Starting in the second half of 2017, Kotlin became the main language for Android development because of its features and convenience. What should you pay attention to when searching for Kotlin developers? This article explains the key Kotlin developer skills. Knowing these competencies is invaluable whether you need to hire Kotlin developers for a new project or expand your team.
A successful Kotlin developer must know several key sectors of activity in depth. These competencies illustrate a developer's ability to write programs with Kotlin and produce reliable and scalable applications.
One of the most important competencies for any developer is the ability to analyze, similar to the ability to solve problems. A good Kotlin developer can reduce complex problems into workable parts, review them, and look for functionality that may help with Kotlin. This skill is useful when writing code, especially when debugging and improving applications.
Kotlin is a language that combines object-oriented and functional programming languages with paradigm support. Hence, the specialist needs better insight into object-oriented programming (OOP). To write clean, reusable code, Kotlin developers should have prior knowledge of basic concepts such as classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism.
The key functional programming concepts are static type checking, high-order functions and recversation. Yet, excellent knowledge of OOP is necessary; at the same time, a Kotlin developer should know functional programming languages. With Kotlin’s HOF, immutable data handling, and lambda functions, developers can express code in fewer lines. Skill in these areas can make applications less likely to become brittle and difficult to maintain.
Kotlin developers should have Kotlin Android expertise. These skills include, but are not limited to, experience with Android SDK and an understanding of the user interface and the architecture of a mobile application. An experienced developer specializing in Kotlin Android can use the language's features to develop an understandable and efficient Android application.
Merely relying on technical content is insufficient. Hence, a good Kotlin developer is also expected to have good communication skills. As much as communication may involve sharing information between the project and clients or between team members, it helps everyone have a common understanding of the project's status and helps in the project's fluency.
In addition to the actual coding skills, Kotlin developers need to master collaboration skills. Interpersonal skills play a cardinal role in determining a project's success.
A developer needs to be able to explain technical processes and decisions in terms that people without a background in IT can grasp. This allows all the stakeholders to be in harmony with the project as far as their expectations and achievements are concerned.
Collaboration is often achieved when all members deal with the tasks as a group. A Kotlin developer who exhibits good problem-solving skills can assist in resolving issues that are advantageous to the team. This skill is also highly helpful when working in the Agile development approach.
The technology industry is continuously dynamic, and as such, project specifications are also dynamic. This means the best Kotlin developer should be ready to change directions and explore all new possibilities to improve the project.
Last but not least, an effective Kotlin developer is also a good team player. It indicates a willingness to be given constructive criticisms, participate in group discussions, and help your counterparts if required. Teamwork skills make it easy to implement projects, which will see the projects produce better results.
Other factors determine the achievement of the work, in addition to the technical aspect. Next, we will discuss the key areas where Kotlin developers must excel.
Among the technical Kotlin developer skills that are required are the following:
As for the soft Kotlin developer abilities that are needed, they are as follows:
Based on the analysis of the necessities, the Kotlin developer that one should hire should possess both technical and soft skills. Having programmers with Kotlin Android expertise and knowing the language in detail can greatly benefit any team and project.
If you are looking for Kotlin developers for your project, you have come to the right place. At Giraffe Software, you’ll find skilled Kotlin developers who can help you.
