We all know that learning a language is great for the brain- and why should coding be any different? As a language in its own right, learning to code has many benefits from increased career prospects to the opportunity for fun personal projects.
'Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer... because it teaches you how to think.' - Steve Jobs
Here are the top 7 reasons you should learn to code:
1. LESS WORK, MORE MONEY
There's a reason this perk is number one - because it's the dream.
We know what you're thinking - this sounds too good to be true. But coding is one of the few industries where less work and more money adds up due to the current demand. It's an extremely lucrative industry and one that is facing a huge skills shortage, which means there are great opportunities for those looking to get into it.
With junior developer roles starting at £25,000 and progressing to £65,000+ as a senior developer, you’ll never feel undervalued.
2. YOU'LL BECOME A LOGICAL THINKER
At the heart of coding is the ability to problem solve. In combining maths, logic and algorithms, coding gives you the unique and powerful skill of critical thinking.
When you're becoming a coder, by default you are also becoming a logical thinker. The more efficiently you are able to pick out the issue, and solve it, the easier it will be for you to execute point number one. And let's be honest, point number one is pretty motivating.
But becoming a logical thinker should be motivating too. Coding is about seeing the bigger picture, but being able to zoom in on the smaller, nitty gritty issues and solve them. As a result your ability to troubleshoot will become second nature - which is a great skill to take into everyday life.
As a coder you’ll have the opportunity to work freelance and with that comes - you guessed it - freedom.
Sure, you’ll still have meetings and deadlines, but you’ll also have the autonomy to decide when and where you will be working from. In coding, getting the work done - to deadlines and thoroughly - is the name of the game. As long as you can nail that, the particulars are irrelevant.
This means you can work from wherever you like - be it your local coffee shop, your bed or Croatia...you decide. Coding can offer a fantastic lifestyle and an opportunity to break out of the constraints of a boring nine to five.
4. COMPUTERS ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD
Sorry to sound melodramatic - but it's true.
Computers have automated a lot of roles that used to be manual, which causes a problem for people who aren't digi-literate. Software is the modern language and controls so much of our day-to-day life. Having no clue how any of this works is dangerous, and whilst we're not claiming that every job in the future will involve programming - it's likely that it will become more and more prominent.
The geeks that you laughed at for loving tech at school were onto something. As Bill Gates said:
'Be nice to nerds. You'll probably end up working for one.'
5. TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Whilst coders are sometimes thought of as introverts that prefer their own company, the reality is a world apart. Web development is a collaborative process and requires interaction with other team members and clients to ensure that the project is delivered on time.
The ability to communicate effectively with other freelancers and people in your team will be hugely helpful. As a coder, you'll learn to explain tricky concepts in simpler terms to those who aren’t as technically minded as you. Whether it's during a dinner party conversation or whilst explaining intricate technicalities to a member of your team, being able to simplify things is a great skill to have under your belt. Becoming a coder requires serious collaboration skills, which will develop as you grow into your coding career.
There's definitely something satisfying about seeing an idea go from fruition to completion and being able to create a website from scratch is really rewarding. When you work in code, you have the opportunity to translate your ideas into reality which means you can end up working on projects that you really care about - pretty cool.
7. YOU'LL NEVER STOP LEARNING
As a coder – the more curious you are, the better. A great developer is inherently inquisitive and always interested in how a process can be improved. As a result, you'll probably have a passion for learning that a career in coding will definitely satisfy.
Due to the ever-changing nature of technology, learning to code is a continuous process. If you want to stay ahead of the game, you need to be committed to change and be able to adapt. If you crave learning new things and love the satisfying feeling when you've ticked a task off your list, then you’d make a great coder.