Mobile Development Certifications and Certificates

If you’re looking for a way to demonstrate your skills in mobile development, you might be overwhelmed by the different certifications and certificate programs available. You might also have many questions, such as will I need to become certified to get a job? What options do I have for becoming certified? How do I prepare for becoming certified?This article aims to answer these questions so you can efficiently choose the right path toward a mobile development certification. Keep reading to find out more.

What is Mobile Development?

As of 2021, there were as many as 6.4 billion smartphones worldwide. For smartphone users, The vast majority of smartphone users engage with their device using their apps–up to 88% of total use. Mobile applications are quickly becoming the most common way we interact with the digital space, and this shifts virtually every industry, company, and institution to prioritize using mobile applications in their branding and marketing strategies. In addition, adjacent industries, such as the mobile gaming industry, are becoming massive sources of revenue, meaning that more and more companies are moving towards mobile development as a primary, rather than a secondary, focus.

Learning mobile development skills involves learning general programming principles and tools, and languages explicitly designed for popular mobile devices. Both iOS and Android devices take advantage of proprietary programming languages built from the ground up to be optimized for those devices. Mobile development differs from general programming in that it emphasizes how applications can be designed to run optimally on any mobile device since there is a world of difference between an iPhone 12 and a Surface Tablet. Mobile Developers will be tasked with learning all the skills required to ensure that all of the application's necessary features are functional and easy to utilize regardless of who is accessing the application and on what device it is being accessed.

Read more about what mobile development is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Mobile Development?

One of the most compelling reasons to learn mobile development skills comes from the fact that the technological infrastructure is constantly improving. What was unheard of five years ago has become the technical default, and developers are constantly improving the hardware and software associated with mobile devices. This evolution makes mobile application development an incredible specialization for developers who want to be on the cutting edge as new industries and practices emerge. Whether you are interested in designing new mobile games, essential accessibility services, or working within newly emerging digital marketplaces, mobile app development skills will significantly boost your potential.

Mobile application development is also an excellent skill set for working within the developing world of the internet of things. Our phones and tablets are becoming more directly integrated with the devices and objects we interact with daily. From QR code readers to digital assistants to medical alert technology in wearables, mobile devices serve many seemingly mundane but still vital functions in our everyday lives. While developers looking to work in this field will need to learn other advanced programming skills, students with a background in mobile development will have a much easier time creating complex applications meant to extend the reach of the mobile device.

Certifications vs. Certificates: What’s the Difference?

Learners who are new to the field of web development may need clarification on what they need to do to become certified. Since there are multiple ways to become certified, potential students may need elucidation. Certification and certificates are two different things. Both are ways to become certified, but each demonstrates a student’s mobile development proficiencies differently.

Certification is awarded to students who pass a proctored skills exam by an industry-recognized training facility or a first-party developer. These exams test students' proficiency in practical skills and real-world application development processes. Formal training courses rarely accompany them, so enrollees are expected to attend the exam with significant prior knowledge. Many certifications expire after a fixed time, requiring students to retake the exam and keep their work up to date.

Certificates are more akin to diplomas and are awarded to learners who complete industry-recognized training courses. These courses are designed to take beginners without prior mobile development experience and teach them how to build and develop mobile applications. These programs are ideal for students who need hands-on experience in mobile development and for students who need more practice before sitting down for a certification exam.

Top Certifications & Certificates for Mobile Development

Curious individuals looking to become certified mobile developers will want to explore the certificate-granting courses available through Noble Desktop. These classes, like Noble’s iOS App Development Bootcamp, teach students the ins and outs of mobile development practices and languages, making them ideal places for those lacking a background in application development to master the skills and set themselves up for future career success. These courses are also perfect places for beginners or near-beginners with minimal background in mobile development to hone their skills in preparation for a certification exam.

Certification exams are offered through recognized first-party providers and industry-recognized training facilities. Prospective students should be aware of the scope of these exams. Some providers, like IBM, will test individuals on all facets of mobile development, while others, like Apple, will test students on platform-exclusive skills.

Should I Get Certified in Mobile Development?

As a general rule, being mobile development certified won’t be a strict requirement for any job opening as a Mobile Developer. The most important aspect of getting hired in development-related fields is having a solid portfolio of sample designs that you can use to impress prospective employers. However, being certified in mobile development is a great way to demonstrate your training and experience to hiring managers. It also sets you apart from other potential candidates.

How to Get Certified in Mobile Development

Most people choose between taking a certification exam or enrolling in a certificate-granting training course based on how comfortable they are with their mobile development skills. Intermediate or advanced individuals with plenty of hands-on experience or on-the-job training will want to sit for a certification exam. Beginners or those who need to brush up on their skills should enroll in a certificate-granting training program.

Learn Mobile Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Students looking to learn mobile development skills will need a decent amount of focused training. They will need to learn programming basics, web development programming languages, and specific programming languages built for mobile operating systems like iOS and Android. However, no matter your level of experience, Noble Desktop has a mobile development course that fits your needs. Whether you are an experienced programmer or you need to learn HTML/CSS, Noble Desktop offers individual bootcamps and career development classes that can help you on your way to becoming a skilled Mobile Developer. Experienced instructors teach Noble’s classes, bringing expert-level web and mobile development knowledge. Learners can take Noble’s classes in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus or online in private digital classrooms. Even online, class sizes are kept small so that students aren’t competing with each other for their instructor’s attention. Plus, anyone enrolling in a Noble training course will have an opportunity to retake the class, for free, at any point within a calendar year, giving prospective students peace of mind. It allows beginners even more chances to get hands-on mobile development skills.

Individuals with prior coding experience may wish to enroll in Noble’s iOS App Development Bootcamp. This class will teach members how to work with Apple’s Xcode code editing program and their Swift programming language to build optimized applications on mobile iOS devices. Students will learn how to build interactive swipe and touch screen elements and how to add assets to the application, its launch screen, and its presence on the App store. By the end of the class, individuals will develop and post their applications to the App store. They will also understand how the mobile development process works from start to finish (people should be aware that posting applications to the app store require a paid Apple account, which every participant will be required to sign-up for to complete the course).

Those with less coding experience but still want to learn the necessary skills to work as mobile developers will want to consider enrolling in Noble’s Full Stack Development Certificate program. This program doesn’t focus specifically on mobile development. Future coders wishing to specialize in that field may need additional training, but learning full stack development skills is integral to becoming a successful and well-rounded developer. In this class, students will learn how to code web pages in HTML/CSS and JavaScript, languages that mobile developers use to build non-proprietary versions of their applications. In addition, students will learn essential JavaScript libraries and how to develop and maintain the infrastructure upon which applications operate. This career-focused course provides participants professional development training, including one-on-one career mentorship and portfolio development workshops. Pair this training seminar with Noble’s iOS Development Bootcamp for further specialization in mobile development.

Key Insights

• Individuals hoping to demonstrate their proficiency in mobile development skills may consider becoming mobile development certified. While not required to get a job, becoming certified can help set your application apart from other candidates.
• There are two ways to become certified in mobile development. Potential students can complete a certificate-granting training program or pass a proctored skills exam.
• Students with significant hands-on experience will want to take a certification exam to demonstrate their web development skills.
• Students who lack or want more training should enroll in a certificate-granting mobile development training program.
• Whether you want to enroll in a certificate-granting training course or brush up on your skills in preparation for a certification exam, comprehensive mobile development training, available live online or in person through Noble Desktop, is an ideal choice for almost every learner.