iOS Developer

Advice for iOS Programming "certification"

TL;DR: My company wants me to get iOS developer certification. Where's the best place to go/classes (online or offline) to take?

My company has offered to pay to send me to school to get "certified" to be an iOS developer. Currently I am a Front End Developer, have some iOS development experience and it is something I am interested in doing.

I'm looking for an online experience, but not opposed to in class learning. I have to continue working (roughly 45 hrs per week). I’d like to have the certification for more than a piece of paper, but really to give me a lasting career as iOS developer/programmer. Lastly, I'm in the Los Angeles, CA area.

So far the only “certification" I could find that is:

Udacity - $200 per month (up to 12 months) - They have what they call “nanodegrees", which sounds cool, but looking at the curriculum it appears to be 5 iOS projects that you complete to receive the nanodegree. More info here: https://www.udacity.com/course/ios-developer-nanodegree--nd003.

If the answer is “there isn’t one, create some apps, get better, get a job, have a career — I am perfectly OK with that, but my company is putting a great opportunity in front of me and I would really like to take advantage of it.

Thank you in advance!

Udacity's iOS Developer Nanodegree + StackOverflow/Google/etc...

Career change from Accounting to iOS Developer (currently programming for iOS as a hobby)

The title says it all. I've been doing a bit of searching about people going from non-programming to programming jobs, but I couldn't quite find a parallel scenario as mine. Some background:

tl;dr Accountant looking to land job in iOS development. Have B.S. in accounting, 25 years old, and 4 years iOS "experience" as a hobby. Published 4 apps in the app store. Looking for paths to take to help me in my transition.

I have a B.S. in Business Admin concentration in Accounting. I've worked the last two years in financial statement audit for one of the Big 4 accounting firms. Around my junior year in college (approx. 4 years ago, I'm 25 yrs old now) I became interested in iOS programming. Armed with two high school classes coding in C++, I purchased a few iOS dev books and abused StackOverflow in order to code ever since, from junior year of college to today.

Since then I've published four apps in the app store (Up, Up, Pxture). The other one is called Text Fortress (which I've sold), but here's an article. The last app got us (my co-founder and I) into some legal trouble and is now off the store.

Now I'm trying to make the switch into iOS programming as a profession but I'm unsure how to proceed. I've looked into online programs (like Udacity's iOS nanodegree) and physical bootcamps (like Flatiron School in NYC). I'm also starting to establish a github account and upload projects there from now on.

My biggest challenge is getting a sense of how much I actually know. I can't figure out if my skill level is a beginner or intermediate. I don't know how to pitch my knowledge to prospective employers, so the career coaching these programs offer would help I think.

Right now I'm leaning towards taking Udacity's classes (part-time while I work), use whatever job searching tools they have, then transition into a junior iOS dev position. I chose Udacity because I've heard good reviews, they work with established companies, and the price will be a motivating factor. Along the way I plan to pick up a book on algorithms. I keep seeing this one suggested.

Is this a good plan? Would you add anything to it? Thank you, any advice helps.

36 year old housewife with aptitude for computers need advice on best path to employment

Hi I'm a 36 year old female living in Canada. I've been home schooling my oldest, 10, who just decided to go to school, my youngest, 2, will be in pre-kindergarten in about 2 years. I'm married and my husband pays all the bills and is willing to do so for another 5 years. As I'll soon be kid free, I'm thinking about how to prepare myself to be employed, or self-employed at the end of this 5 year period. (that's not a firm 5 years, but I do want to stick to that as much as possible. Also, I have my high-school degree plus a 2 year college program in business.)

Over the years I've discover I have an aptitude for and really like computers. I've only spent my time learning cms like Joomla and wordpress, so I've never done anything serious, but nonetheless I can tell that I enjoy this type of work. I'm also patient and excel at logic problems.

I've looked into the various paths and prospects of learning computer skills and I seem to be most attracted to app or website development.

But no matter what I think about doing, my husband seems to think, and pressures me to look into, the reality of the job market I will face upon graduation.

Here are some of his claims:

1. many of these jobs are on their way to India

2. the market is saturated.

3. The skill set demanded by potential employers is quite high (ie need BA in computer science + many years experience)

4. Demand for apps has peaked

5. I will be competing against those with phd's and/or many 10 years experience

6. I will have very little chance getting a job without a lot of qualifications, something I could not achieve in 5 years

But a casual search indicates that at least at the moment the prospect are quite good.

For example, here is a rather positive article on the topic https://www.quora.com/Is-iOS-app-development-a-good-career-in-2016

Most of the comments seem positive as well, but here's one that caught my attention

>any have noticed this demand, seen the average salaries, viewed it as a ticket into the 6 figure job club, taken these courses on Code Academy, Pluralsight, Udemy, et al, and then been frustrated at the money they just wasted, because, surprise surprise, you can’t learn to code overnight, since experience as a problem solver is tantamount.

>If, however, you’re truly a coder—and by that, I don’t just mean a person who codes, but a true coder—then you’ll be fine. I’ve hired my fair share, and it’s pretty obvious in the interview when I’ve found the right man/woman for the job. What’s the difference? I can write code, but I’m not cut out to be a developer. My code is often a bit sloppy, and it takes me a while, but I’ve created a couple dozen websites and can even comprehend and write small amounts of mobile code. But I’m a Product Owner. A coder, a real developer/senior developer/architect possesses a certain amount of patience, fortitude, a problem-solving mentality, and a desire to see through the puzzle to the end.

This begs the question, how can I know in advance if I am a real coder? If I am someone who will excel at this or just end up wasting my time and money.

See the problem is, I really only have one shot. My husband is willing to help me, but his help is limited to a period of 5 years at which point he wants to stop paying the bills and finish his degree in law.

So as part of my research into this, I thought I'd drop by here on Reddit and see if any of you would be willing to share your thoughts and insight with me.

Some questions I would love answered, but don't feel limited to this if you have something else to offer.

1. If your child was interested in learning to develop apps, would you recommend this as a good career choice
2. Do I need a degree in computer science
3. Do programs like this have any value on their own https://www.udacity.com/course/ios-developer-nanodegree--nd003
4. How much education do I need
5. How do you foresee the market changing in the next 5 years
6. Would I be better off learning the basics and then starting my own apps and trying to learn/make money doing this in lieu of a long and expensive degree?

Anything helps, thanks so much for reading!

https://www.udacity.com/course/ios-developer-nanodegree--nd003 click on the blue "enroll now" button

Udacity ND program is pretty good. I think it is $200 a month. I did it. It was challenging and I learned a lot. I didn't land an iOS job but did come close. Now studying stats/R/Python. Also, Ray Wenderlich books/videos. They are great! Also watch the Standard iOS class - it's free!