I love Twitter. It’s a way for a person to connect with others, to see snippets of other technologies, and to share ideas. It is also a place to bash people, people who may have different views from you. It would be a lie if I have not been part of an online discussion that has led to an argument between two agitated individuals who are set in their ways. I am not perfect, nor do I want to be. But as I have grown older, I tend to try my hardest to stay away from the poker and prodded tweets and Facebook posts so that I can stay sane.
This post is not about online feuds, but on the opposite end: the ability to spark conversations with one ourselves from posts.
I responded to a tweet asking a “simple” question: “Why did you choose programming?”
To be honest, this has been the second time only that I have truly considered why I chose programming as a career path. Programming is one of those career paths that, for the right person, can be the most frustratingly fun thing to do in one’s lifetime. The job can bring about some of the individuals’ greatest accomplishments, while also bringing about some of the greatest failures. And in my short career, it is very fair to say that I have experienced some of both sides of the aisle. Programming is one of those skills that MAKE a person work through seen and unforeseen issues that could and will come up in a given situation.
I wanted to go over some of the pros of why a person will choose programming as a career path, as well as sprinkle in some more of my reasons of doing so.
If you Google “Why choose programming as a career?”, the first bits of shared information will read something similar to “5 reasons why you should learn programming”, “the benefits of choosing a computer programming career.”, or “where do I start in my career as a programmer”. You will see a trend online that programming can be an amazing career choice for the masses. But I will state that I do not believe, and this is Grant Watson’s opinion, that not everyone is cut out to be a programmer/engineer/developer. This goes to say the same that not every person so pick up singing, being a doctor, being a salesperson, or mechanic as a career. Different people have different talents, and those talents may or may not be in the computer science realm. The computer sciences takes a special type of person. It takes critical thinking, mathematical thinking where X may not be easily defined. It takes a form of creativity that is outside of the box. And yes, a programmer does want to throw their computer across the room sometimes.
Let’s talk about some of the pros of working in programming.
Increased career opportunities
Looking at the job market, even before the pandemic known as COVID-19, software development is a needed atmosphere to drive businesses across all genres of life. If you want to work in the healthcare realm, but do not want to work as a medical professional, you can help with the development of the software and technologies used in the medical realm. The same goes for any other form of business. Insurance, military, automotive, industrial, food, marketing, what have you, the arena is yours to choose. Learning to program will make you more employable in the IT workplace as companies are looking for candidates who have a comprehensive IT skill set. And programming is becoming a more and more standard requirement for many information technology jobs, whether or not it makes up a big part of your day-to-day responsibilities.
Competitive advantage
Similar to what was stated, once you have education and/or experience, the ability to jump into the technology world will be quick and fast. I got into my career as a full stack developer 7 months before I finished my degree. Because programming and coding are both becoming a critical part of operations for all types of businesses, you’re more likely to get hired if you have these skills. Though demand for tech-based jobs is higher than ever and on the rise, it still helps to stand out among other candidates for the same position. Most IT jobs require both a knowledge of business processes and the ability to code, so you need to have a strong background in both areas, not just one or the other.
Flexibility in the workplace
As an IT professional, you will be working closely with software developers and web designers. To communicate effectively and operate efficiently, understanding the programming process will enable you to do your job better. Even though you may not be using programming skills every day, having a background in this key tech area can make you an asset to your company’s IT department.
Relevance in the modern world
Learning to program will help you stay relevant in all types of industries. And in today’s tech-driven society, the more computer skills you have, the easier it will be to get the job you want. Because businesses rely so heavily on web-based processes and services, learning the science and theory behind how those things work is essential for effective work in information technology.
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