Cal State Long Beach students with skills in computer science are looking at an emerging field — creating applications for smart phones.
According to a study done by TechNet, 466,000 jobs have been created since 2007 in the mobile app sector.
This is largely due to the introduction of the iPhone, Android devices and Facebook. Their ever-increasing popularity has led to a high demand for mobile apps, and companies need software engineers to develop those apps.
“Mobile app development has intrigued me as a possible career, especially since it’s expected to be one of the IT fields with the most growth over the next couple of years,” sophomore electrical engineering major Edwin Almeida said.
Many engineering majors develop mobile apps for their senior projects and some have even found a profit in app development.
In 2007, a group known as the “Facebook Class” at Stanford turned their homework assignments into six-figure paychecks when the apps they developed for the class became so successful that they ended up being sold to bigger companies.
“I’d like to develop an app that became so essential, or useful, that people wondered how on earth they used to get along without said app,” Almeida said.
As an electrical engineering major, however, his options are limited in terms of training. For those who lack experience in developing mobile apps, computer engineering and computer science 453 is an introductory mobile app development class offered each fall.
According to the TechNet study, however, jobs in this sector are not likely to be found locally. Most opportunities are coming from cities like San Francisco, New York and Seattle.
According to Almeida, that does not mean that CSULB could not use a few app developers.
“Whoever runs Beachboard should really make a native iPhone and Android app instead of the webapp that’s currently available,” Almeida said.
As more appliances become capable of establishing an Internet connection, the need for app developers will grow.
For students, creating apps could be the key to a quick entry into the workforce following graduation, at a time when the national unemployment rate is still more than 8 percent.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.