The youngest certified Apple trainer in the world on working as an iOS developer in Kazakhstan

We met Benazir Toleubekova, an iOS developer and the youngest Apple iOS instructor in the world. Benazir shared her experience studying in China, the process of taking the exam to become an Apple Certified Trainer, and the challenges of iOS development.

Benazir Toleubekova, 21 years old, city — Almaty, iOS developer, Apple Certified Trainer

The beginning of the journey in IT

It all started back in school: I studied at specialized Lyceum No. 165 in Almaty, where our professional subject was programming. I already loved programming back then. In the 11th grade, I began preparing for graduation exams. I enjoyed programming, started doing small freelance jobs, and realized that the future lay in IT. I entered the Beijing Institute of Technology on a full scholarship, studied there for four years, and graduated with honors. From my second year, I already started working in my field.

About the specialty

The job of an iOS developer is very interesting because, first of all, it is mobile development. We develop applications and fix bugs. There is a lot of work here because, in a sense, it is also frontend development, so it is interesting and creative.

Education

When choosing where to study, you need to understand which country resonates more with your spirit, mentality, and traditions. For example, in China, you need to "grind": work very hard, study, and remember that there is always an Asian who is better than you at something. But there are also more opportunities: after the first year, everyone starts working. There were 80 people in our stream, and all of them worked, gained experience, and strived for this.

Also, the people around you are important — the environment you choose determines how you develop, so the environment has a strong influence. I would recommend education in China to those who are strongly drawn to China, Asian culture, and who want to "find their place in the sun." That is, it is not for everyone, and not for everyone's mental health is it good, but my alma mater gave me a lot.

About obtaining the certificate

When I returned from China to Almaty, the world was in the midst of a pandemic, and it pained me to watch people who wanted to learn but didn't know where. As a young professional, I wanted to teach people, show what was available, and I learned about a certificate that is recognized internationally, so I decided I needed to get it and started preparing for it.

There are many criteria for obtaining this certificate; it is best to check the website for details. All information is publicly available. The exam takes place every two months and lasts four days. You need to prepare for it using books. At the beginning, everyone must take a test, and only if you score enough points will you be allowed to take the actual exam.

Our examiner was a man from Ireland who worked at Apple during the time of Steve Jobs, meaning he was a person with immense experience.

Challenges

If you like programming and want to create your own product, you only need time and diligence, because any skill can be learned. The beauty lies in monotonous work; that is, if you do something every day, you will learn it anyway.

I also often see that senior colleagues have health problems. It is important to maintain the health of your back, hands, and eyes. It is important to take care of yourself.

Necessary skills

If we are talking about technical skills, you must always be proactive because new technologies appear every day, and it is important to keep up with trends. You cannot learn one technology and rely on it forever; you must remember that the world moves forward, technology moves forward, and therefore, you must also move forward if you want to remain relevant as a professional.

The most important skill is learning new things. I like the IT field because there is no ceiling here — there is always somewhere to strive and grow. After becoming an iOS developer, you can become a Team Lead or Design Architect, meaning you can go where you like, and that is great.

Recommendations for beginners

iOS development is very "young"; according to statistics, the average age of iOS developers in Kazakhstan is 21 years old. The field is constantly developing; recently, Apple released glasses, and everyone joked that it was time to add "augmented reality" to resumes, not just "iOS mobile app developer."

It is never too late to learn, and you should always be learning. I recommend referring to materials from Apple on the official website. You can find a huge number of free and accessible books about iOS development on the internet.

There is also a course from Apple that I strongly recommend.

For developers starting in 2023, I advise starting not with SwiftUI, but with UIKit, just to know the basics.