Technology currently powers the world and will continue to power the world for a long time. Facial recognition systems, self-driving cars, smartphones, cryptocurrencies, and cryptocurrency mining are a result of technology and… coding!
Excited at what you can accomplish with coding but still curious about how it works, how you can learn it, and why you should consider learning it at all? By the end of this article, you will not only understand why you need to learn to code but also wished you had learned it a long time ago (it is not too late!)
Coding in Brief
Coding in general is the use of computer programming languages such as Python and C++ to give instructions to computers (which think in binary mode: 1s and 0s.). Codes facilitate the communications between humans and computers. Your operating system, smartphone apps, and social media platforms are all made up of codes.
Why You Should Learn to Code
Coding – once thought of as a hobby for geeks – has become an important skill today. Here is why you should learn how to code.
Coding and Programming Related Careers have Strong Earning Potential
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) who tracks labor economics and statistics in the United States gave detailed info on coding and programming-related careers.
According to the 2019 median annual salary stats from BLS,
- Computer Programmers earn $86,550
- Software Developers earn $107,510
- Web Developers earn $73,760
- Computer Support Specialists earn $54,760
As you can see, coding and programming-related careers pay really good salaries. Well above average!
Coding helps You Develop and Broaden Your Problem Solving Skills
Coding, in brief, is about breaking down problems into smaller and easier chunks, thinking deeply about the problems, designing a plan to solve the problem, providing solutions to those chunks step by step, and optimizing those solutions to better neutralize the problem.
Learning to code helps exercise the left side of the brain which is responsible for logical, analytical, and mathematical thinking. Coding makes you think straight and allows you to take logical approaches towards solving any problem. Having this kind of problem-solving skill helps you think up solutions to problems beyond coding challenges.
There are Plenty of Unfilled Positions in the Tech Industry
One would think that with the number of technologies being adopted and dished out regularly, the tech industry would be oversaturated with a lot of experts. This is not true, and Tim Herbert of CompTIA thinks so too, “There is now the very real prospect of tech worker shortages affecting industry growth,” said Tim Herbert, executive vice president for research and market intelligence at CompTIA.
Although there are a lot of experts and well-versed professionals in the tech industry, still, the industry lacks enough skilled personnel and with coding, you can fill those positions.
You Can Work Anywhere
This is one of my favorite reasons to learn how to code and can be viewed in two different ways. I like this reason because of its great flexibility and frankly speaking, everybody does: it is one of the reasons they learn how to code (aside from their passion). I sometimes call it the double agent.
- If you are the type that doesn’t like the office setting and its rules, and are comfortable working from home, then you should consider learning how to code. Coding breaks the barrier of being physically present in an office, and lets you work from anywhere; be it from home, a coffee shop, or a mountain top in Asia. As long as you are willing and ready to work, with coding, you can work from anywhere.
- Technology powers the world and you can find its application in every industry. Most people often think coding and programming skills are only valuable to people in industries where technological applications can be found, which by the way, is every industry! Coding is a skill needed in the Health Industry, Financial Industry, Marketing Industry, and all other industries you can think of. With coding, you can work anywhere!
You Don’t Need a Degree to Code
Unlike most other skills/career out there, you don’t require a degree to learn to code. In fact, contrary to popular beliefs, you don’t have to be a genius or a tech wiz to learn to code. Anyone can do it. You don’t need to pay those expensive tuition fees nor spend several years studying in long, boring programs. You can easily learn to code through several online coding programs, coding boot camps, or from a tutor on the TakeLessons platform.
With coding, you are like a mini-god. You can bring to existence anything you think up in your head. You can accomplish anything! So make that decision to learn to code today, schedule a lesson with a tutor, and start this beautiful journey with other ambitious students here at TakeLessons.
Adedayo Ajao