to design a visually-appealing app that is also easy to use.
• Performance and testing. You need to be familiar with various methods of testing an app to make sure that it works well. 
• Integrations. While not every app requires integrations, many do, which means that knowing how to handle them is very important for your app development career.
• Security testing and compliance. Ensuring that your apps are secure is important for every app. Depending on where your client is, you might also need to research and comply with certain legislation. For example, privacy laws might be a concern. 

Working with the Client (and Others)

• Communication. It begins with a brief, but proper communication is necessary throughout the project. 
• Collaboration. As a freelancer, you do not always require this skill, but at times, you will need to collaborate with others. For example, you might be asked to only work on the database of an app, but someone else will be working on the UX part. You need to be ready to integrate into a team and be its productive member.
• Time-management. If you are a freelancer, you know that it is difficult to always be on time when you do not have the structure of a regular job. However, you need to find a way to organize your work and do it in a timely manner.

First Projects in Your App Development Career

It is difficult to find good jobs without some experience. How do you secure your first projects? Well, here are a few options.

• Personal projects. We understand that a personal project can never rival a real case study of you creating an app. However, they are still useful. They showcase your skills and prove your abilities. Do not hesitate to put personal projects in your portfolio if you lack other options.
• Open-source work. Sometimes, it is a good idea to sacrifice some of your time working on an open-source project. You can put that achievement in your portfolio and use it to prove that you can code!
• Entry-level positions and internships. If you want to gain experience for your freelance app development career, you can do so by pursuing a regular job. You can stay with the company you chose for as long as you need to improve your portfolio. Then, quit — or not — and start working as a freelancer.
• Freelancing websites. Freelancing websites often become first real projects for freelancers. You can bid on tasks on Insolvo, for example, and find jobs there.

Testing leads to failure, and failure leads to understanding.

Burt Rutan, aerospace engineer

Enhancing Your Reputation

In a  freelance app development career, reputation matters a lot. You will get significantly more clients if you have a good reputation. Here are some recommendations on how to maintain it.

• Communication. You need to be polite and helpful at every stage of app development. Be open about the issues you struggle with and search for solutions together with your client. Communication has a great impact on your reputation. 
• Portfolio. Your portfolio is an amazing asset. Even if you do not have a lot of examples of your work yet, put them all in your portfolio. Arrange it logically and make sure to explain your choices while including a lot of visuals. Your portfolio should prove your knowledge and skills, which will improve your reputation. 
• Certification is a good idea. While your portfolio speaks for itself, you can make clients more interested  if you complete some form of training. Provide a well-regarded certification in addition to your portfolio for the best results. Remember that full formal education in a relevant field is always an advantage. It is never too late to get a Bachelor’s degree if you have that option!
• Meeting deadlines. If you are known for missing deadlines, your reputation will suffer. Make sure that you are only late when something very wrong happens. Be reliable, and your reputation will improve.

Key Advice for Your App Development Career

We want to finish with a few pieces of advice for future freelance app developers.

• Specialize. You cannot hope to develop every skill and learn every language. So choose what you are interested in the most. Perhaps, you prefer iOS to Android? Then focus on being an iOS app developer.
• Never stop learning. That Bachelor’s degree? A good start, but you need more. Keep learning new languages, deepening your knowledge of frameworks, and improving your understanding of no-code tools. The more versatile your skills are, the more you can offer your clients. It means standing out even in comparison with agencies, which can generally offer more diverse expertise.
• Networking is useful for gaining clients. Consider visiting app development spaces and learning more about the craft while making connections. Being recommended to a client is a very good way of securing a job.
• Use freelancing platforms. They help in connecting buyers with freelancers, and they offer a lot of features to help you in your app development career. For example, payments within a freelancing platform like Insolvo are very secure.

Your App Development Career: A Conclusion

Developing an app development career is not easy by any means. You need to possess a lot of skills, know relevant languages and frameworks, be ready to work with UI and UX, and maintain your reputation. The first projects in your portfolio might be personal ones or your contributions to open-source ones. But app developers are in demand, so if you are ready to start this career, now is a good time.