Is it time to try something new? If you’re considering pivoting to a different career – or even just better equipping yourself for the job that you already have – then coding is a great string to add to your bow. It’s an increasingly in-demand skill that could unlock opportunities for well-paid jobs.
There are, of course, all manner of courses and educational programs available that can teach coding skills – but they’re not requirements to move into the field. If you’re a young person wanting to get started well before college, or a professional who wants to pick up coding in your spare time while in full-time work, it’s entirely possible to teach yourself enough to build a career.
Getting started
The good news is that, partially as a result of coding abilities being so in-demand in the workforce and partially because it’s just plain fun to do, there are lots of resources out there to help people become a self-taught coder.
You can pick up physical kits to do practical experimentation, engaging in some glorious trial and error. Another option is to follow some of the many people putting out great, free educational content on YouTube with how-tos on coding and programming.
If you’re taking up coding with an eye on a specific career path, great! Narrowing down what excites you and with what you want to work is invaluable for focusing your educational goals. Are you aiming to go into web development? App design? Something else? Being as specific as possible enables you to find learning resources aimed at exactly the skills that you want to develop.
Learning and building
It’s one thing assembling all the resources that you need to learn a new skill, of course; actually putting in the work is another thing. If you want to be proficient enough to make a career out of coding then it’ll take time and consistent effort.
Consistency is the most important thing. Set aside a little bit of time every day – or as close to every day as you can – to focus on learning; ‘little and often’ is a much better way to retain information than ‘a lot, occasionally’.
Where possible, set yourself clear goals to which you can hold yourself accountable. That could mean marking off specific learning resources to try or projects that you want to complete. Make sure to actually try to build something with the skills that you’re learning; it doesn’t matter if they’re not perfect, the practical experience is vital.
Networking
Teaching yourself doesn’t have to mean going it alone. There’s a huge community of coders out there, many of them in a similar position to you and all the others having been there on the way. Join community groups on social media, Reddit and the like, and don’t be afraid to reach out to content creators that you admire if you have a respectful and relevant question. You’re joining a profession full of problem-solvers who are likely to be happy to help!
