Introduction

Swift is a new programming language for developing apps for iOS and OS X. It draws inspiration from C, Objective-C, and other current programming languages. A skilled Swift developer is typically someone who is also proficient in Objective-C. However, the programming language chosen is only one component of what makes a successful application.

Applying for app development jobs like a swift developer job might feel like a roulette game because each firm has a different interviewing style; some include code exams. Most have specific items they look for on their resume.

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Essential skills to become an iOS developer

What is the absolute bare minimum of abilities required to land a job in iOS development? We believe there are five in total:

• Swift
• SwiftUI
• Working with data
• Networking
• Version control

That's all. And that list is purposely kept small for a variety of reasons:

The more you learn and discover, then it's so tempting to spend time researching and practicing that you lose sight of the main aim — you want to work as an iOS or swift developer, not simply sit around learning new things.

Suggested Reading: Essential Skills & Tips to Become a Successful iOS Developer

You'll inevitably be joining a team that already has an app they want you to help build, so unless you're fortunate, they'll need to teach you a lot of stuff anyway - if you attempt to pack a bunch of different topics in beforehand, you'll most likely be wasting your time.

Two of those five items are vast and complicated, and you might spend months simply attempting to wrap your brain around them without traveling anywhere else.

Most significantly, if you get those five things perfect, you can create various apps. Sure, your code won't be flawless, but that's good since the only way to develop excellent code is to write and practice. 
 

Learning Swift

Swift is first on the list. It is Apple's fundamental programming language; it has no idea of displaying information on an iPhone's screen or getting data from the internet; it is just a language similar to JavaScript or Python. It's just pure code that you use to create variables, construct functions, etc.

Swift is only a few years old. Thus, it takes advantage of practically all the features available. On the one hand, this means that things are avoidable, like all of the crusty old behaviors typical in older languages like C++ and Java. Still, it also means that it offers a slew of more complex capabilities that may blow your mind at first. And that's fine: many elements of Swift are pretty simple, while others will take you longer to grasp fully, so take your time and persevere - you'll get there!

Suggested Reading: Key Skills for Hiring Swift Developers

SwiftUI Training

SwiftUI, an Apple framework that allows us to use Swift to create apps for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and even watchOS, was the second essential skill we specified. As a result, while Swift is the programming language, SwiftUI provides tools for developing apps, such as presenting text, images, buttons, data tables, text boxes, etc. To be clear, SwiftUI isn't a replacement for Swift; it's a framework built on top of Swift that allows us to construct apps, so you'll need both Swift and SwiftUI to be successful.

If you thought Swift was fresh, wait till you see this SwiftUI — it's not quite two years old! Despite its youth, the iOS community has embraced it enthusiastically since it's so easy to use.

Apple also offers an earlier framework for designing iOS apps called UIKit. If you ask several people whether you should learn SwiftUI or UIKit first, you'll receive various replies. If you see the comments section of the YouTube video for this post, you'll discover many people telling me I'm wrong and that UIKit should be prioritized.

So, in case you're wondering, here's why we believe you should prioritize SwiftUI as a critical skill:

It is substantially easier than UIKit, which means dramatically - it takes about a fourth of the code to get the same outcomes as UIKit, and there are more minor things to learn. It means you get a lot of momentum since you can develop things quicker, see results faster, and iterate on those results more quickly, motivating when learning.

SwiftUI was created for Swift, utilizing language capabilities to assist you in avoiding difficulties and achieving optimal efficiency. For example, suppose you change any data on one screen of an app. In that case, SwiftUI will automatically ensure that the new data is updated wherever else in your app that needs it - it's not necessary to write code to keep it all in sync yourself, which is pretty hard. UIKit, on the other hand, was built for Apple's older language, Objective-C, and as a result, includes all sorts of oddities and cruft that resulted from its age.

SwiftUI is cross-platform, so you can use what you learned on iOS to create a macOS or watchOS app with essentially identical code. Sure, some features, like the Digital Crown, are exclusive to a specific device, but most of what you learn will work on every device.

But, most crucially, SwiftUI represents the direction in which things are heading. If you were looking for a swift developer job right now, you'd undoubtedly need to know UIKit, but the fact that you're reading this suggests you're much farther along in the process. UIKit is more popular now, but SwiftUI will be the main UI framework when you finish studying it in 6, 9, or even 12 months.

The world's largest firms, including Apple, prefer SwiftUI, and when Apple just released widgets in iOS 14, they made it a condition that you use SwiftUI — UIKit isn't viable there.
 

Data and networking

The third and fourth talents we stated were networking and data manipulation. Swift and SwiftUI are a piece of cake, or at least at the level required to secure a junior swift developer job.

Networking retrieves data from the internet or transmits data from a local device to a remote server. There are a lot of methods for accomplishing this, but the most important thing to understand is how to retrieve JSON from a server.

And this is where the second essential talent comes into play: working with data. Again, there are several methods to load and store data. Still, the absolute minimum you must do is convert the data you received from a server using your network code into information that your app can display.

So, the third and fourth basic abilities are inextricably linked: retrieve some data from a server, then convert it into meaningful information shown in your app. Some developers joke that writing this type of code is half the job of a swift developer, and we rely heavily on it.
 

Finally, there is version control

The final ability isn't coding: it's version control, such as Git. Again, you don't need much here, but you must be able to post your code somewhere public, such as GitHub so that recruiters can view your work.

Nobody in the world thoroughly knows how Git works, but that's good — you need to know enough of the basics to keep your data safe and collaborate with others.

So, when those five are added together, there are two huge ones — Swift and SwiftUI – and three little but crucial ones. If you can only focus on those five things without becoming sidetracked, you'll be well to your first iOS development job.

Those are the five essential talents we believe you need to be a swift developer. Thousands of individuals solely have those talents and can design and deploy amazing apps on the App Store.
 

Applying for junior positions

Once you've completed your initial immersion in a business setting, you qualify as a junior swift developer and may begin to consider your next steps.

You should be comfortable with all of the non-coding aspects of being a developer by this point: you're comfortable using Git with a team, you're comfortable responding to issues in a system like Jira, you're familiar with Scrum or another agile process, you're able to participate in code review in a meaningful way, and so on.

When applying for entry-level positions, we feel the topic of "experience" gets a little murky. In terms of Swift, there is a shortage of experienced professionals. Many individuals, including myself, began studying Swift on the day it was released, but even we can't claim to have more than a few years of expertise.

Of course, mobile is different because iOS has been around far longer than Swift. But you have to ask yourself: if you can show that you're capable of independently creating great apps, that you're robust at solving general computing problems, and that you have a genuine desire to succeed, would you want to work for a company that says, "sure, you have all those things, but we need someone with more years on their résumé"?
 

So, when applying for junior positions, keep the following points in mind:

• Is this firm able to get you where you want to go? Every junior developer's ultimate objective is to break out of their role and land a terrific mid-level job where they can thrive. Does this firm appear to be one where you could stay three or more years? Do they give any thought to mentoring junior swift developers? Do they present you with meaningful and fascinating tasks to solve?
   
• Is this firm concerned with the essential technical aspects? Although being a junior swift developer is commonly referred to as being a "code monkey," there are specific other vital skills that you will need to learn if you want to advance. Does this firm promote (or even require!) the creation of excellent tests? Do they take QA seriously enough that the QA team may prevent a release if they aren't satisfied? Do they have a well-structured and practical approach to UX?
   
• Is this firm concerned about non-technical issues? Even if a firm assists you in writing better code, enforces tests, and has excellent QA and a dedicated UX staff, it might still fail due to cultural factors. For example, having two years at Uber on your résumé is now positively poisonous - it's better to claim you spent two years in prison than two years at Uber. So, when you interview, be specific: do they have a policy to guarantee employees are treated equally? What actions are they taking to try to assemble a diverse team? How long do employees typically remain at the company? How do they deal with failure?
   
• Will they pay for your training? Attending conferences or seminars, internal "lunch and learn" events, special classroom training for your position, or just having a book budget to have something fresh to read regularly are all possibilities. Exercise is critical to moving your talents ahead, and if they won't pay even a tiny portion of it, it doesn't bode well for their long-term involvement in your professional growth.
   
• Will they allow you to carry on with your side projects? Although the work you perform from 9 to 5 is vital, I hope you have other interests that you wish to pursue. That might be personal projects on GitHub, presenting at conferences, or even doing freelance work. Be sure that the firm allows you to continue doing what is important to you without any strange copyright assignment restrictions in your contract.
   
• Will you be able to make errors at this company? Making (and learning from!) errors are essential for a junior swift developer, and you should look for a location where you may fail, try again, and learn freely. So, search for companies with solid code review procedures to assist you in finding and rectifying errors, and don't be hesitant to inquire about pair programming opportunities with experienced devs.
   

Conclusion

Swift as competence and the position of iOS Developer are inextricably linked. We examined both earlier this year and saw that they were declining and following the same trends. But there's a catch.

Swift, a programming language, was presented at WWDC 2014 as the apparent successor to Objective-C. It has grown over time, adding essential features and becoming helpful outside of iOS. Swift's strength strengthens as cross-platform apps are set to become a part of Apple's ecosystem. A recent advancement puts it as a web-based JavaScript alternative.

With determination and a growth mindset, you will find best career opportunities for you.Stay proactive and adaptable, and you'll find that growth and success are within your reach.In today's competitive world, enhancing your skills and cultivating strong communication qualities are essential for career growth and personal fulfillment.

Relinns Technology offers an excellent platform to achieve these goals. At Relinns, you can discover a wealth of career opportunities designed to help you excel. The company is dedicated to helping you enhance your skills, particularly in communication, through hands-on projects and continuous learning. By joining a team of passionate professionals and working on cutting-edge technologies, you will not only contribute to innovative projects but also hone your communication capabilities.