Zain ul Abideen
Senior iOS Engineer
Ever since I can remember, I was an iPhone addict who adored the device and wanted to produce something impactful with it. At first, I tried to design iOS games since I used to enjoy playing games and thought it would be a fantastic idea to combine my two passions.
However, after I started building games and looked for prospects to make a profession out of it, I couldn’t find any. I didn’t give up though.
My interest in iOS grew during my degree in Bachelor of Computer Sciences, where I gained a greater understanding of the field of iOS programming as a whole and soon figured a profession around it. I availed an internship opportunity, and that’s where I discovered that the experience was both rewarding and enjoyable.
My schedule was quite tough at that time. I used to work at a Software House from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., then go to the university to attend classes, and then return to Software House to start where I left off, and this routine continued for an entire year.
I had my fair share of difficulties during this time. It disappointed me to know that my university (and many others) did not offer iOS programming courses and to top that I did not have the financial means to enrol myself in coaching lessons. Despite this, my eagerness to learn led me to choose an online platform for free courses and to my surprise then, I found a plethora of videos on YouTube on iOS development. So fast forward to this day, I am proud to say that I am a self-taught iOS developer who hasn’t spent a single penny on courses. I highly encourage everyone to take this approach. Teach yourself! You can be the best teacher because you can be both lenient and strict to yourself and with the internet and free courses available at your disposal, there is no reason left to let any difficulties stop you from pursuing your passion.
So now you must be thinking that if I couldn’t afford to pay for online courses, how did I even afford to buy a MacBook. Well, where there is a will, there is a way, and where there is Google, there is definitely a way. So I found out about Hackintosh. Through this, I was able to adapt my Dell laptop to run macOS. However, interestingly, it took me a month to complete the installation process. But I didn’t give up!
The realization that I could do iOS development without a MacBook was the turning point in my life. That’s when I really believed that there is nothing a man can not achieve. You just need the willpower to make it happen and most importantly, the support and love of your parents. They were truly the ones who pushed me through these times.
I am so excited about what’s more to life and I am so ready to experience all of it.