When we were younger, figures of authorities have often told us to get off our computers to go outside and play, criticizing the adverse effects electronics have on us. But that may not be the case today. As technology advances, we find computers to be more and more of an essential asset to our lives. We need it to run the hospitals, traffic, communication, etc. For that reason, many starts to realize the benefits computers bring. One of those is coding.
August and Jeff James, parents of a 10 years old son in Tennessee, realized the importance of it when they couldn’t find any local coding schools to teach their kids. So they opened their own. But it wasn’t just them who realize the benefits of coding. Bill Gates voiced it, Mark Zuckerberg supported it, and even Will.i. Am learned it himself. Even former president Obama called for America to learn how to code. With all these people advocating for coding, why shouldn’t you try it?
Coding is important – and fun. @CSforAll, thanks for your work to make sure every kid can compete in a high-tech, global economy. https://t.co/QDZqcoEQiM
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 18, 2017
What is Coding?
Coding is a set of instructions computers need to operate. It involves tasks such as analysis, creating algorithms, managing the accuracy of it, and the implementation of algorithms in programming languages. In 2015, seven million job openings were in occupations that required applicants to know how to code. Today, jobs that require coding is growing faster than what the market anticipated.
Coding is an excellent skill to have. It is spread out in many expertise such as the finance, science, medical, and transportation industry. On top of that, many leaders today are taking the initiative in making sure future generation acquire such skills. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg has rolled out new technology in schools called CodeFWD that allows students to program a robotic toy to move. CodeFWD provides coding tutorials online for educators and students, rewarding them with a Bolt Robot if they finish the tutorials.
If you’re interested in having coding be a part of your career, you can become a professional computer programmer. The surge of technological advances has led to skill shortages in many areas, making it increasingly hard for employers to find programmers. In a study done by Tech Partnership, they found that between the third quarter of 2015 and the second quarter of 2016, there have been 7,000 cybersecurity jobs being advertised in the UK, a number that is 100% higher than the number five years ago.
With the heavy demand for computer programmers, finding a job in that field wouldn’t be too hard! One enticing element about programming is also the pay that comes with it. According to a BLS report in 2016, the median annual wage for computer programmers was $79,840 while the veterans of that field making around $130,360. A six-figure salary like that will almost achieve everything you have on your bucket list!
If you are interested in learning, here are 5 languages you should try first.
- JavaScript
- Python
- Ruby
- Blockly
- HTML
You can learn some for free on CodeAcademy!
