🔥 How I’m Preparing for Interviews and Leveling Up in Mobile Development

Aloha everyone! 👋 I wanted to share my experience and thoughts as I go through an Android development course created by one of the FAANG companies. It’s been a game-changer for me, helping me bridge gaps in my skills and showing me a new way to approach learning. Let me break it down for you.

Why am I doing this?

💡 I’ve had ideas for mobile apps and games that I’ve been itching to bring to life. My team is ready:

A UI/UX designer who makes everything look amazing.

Me, handling the backend and planning.

But there’s always been a weak spot—the client-side (especially Android). I’d keep procrastinating, finding excuses, and avoiding it. Sound familiar?

I read somewhere that this is a natural defense mechanism when faced with something new and challenging. So, I decided to tackle this head-on. This course has become my way of overcoming that fear and finally building a solid foundation in Android development.

What makes this course so special?

This course is designed for complete beginners. 🤓 They start with the basics—like how to install Android Studio. But what blew my mind is what comes next. Before you even touch coding, they teach you soft skills:

1️⃣ Clarify requirements — how to properly define and refine project goals.
2️⃣ Resource planning — understanding what’s needed to succeed.
3️⃣ Team communication — setting up roles and making collaboration effective.
4️⃣ Skill preparation — assessing and improving team skills before starting.

And this is all in a course designed for interns! 😲 Compare that to how we prep for system design interviews at IC4-IC6 levels. We also learn these skills but in a much more advanced way. Here, they’re teaching this right from the start.

How does it compare to courses in the CIS?

I can’t help but compare this experience with courses I’ve taken in the CIS. 🧑‍💻 Those are usually all about:

Intense coding sessions.

Endless coding tasks.

No focus on soft skills, team dynamics, or project planning.

This course flips the script: first, they teach you how to think, organize, and collaborate. Only then do you dive into coding.

Why does this matter?

These skills are crucial if you aim to work in FAANG or similar companies. 📈 Guests on the FaangTalk podcast often emphasize how important it is to be more than just a good coder. Knowing how to communicate, plan, and clarify requirements can make you stand out.

Oh, and did I mention? This course is free on Coursera. Here’s a screenshot of one of the modules to give you a better idea of what I mean.

What’s your take?

What do you think about courses like this? Should beginners focus on soft skills early on, or is it better to dive straight into coding? Share your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments! Let’s discuss. 🙌

Subscribe: https://t.me/crack_code_interview

P.S. If you’re interested, I can share more details about the course structure and my progress later. 🚀