photo: Mueller / MSC

The Internet is getting mobile: Microsoft Tag predicts mobile internet will take over desktop internet usage during 2014. The lower prices of the smartphones and the advance of 3G and 4G networks is driving people to a rapid switch. According the eMarketer report, The global smartphone audience surpassed the 1 billion mark in 2012 and will total 1.75 billion this year. And this is just the beginning.

This means there’s a boom of job opportunities for mobile developers, with the rise of companies adapting the mobile technology to their business.

Because this role is so important for the future of many startups, hiring managers are very selective and demanding when choosing the right candidate.

If you are a talented mobile apps developer and have applied to jobs in this sector, keep reading. We have prepared a list of 8 questions you may get asked in an interview for a Mobile Apps Developer position.

1. What kind of smartphone do you use?

This is a no brainer! You’re going to be developing apps for mobile so your smartphone is one of your main tools.  I bet you’re not going to have any problem answering this but it will be good that you demonstrate familiarity and knowledge on how to use more than one OS and brand.

2. Name 3 of your favorite mobile apps

If you’ve chosen App Developing as a career, chances are you’re always in the know of the latest apps. The recruiting manager will expect you are always trying out and testing different apps and you have a solid criteria about what’s well done and what should improve. Be sure you take some of your favorite apps on your smartphone, be prepared to talk about them from functionality and developing context.

3. Have you participated in the creation of any app that is available in the iTunes or Android stores?

This is where you show off your work and talk about your experience. Point out the role you played in the development of each project and the difficulties you encountered when creating it. If you haven’t yet developed any professional app yet, you can show off the apps you have developed on your own or as school practices. It is a great idea to create an open source app before you apply for jobs.

4. Tell us about some of the disadvantages of both Android and iOS.

If you are developing an app for an specific platform, you are expected to know which are the disadvantages of that platform. Here you can mention the technical issues you have found when developing for each platform, and also the ways to solve those problems. It’s important that you’re specific and provide examples.

5. What are the main differences between desktop/web app development vs. mobile app development?

Different screen sizes and resolutions, variable connection speeds, battery consume, memory limitations… mention the problems inherent to mobile devices and go technical, show the hiring manager you truly know how to manage them.

6. How do you handle security issues?

Security is always a very delicate subject especially when talking about mobile devices.  Show your knowledge about security and expose your ideas about how to minimize security issues in the app they are creating. Get informed, was there a recent attack to a specific type of software? Mention it and be prepared to explain how you would have solved it.

7. What’s the importance of user interface/user experience (UI/UX) in mobile application development?

User interface and user experience are key to successful mobile applications, so expect a lot of UI/UX questions. State your opinions and tips on getting the most out of the mobile’s interface. You may point out which apps you think have a great UI and which ones don’t. Also, some recruiters may ask you to quickly draw a scheme of an interface –be prepared to do it.

8. Do you have any experience migrating an app from one platform to another?

Most apps must be available on more than one OS, so experience reconfiguring or migrating an app from one platform to another is a very valuable treat. Tell about your experience in this field and detail the apps you have reconfigured and the solutions you have found to do it. If you don’t have any experience, expose the reasons why you think you are technically prepared to do it.

JobFluent’s suggestion!

Transmit confidence and security by asking your own questions. Here are a couple of examples:

Do you have any project in development at the moment?
Show interest on what they are doing, discuss some details and make some relevant suggestions about their projects.

Do you do code reviews?
One of the fastest ways to grow as a developer is to have other people read and comment on your code. Frequent code reviews mean the team is committed to getting better.

Ok, now you’re ready! Go read on about the business you applied to and remember to bring your best attitude and self-confidence. Good luck!