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🦍 Evolution of a Developer v1.2 "Side Branches of Development" 👨‍💻

# [ $davids.sh ] · message #22

🦍 Evolution of a Developer v1.2 "Side Branches of Development" 👨‍💻

In the previous post, I considered the main stages of development for a web developer.

Now, I want to talk about side branches that a developer can move into after completing a few pet projects:

(the timeframes I provide are based on the assumption of being busy with a main job, but dedicating at least 6 hours a week to developing pet projects)

! Disclaimer ! This post is more about slight disappointment, because in reality, transitioning to the specializations listed below is much harder than it seems.

1. Native Mobile Developer (transition period: 6 months) – it's obvious, but I'll say it from personal experience: it's a different world. Here, other principles work: development through GUI, releases are incredibly painful, since you can't suddenly update a downloaded application (although there are mechanisms), you need to know much more about the platform and language specifications, if it's iOS, then switching to Swift is more or less okay, but when you see Objective C, pay up, etc. In short, the transition is not easy, but if mobile platforms are your fetish, then it's worth it. There are a lot of vacancies with good pay.

2. Hybrid Mobile Developer (transition period: 6 months) – applications on React Native (RN) / Flutter (Fl). Here, the transition is much more native and pleasant. You will still face a lot of complexities due to the lack of knowledge of native platforms + the problems of the platforms themselves (RN, Fl) + if you haven't made at least 1-2 native applications, then you're unlikely to find a job quickly (I'm talking specifically about 2021). In short, it's not an easy path, but if you already have good JavaScript skills and are technologically agile, then it's worth trying. The market is small and pays average.

3. Game Client Developer (transition period: 9 months) – this is very interesting. I was lucky to work on hyper-casual games, both in the format of Hybrid and with Unity. I'll say the following: if you're ready to dive into math, writing very complex business logic, start working with graphics and rendering engines, study physics, master a new language (all JS engines are crap), then welcome. To get into this industry, you need to be not just in love with it, but live and die with it. Finding a job is difficult (especially if you don't want to work in gambling), the pay is not that high, but the interest will be so high that it'll be worth it.

4. Game Back Developer (transition period: 4-6 months) – here it's easier, but it depends on what you did before. What's the point of switching from Web to GameDev? The complexity and non-triviality of tasks will increase to the sky. It's possible that you'll be doing everything described in point 3, BUT with a lot of work with databases and infrastructure. The world of backend for game development is very sexy, I once worked on the architecture of a highly loaded online game and was incredibly impressed. Finding a job is problematic, but the pay is good. Better read materials on this topic on the Pixonic blog.

5. Web animation developer (transition period: 4 months) – this is a very narrow niche (especially in Russia), but I know enough people who are into web graphics. The best examples of such work will be the awwwards website. And again, I was lucky to work on several production projects using fully custom graphics and animation, and here's my conclusion: if you're ready to dive into math and vector graphics, are interested in the mechanics of building animation and working with graphics engines, are ready to study 3D modeling programs and dive into the depths of JS to extract frames, then welcome. Finding a job will be difficult, but the pay will be decent.

There are so many side branches that I decided to split this post into 2, so you'll learn about more exciting roles with a faster transition, such as: Business System Analyst, Data Engineer, and Product Engineer.

And also 2 bonus articles:

  1. About the advantages and disadvantages of changing a stack (for example, from PHP to Golang or even Elixir)
  2. And about being an IoT developer

Maybe I haven't listed some other roles or development paths? If you have ideas, write in the comments 😘

#evolution

  • @ Maxim Averin · # 20

    That's the spirit, keep up the good work! 🎉

  • @ Maksim · # 23

    Finding work in game development is fairly easy, unless we're talking about AAA projects. If it's not gambling, then it's usually match-3 games, farming sims, clickers, and other titles from the top charts of the App Store/Play Store.

  • @ 🦾 IT-Dressing room 💪 · # 24

    @maksymkotov Oh, by the way, yes, I remember you talking about it. Could you elaborate a bit on the topic: what kinds of jobs are currently common in game development? What can one expect on average in the market?

  • @ Maksim · # 29

    Here, it’s harder to figure out what you actually want to do. Wanting to make games is an abstract desire—you need to clearly define your goal.

    Most job openings are for Unity (C#), and you can also find some for Unreal Engine (C++). There are the fewest opportunities for JS. In my experience, it’s mostly gambling-related.

    The salary range is typically $1-3k, depending on experience.

    On projects that have been running for over a year, the tasks usually involve adding new features, fixing bugs in old features, UI layout, and filling out configs.

    As for math, you’ll likely only need the math package. The engine handles most of the calculations (change_my_mind.jpg).

    There’s a great specialized site for game development jobs https://ingamejob.com/ru (not sponsored). You can check out salary surveys there.