Hey Guys!
My name is Jibar and I'm a College Dropout who somehow managed to go from working minimum wage as a night shift security guard to making $70,000/year as an Android Developer.
I'm not a genius or some wiz kid (at least I don't think I am), I'm just a regular guy who managed to game the system and this is exactly how you do it:
Step 1)
Find a job where you can get away with literally not doing anything i.e. concierge, night shift security, etc. Don't feel bad, you're part of the insurance policy.
Step 2)
Spend that paid time studying. There are a million free online courses and e-books out there if you know where to look. Codecademy, Treehouse (shared with family), and some sketchy Russian eBook site worked for me.
Step 3)
Build a portfolio. Mostly tutorial apps, but you will definitely need one or two original apps for street cred.
Step 4)
Code, Code, and then Code some more. It takes at least a year of hardcore coding for the concepts to stick and to develop muscle memory. But hey everyone's different, it might take slightly less or more time.
Step 5)
Network. Once you've built your first app you are officially a Mobile Developer. Update your LinkedIn profile and your entire online presence (AngelList, GitHub, etc).
Step 6)
At first stay humble and keep your LinkedIn title as Mobile/Android/Whatever Developer, but after you've landed your first two or three gigs you can change your title to something ridiculous like Cowboy Coder, Rockstar, Ninja, or 4th Member of the Migos. Recruiters won't care because they'll be like Damn.. Look at all the clients and apps he's worked with. And they've probably got some quota they've got to meet. And their Clients won't care because 90% of them want somebody who knows their shit to build them an app in 3 to 6 months to show investors.
Step 7)
Keep Learning. Technology stops for no man. If you don't keep up with your shit, you will be left behind.
Step 8)
Finally, after you've made it you will realize that even a $120,000 after tax ain't shit and you probably have the power to build your entire employers business from scratch. So unapologetically work on your own shit. If your employer is smart, they will catch on to it early and offer to partner with you or help license the technology if one of your side projects takes off.
That's it. That's the blueprint to how you start a career as a Mobile Developer. No Degree required. Hopefully this goes viral.