Tech is one of the fastest growing sectors and the highest paying fields. You’ve been told about this many times before, and you’ll keep reading about it in the following years: not just from us, but also from other tech companies, on the news, and at your job or school. ‘I know’, you might be thinking, ‘I heard you the first time!’
And yes, learning tech skills to start a career in tech is a pretty safe bet nowadays. But it’s much more than that: technology touches more and more aspects of our daily lives. Ten years ago, we weren’t able to collectively track the transmission of illnesses with our phones or pay through contactless cards and smartphones. Twenty years ago, we couldn’t have dreamed of the impact social media has in our society. The use of computers and the internet was a thing we, as a society, all had to learn and acquire not just to be competitive in the job market, but also to improve our quality of life. And today, the journey hasn’t stopped. Knowing skills like web design and development, cybersecurity, and data management can not only change your career: they should be common knowledge.
Imagine having the power to create your own websites, tailored to your needs, or your own programs and apps, set to automate your tasks, save you time, and make your life easier. Or your own games! The possibilities are endless: what will you create?
The Not-So-Long and Not-So-Difficult Journey to Learn Coding
Learning to code is often compared to learning a second language. Sounds kinda fake, but it’s not that far off– except that programming isn’t just one language. You start reading about JavaScript, Python, SQL, C++, Ruby… and you close the tab. And you haven’t even looked at things like frameworks, IDEs, and Git. How many years will this take?
The answer is not straightforward, but probably not years. Firstly, because you don’t need to learn every programming language out there to ‘know coding’ (even if you want to be a full-stack developer!). Setting the groundwork for computer science key concepts and paradigms will make it incredibly easy to pick up new coding languages after your first one, so don’t worry about that. Coding requires, most importantly, problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and a strong ability to keep up with such a rapidly changing environment!
Acquiring the basic concepts of programming and getting handy with some languages, enough, at least, to be able to create things like applications and websites, can take as little as three months or as long as you need to. It all depends on how much time and dedication you can put aside for coding– and also on whether you use freely available resources only, or sign up for an intensive program like our bootcamp.
What’s Stopping You From Learning to Code?
Acquiring coding skills seems like a difficult path, full of obstacles and traps. Some of the concerns that arise when you consider learning to code are incredibly common and have solutions you might not expect.
‘I don’t like math’
And you don’t need to! Coding doesn’t necessarily involve calculations: mainly, because computers were invented to do those for us in the first place; but also because the field is so vast that any kind of skill set, and any kind of person, has a place for them in technology. If you want to work with math, you could look into a career in Data– but if you don’t, you could do everything from Design to Web Development. The limit doesn’t exist (wink).
‘I’m too old to learn code’
Learning is a lifelong process: it’s a complete myth that we stop learning after graduating from university. Challenging ourselves with new skills constantly is a painfully human trait, and coding is one of the most widely available, versatile skills out there, as well as one of the skills that pay off the most. And it’s not hard: we promise!
‘I don’t have the discipline to teach myself to code’
That’s fine! Some people are insanely motivated to learn by themselves, and can pull it off in record time, but you shouldn’t feel bad that you’re not like them. Everyone’s conditions are different, and some of us just don’t have the bandwidth to assume the extra work that comes with a self-taught journey. This is why options like videos, online courses, and bootcamps are so popular, too! There are fits for all sizes: don’t hesitate to ask for the one you need!
‘I don’t have time to learn coding’
Deciding to learn to code is not an all-or-nothing situation. Depending on your objectives, available free time, and learning style, you could dedicate anything from 30 minutes a day to 30 hours a week, and still acquire the skills you want. If you’re not sure about the time investment, look into the learning options available. Dip just the toe, or dive in, or anything in between!
Coding Gives You the Power to Start, Change or Boost Your Career
When people sign up to Ironhack bootcamps, they do it for many different reasons. Certainly, starting a career in Tech when you’re fresh out of school is a road that many young people take, because, if you want to be a Web Developer, you don’t need to spend four years getting a traditional degree when you could do an intensive bootcamp that will give you all the skills needed to get a job as a developer and keep growing after graduating.
But coding is a great skill to have for people from all walks of life, which is why Ironhack is a very diverse coding school, too. Recently, we talked about career pivoters: experienced professionals who have dedicated years of their lives to all kinds of careers, and have decided to acquire tech skills to switch careers entirely. Many of our alumni have pivoted careers, from jobs like Customer Success Manager or lawyer to Web Development– many of the skills acquired in these jobs are transferable, and the experiences and successes that professionals bring from different backgrounds can make their profile incredibly valuable for recruiters in Tech.
Some people learn coding to expand their skill set in their current jobs, too! Coding skills can take Digital Marketers, Project and Product Managers, and all kinds of other roles to the next level, helping you advance your career, expand your responsibilities, and, ultimately, increase your value for companies and your salary and work benefits, too.
Coding can be a lifelong learning journey, because there's so much to learn and the number of different applications of code is vast. If you can code, you have the boundless potential to reinvent the world– sign up for our Web Development bootcamp, and make it happen!
