Advancing in life and your career is all about accumulating skills that can be leveraged for higher pay, social status, and other worthwhile pursuits. A lot of skills like organizing, leadership, and cooking are universally acknowledged to be particularly handy in all areas of life. But what about learning how to code? Here are a few reasons why learning to code could be essential for anyone looking to add to their arsenal of life skills.
1. Thinking Outside the Box
Most careers will teach people how to think in one particular way that becomes more solidified the older they get and the longer they’re in that industry. It’s easy to just stick to one way of thinking your entire life – but that’s not the key to a fulfilling career. The most successful people around you are probably those who know how to find creative solutions to problems and can look at things from different angles.
Learning how to code is a great way to break your mind open to seeing the world differently. Whether you’re learning the basics of HTML or all about ICCID cards, coding requires you to learn an entirely new “language”, with its own set of rules, and its own unique way of interacting with the world. Try asking an experienced programmer or developer for their perspective the next time you have a problem – they might surprise you with their outside-the-box answers.
2. Greater Creativity
If coding can help you think outside of the box when it comes to problem-solving, it can also help you to think more creatively in general. When a website designer is at work, they’re thinking about how their client wants a page to look and translating that into the language they need to use to make it happen. Coders can also create animations, applications, video games, and all sorts of other creative pursuits. There are tons of artistically talented people out there who lack the ability to bring their imaginations to life, and learning to code could help them get there.
3. Increased Resiliency and Patience
Think about how it feels when you encounter a problem at work or in your personal life that just isn’t going away. No matter what you throw at the issue, nothing is working. Your reaction might be to throw up your hands and walk away from the problem, or maybe you call on a more experienced person to help you out. For coders, running into problems is just a natural part of the process. Learning how to code is a great way to increase your ability to be resilient and patient in the face of obstacles. A programmer will think through all possible solutions and work through the problem systematically, rather than throwing in the towel at the first sign of difficulty.
4. A Fun Way to Learn
At first, learning code can be intimidating and your brain might feel a bit fried. But after that initial learning process, coding is one of the most enjoyable ways to teach yourself a new skill. You can create your own project, like an animation, game, or tool that you can show to others. Joining online forums for coders will also give you a community of other learners that can give you feedback and help you out when you’re stuck on certain problems. Learning is undoubtedly one of the best things humans can do for their brain at all stages of life, so why not choose something both enjoyable and useful?
5. More Career Options
Even if your goal isn’t to become a master programmer, learning how to do basic coding can open up a variety of career options and promotions for you in your current field. You might be surprised by how valuable you become to future employers just by having that skill on your resume. Whatever reasons you have for wanting to learn how to code, it’s a worthwhile endeavor that will pay off down the road.