We’ve talked about the importance of coding in the digital economy in this column before.
In essence, as industries undergo digital transformation, the global demand for graduates who are equipped with skills and knowledge in STEM (including coding) will be greater than ever.
However, some of you might be resisting the idea of learning to code, thinking that it’s a very difficult skill that can only be mastered by very smart people.
The truth is that as long as you learn and understand the basics, possessing the ability to code can work in your favour during your job search afterwards in both tech and non-tech fields.
With that said, here are a few ways to build your interest in coding:
Think about coding differently
To give coding a chance, shift your perception of it.
Think of coding as a language – a way to communicate with your computer to perform a task because it’s in a language that it understands.
If you are more conscious of the fact that coding is needed to enable our use of technologies such as smartphones and social media, you’ll realise that coding involves creating and bringing something to life.
Aside from giving you a better grasp of how you interact with digital technology, learning to code provides you the opportunity to improve your soft skills, particularly problem-solving, logical thinking, creativity, and resilience.
Start exploring
Coding is a wide-ranging skill that is used in tech and non-tech fields, and involves different kinds of programming languages with specific purposes.
Thanks to the Internet, you can find all of this information in depth, plus online learning resources to get yourself started, such as coding courses, YouTube videos, and forum websites.
Because coding is usually better learned through constant practice, you can write your own code by first modifying existing code, and then building from scratch when you have enough confidence and experience.
Join the coding community
Through the aforementioned online learning resources, as well as local courses and workshops, you can be part of the coding community where you can meet, learn from, and share ideas with other coders.
The community is especially a good place for you to find clarification in any coding-related problems you encounter, which also enables you to keep learning whether you’re just starting out or you’re already capable.
Take your time
Learning to code, like any other skill, is a marathon and not a sprint. It is best learned when you take the time to absorb and apply whatever knowledge you’ve obtained.
So designate a part of your day for coding, work on it regularly, discover new aspects of coding, and most importantly, have fun!
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
First published in the Borneo Post online on 7th March 2020: http://bit.ly/330uLeh
Photo by hitesh choudhary from Pexels.
