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June 2011
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Dear !
Bad times for my ego!
I discovered recently that a majority of searches for my LinkedIn profile were for the terms "graduate developer" ! Given my old age, I consider this flattering.
Given the enduring lack of mobile development resources most of us would probably consider it to be alarming. as the problem is widespread: from the Valley, where mobile dev salaries are reported to be skyrocketing, to Cape Town, where I am this week surrounded by agencies overwhelmed with work but lacking the resources. (I was in South Africa for a brilliant WIPJam at Mobile Apps World Africa -- thanks to Nokia and all the speakers for making it happen!)
Bad times for graduate developers!
In this situation, you would think that recruiters would be waiting at the exit door of every university looking for talent! Nope. I meet brilliant mobile developers coming out of university who can't find roles in mobile because the job market is not widely publicized outside of the mobile circles.
The historical reasons for this dearth of mobile developers are well known: limited market size, skills difficult to re-use (Objective C, anyone?), software engineering degrees not focusing enough on design and collaboration which are key to mobile development, longer learning curves, employers finding it hard to provide training (especially in time pressed startups and agencies).
While the problem is not new, the solutions are much less published... but here are a few things that should help:
- Make mobile more accessible with contextual information about the mobile dev space that helps newcomers find their way around it, like the newly published Developer Guide to the Galaxy we put out, together with Enough Software (thanks to eBay and Nokia for their support!).
- Support free self-training with webinars and training for developers are increasingly easy to access online or at an event near you. We'll launch our first series of webinars in the coming days!
- Encourage group learning, hack days and other social coding competitions providing a great environment to learn new skills and shine in front of potential employers or clients. Events like our own The Muther! of all Hackathons on the 24th and 25th of June in San Mateo are great for building skills, making contacts, and showing off your work!
- Involve university students in the mobile world early! For our upcoming Droidcon in London, we'll make sure that each event sponsorship supports bringing students to the event.
- Support individual developers. If you're really in a hurry, try oDesk, a marketplace that will let you find developing talent from across the globe in a secure manner (simple contract, clear pricing, deliveries and control over them).
There are many more initiatives, and if you want to share yours, just get in touch!
Do you really want to know why people believe I'm a graduate developer? Click through to our blog to find out.
Best,
Thibaut
WIP / Wireless Industry Partnership
The "Connector" for the mobile and wireless industry
Twitter: @wipjam @thibautr @CarolineWIP @caaarlo
Welcome to new readers of our monthly newsletter - nice to meet you on our travels or at our WIPJam sessions. We only send out this newsletter once/month; and the occasional eblast about our own events. We pledge not to spam and inundate you with emails. However, if you aren't interested in receiving our information, please use the opt out link below - no hard feelings!
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You can find us at these upcoming events:
Thibaut:
Boxee UK Launch Party
June 7
London, UK
More Info
Thibaut: NAVTEQ Developer Day June 8 London, UK More Info Thibaut: Silicon Roundabout TechMeetup June 9 London, UK More Info Thibaut: NAVTEQ Developer Day June 14 Berlin, Germany More Info Caroline, Teresa: WIPJam @ MoSo June 16-17 Saskatoon, SK More InfoCaroline, Teresa, Carlo, Harper: The Muther! of all Hackathons June 24-25 Mountain View, CA More InfoThibaut: MiniBar June 24 London, UK More Info
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DON'T MISS THE MUTHER! JUNE 24-25 IN SILICON VALLEY
 Things are heating up as we get closer to The Muther! of all Hackathons, taking place in Mountain View, CA on June 24 and 25. We're bringing together hundreds of mobile developers with a great set of sponsors for 24+ hours of coding, learning, networking and lots of fun. If you haven't already, be sure to sign up now!
We're getting things going next week with a series of webinars from our sponsors that will give you the chance to learn about the new technologies, tools and services they're offering -- and to get a head start on your app for the Muther! They'll be dropping some "golden eggs" along the way to help you, too.
If you still aren't convinced that you should attend, check out our blog post on what you can expect to take away from the event, and why you should come. In short, it's going to be a lot of fun, and you're going to walk out with an app or service that was better than when you came in. We've got a goal to build 100 new or enhanced apps at the Muther!, so help us get there!
Thanks to all our sponsors!
 WIP WORLD TOUR ROLLS ON TO SASKATCHEWAN! We are heading further east in Canada to be part of MoSo, Canada's mobile & social media conference. The Conference will bring together over 200 creative minds to imagine the future of technology. What a great place for a WIPJam!
Featuring two days of engaging presentations, from the world's most prolific social media and mobile companies, MoSo offers a line up unheard of this far from 'the valley'. Whether you are a suit looking to understand the big picture or a hard core developer wanting to learn the latest techniques, MoSo offers you a chance to get a glimpse of the next big thing. Join us for the presentations, music, parties and experience that only a bunch of Canucks can deliver. ANNOUNCING DROIDCON UK -- EARLY BIRD SPECIAL AND SPONSORS NEEDED!  WIP and Skills Matter are pleased to announce droidcon London 2011 taking place in London on 6th - 7th October at the Business Design Centre in Islington. The aim of droidcon is to bring together the Android development community in an informal environment where they can share ideas, demo new apps, talk to the experts and generally have lots of Android-related fun. Tickets for droidcon London are normally £200, but the first 50 are available for just £50, so REGISTER NOW!
We're also looking for sponsors to help support the event. If you're interested in reaching the biggest UK gathering of Android developers or have a great product or service to show off, contact Thibaut for more info on sponsorship opportunities.
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Mobile Marketing Forum
June 16-17
New York, NY
The 2011 MMA Forum New York is the leading industry event that brings together professionals from across the mobile marketing ecosystem globally; including brand marketers, agencies, publishers, application solution providers, carriers and others. With global reach and local relevance, mobile is the most ubiquitous engagement marketing medium available to marketers throughout the world.
Learn More
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MLOVE Confestival
June 29-July 2
Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
The MLOVE Confestival brings together 200 thought leaders and innovators to discuss the powerful potential of mobile to act as a catalyst for community, change and inspiration. Global mobile industry executives, entrepreneurs and developers will mix with architects, scientists, musicians and social entrepreneurs to share and develop experiences in a highly interactive format and learn from each other about the opportunities that mobile presents today.
Learn More
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Mobile Payments & NFC Asia 2011
July 13-14
Hong Kong
Mobile Payments & NFC Asia 2011 will feature many case studies from Asia - listen to new developments in China & Asia as it represents a huge market for players and understand where the opportunities are for future alliances & partnerships. Get to know new partners and connect for future business.
Learn More
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