Technology is advancing at a staggering rate these days. We are living in the digital age. For better or worse. Each year hardware and software take huge leaps that would have taken decades before. And, as technology advances, so too must people keep up with it or risk getting left behind.
Programming is one of the most useful, and often daunting, skills to learn. It is no easy feat to learn how to program, especially if you are already in your adult years. Children today are lucky enough to have programming be a part of their key curriculum. But we are here to explain to you why 2024 is the year you should start learning how to code. And we will offer you some tips on how to go about it.
The Rise Of Data
As human society advances we always see a huge shift in which commodities are most precious. And, for the longest time, the most precious commodity was money. Cash was king and whoever had the most ruled the world. But this isn’t the case anymore. Money is still powerful. But these days data is the most precious commodity.
In our digital world, data is everything. With enough data a government can win an election. A company can crush their opposition. A marketing team can better target their adverts. Your personal data is worth a lot of money to these institutions. And, to that end, more companies need people to manage and handle all the data.
Raw data is only useful if you have a system that can store, organize, and collate it. And a lot of companies have realized that the software for this needs to be done inhouse. Outsourcing this process is expensive and inefficient. So learning how to program opens you up to a lot of stable employment in the world of data and data science.
Creative Coding
Maybe working in the world of data isn’t for you. Perhaps you are more creatively inclined. But there is still a lot of use for programmers in the creative industries. Take a look at video games. Gaming is one of the biggest industries on the planet. And it is only getting bigger with each year. And game companies are always looking for creatively minded programmers to bring on board.
The upside to focusing on this type of programming is the education around it can be much more specialized. With regular coding you will spend a lot of time learning things like the difference between windows desktop and windows server, and which is useful information to have. But as a game programmer you won’t have to worry about these things as much.
Instead you will be focusing on subjects like AI and logic gates. There is a lot of overlap between game programming and artistic design as well. For example you might spend a lot of time working with 3D rendering to create various game characters or objects. Or you might be creating code to help with AI pathing in the game world. Game coding is very much an exercise in puzzle solving. So if you enjoy a good puzzle, this could be the career path for you.
Learning To Code
Learning programming can seem daunting. It is, in essence, a completely new language. And learning a language is no easy feat. But we are lucky enough to live in an age where information is so readily available. And in extremely digestible formats. The high demand for programmers has led to an increase in the number of coding courses available.
You could go for the traditional route of studying a programming course at college or university. This is a great idea if you can afford both the financial and the time commitment. A full course will give you all the skills you need to succeed and a degree is a valuable addition to your CV. Plus it offers a lot of good networking opportunities.
But, if you can’t afford to go on a proper course, there are a lot of amazing online courses you can take. Some are packages that can be done at your own pace. Others are digital classes that offer you a one to one learning experience with an expert. These are great if you know exactly what field you want to work in as you can focus your education on just the areas you need.
