This week in Career Walk, we will look at the profession of a mobile applications developer.

So, as we all know, the days are long gone when making calls and sending text messages were the most popular functions of a cellular phone. This is the era of the smart phone — a multifunctional device not just for communicating but also for learning, entertainment and even earning. Mobile phone applications are endless and seem to be the new technological fads of the age. Nevertheless, it is fair to say that we know very little about how they are made, and by whom.

Well, mobile applications took off as a major industry at the end of the twentieth century with the basic phone applications such calculator, calendar and so on. In recent times, mobile phone manufacturers have been developing more apps to satisfy their consumers’ appetite for added functionality and preference to customise their phones. This has led to mobile apps developers making millions profit. Apple, Rovio and Disney are popular mobile app companies, which house some of the best mobile app developers.

Locally, the Labour Market Research and Intelligence Department has listed the information and communication technology (ICT) industry as one of the fastest growing industries in Jamaica. As such, mobile apps developers has been listed as one of the skill areas on demand. Notwithstanding the current economic woes and problems of unemployment faced in Jamaica, fact of the matter is, ICT’s are fast becoming integrated into our work, learning and businesses environments. Career options in this field are therefore most viable.

So, how does one become a mobile apps developer? Well, first, you have to have a creative instinct and an interest in computers or technology on a whole, this career just might suit you. Academically, you would have to get a degree in computer science, a programme offered at both the University of the West Indies and the University of Technology.

The bonus of such a skill as mobile app creation is that you can come up with your very own creative idea for a mobile application, and if you market it good enough, you can make a lucrative business of it.

If you have instinctive creative abilities, an interest in computers, and an entrepreneurial spirit, becoming a mobile apps developer could be a viable option.

All the best in choosing the career just for you.