Jobs in Mobile and Where to Look
Okay, let’s talk jobs in mobile for a bit. Most are wondering, where they should look, and what has the most potential. I can tell you, is it’s not the obvious. It’s not apps, it’s the technology behind the apps (think location recognition /proximity solutions as an example) Is it social media? Probably not. I haven’t met one user of Facebook who has given them a dime. Games? Profitable, but highly competitive and consumer centric (meaning low margins).
My suggestion is to focus on the areas with major problems requiring substantial solutions. If your background is in app development, stop looking at consumer solutions or offerings. Again, low margins, and it’s getting very difficult to get recognized when a place like Apple’s App Store has about a quarter million apps. Really!
If that doesn’t put things into perspective, I don’t know what does.
If you do look at app solution job opportunities, take a look at companies focusing on the enterprise. Ask: Who is finding solutions for the Fortune 500 organizations? Who is tapped into the requirements of the IT departments? Who is looking for ways to help the enterprise be more efficient, cost effective, and build a more nimble mobile workforce? How are they helping companies build their client and revenue base through mobile devices? If a company is successfully addressing those issues, then they just might be a great company to go work for.
If you really want career longevity, consider what one of the biggest problems of the day is: The growing demand for media-rich mobile content which is causing increasing congestion on the major carrier networks. This is something just about every smartphone user is affected by and probably acutely aware of.
A recent article in FierceWireless (http://tinyurl.com/26je9ze ) did a fantastic job of discussing the challenges and forecasts of media delivery over mobile networks. The bandwidth problem most definitely looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The article also highlights some key technologies carriers are implementing to mitigate the congestion. They include: streaming, transcoding/optimization, and caching to name a few.
As we see mobile video and TV usage likely to double of the next 5 years, you can bet there will be job security in this sector for some time to come.
So, yes, mobile is big business. However, that shouldn’t mean you go work somewhere just because it’s a mobile technology company. Think about the problems being addressed, and the longevity of the solutions offered. Do that, and you will hopefully find a career you can build upon for some time to come.
Okay, let’s talk jobs in mobile, because that what I seem to do best. Most are wondering, where they should look, and what has the most potential. I can tell you, is it’s not the obvious. It’s not apps, it’s the technology behind the apps (think location recognition /proximity solutions as an example) Is it social media? Probably not. I haven’t met one user of Facebook who has given them a dime. Games? Profitable, but highly competitive and consumer centric (meaning low margins).
My suggestion is to focus on the areas with major problems requiring substantial solutions. If your background is in app development, stop looking at consumer solutions or offerings. Again, low margins, and it’s getting very difficult to get recognized when a place like Apple’s App Store has about a quarter million apps. Really!
If that doesn’t put things into perspective, I don’t know what does.
If you do look at app solution job opportunities, take a look at companies focusing on the enterprise. Ask: Who is finding solutions for the Fortune 500 organizations? Who is tapped into the requirements of the IT departments? Who is looking for ways to help the enterprise be more efficient, cost effective, and build a more nimble mobile workforce? How are they helping companies build their client and revenue base through mobile devices? If a company is successfully addressing those issues, then they just might be a great company to go work for.
If you really want career longevity, consider what one of the biggest problems of the day is: The growing demand for media-rich mobile content which is causing increasing congestion on the major carrier networks. This is something just about every smartphone user is affected by and probably acutely aware of.
A recent article in FierceWireless (http://tinyurl.com/26je9ze ) did a fantastic job of discussing the challenges and forecasts of media delivery over mobile networks. The bandwidth problem most definitely looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The article also highlights some key technologies carriers are implementing to mitigate the congestion. They include: streaming, transcoding/optimization, and caching to name a few.
As we see mobile video and TV usage likely to double of the next 5 years, you can bet there will be job security in this sector for some time to come.
So, yes, mobile is big business. However, that shouldn’t mean you go work somewhere just because it’s a mobile technology company. Think about the problems being addressed, and the longevity of the solutions offered. Do that, and you will hopefully find a career you can build upon for some time to come.