Coding – A Sure-Fire Way To Secure Your Future

Addressing the importance of teaching coding from a primary level, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, stated about a year ago, “We believe strongly that it should be a requirement in the United States for every kid to have coding before they graduate from K–12 and become somewhat proficient at it.” Although, schools abroad have been quick off the mark in introducing coding concepts at the primary stage, the educational curriculum in India is still warming up to the concept, with little or no programming being taught in schools, resulting in a slew of coding institutes taking up the initiative across the country’s metros. Without direct access to the study of this vital subject, India’s next generation of workforce may suffer massively, as coding is no longer restricted to the tech industry, but is also becoming essential in other industries – notably, finance, manufacturing and even healthcare.

Experts, in fact, have stated that today’s global economy is in urgent need of people with coding skills, and have predicted that it would be considered the most important skill for job seekers in the coming future – unflinchingly on par with communication skills. They declare that being able to code using all-purpose programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, C++ or any common computer programming language will not only secure and fortify your career, but also help you rake in the moolah. For this reason, they emphasis on teaching these skills early on, as it is a 21st century skill that’s crucial to a child’s future. These experts all agree that coding has become nearly as ubiquitous as literacy. However, the nature of coding in the future might quite differ from what it is today.

While coding may seem like a subject that’s only likely to appeal to a computer science enthusiast, it is, in fact, a well-structured way to introduce children to logical thinking, problem solving, story-telling, organization, designing and more! It also prepares them for a job market dominated by data science and AI. Children develop non-cognitive skills through coding lessons that allow them to be creative, and helps them focus on not only identifying errors but also finding ways to correct them. Just as the most sought-after jobs of today did not exist even five years ago, it is predictable that the current young generation of India would be working in areas or functions that don’t even exist yet. It becomes imperative, therefore, for them to embark on their coding journey as early as possible.

But what about the current cohort of graduates who are already facing the job market without a degree in coding? Rest assured, there’s still hope. There are several courses in the market where basic coding skills are imparted in a time frame of three months, that’s sufficient to get you into jobs involving computer user support or help desk. Another way to start your coding journey is to become a Junior Developer, where you will learn all the current and marketable tech skills you need in a short period of time. However, the amount of time it takes to develop a solid base in coding depends on which language you are learning, and the amount of practice you do. Learning to code is an ongoing process. Many well experienced senior developers will tell you honestly that they still have so much to learn, and advise that it is important to rewire your brain to think like a computer – where the focus is to identify and break down problems, and then solve them. According to them, the beauty of coding lies in the fact that the skills learnt come in handy in almost all aspects of life!

Needless to say, capable coders are in huge demand today. A 2015 study reported that occupations that required coding skills made up as many as seven million job openings in the US alone, and that these programming jobs were growing in number around 12 percent faster than the market average. Many have even gone on to predict that coding is likely to be the last job ever on earth!

Coding is for sure difficult. Forcing the average human mind that is susceptible to irrational thoughts, assumptions or extreme sensitivities to think and act like a computer program takes a lot of work. But once mastered, this may turn out to be a life skill that very much saves your life in the long run.

Author : Vandana Sreejith