Learning to Code: Why It Could Be for You

No matter where your level of tech skill lies on the scale of caveman to master iCloud hacker, I’m sure you’ve heard of the term “coding” before.

Whenever I think of a “coder,” I can’t help but think of someone from The Matrix: a super hacker with the skill to code an entire false reality. Like, whoa. It’s a common misconception that coding is a skill only attainable for the super hackers of the world. But coding is becoming more mainstream than ever.

It’s becoming more and more important each year, as Gary Rotsch tells us in his blog post, Coding for Bloggers and Other Non-Coders: Part 1 (check out parts two and three). But what’s so great about it anyway? What are the benefits of learning it if you’re not trying to become a programmer?

As a former non-coder learning to master HTML, I recently answered those questions for myself. Allow me to share my enlightenment with you.

Why You Should Learn to Code

Learning the basics of code can benefit just about anyone in the professional world. Let’s talk about 5 reasons how.

1. Coders Are More Likely to Get Hired

Coding is a huge field right now. According to the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, software development employment is expected to grow 22% between 2012 and 2022. But what if you’re not a software developer?

Last year, Forbes ranked programming as the 9th most critical job skill. There’s no doubt that programming would rank even higher today.

A lot of jobs in business fields (and especially marketing jobs) also call for basic knowledge of HTML coding. Some call for even more advanced coding skill. Learning to code could definitely give you the extra edge that you need get that promotion or new job.

2. You Can Do Awesome Stuff with It

A whole new world of possibilities will open up. Here are some of the cool things you can do with just HTML and CSS:

  • Make your own website. There are so many reasons to have a website. Maybe you have a small business you want to promote online. Or maybe you’re working on your personal brand. A website can be great for sales, advertising, branding, and more. Learning to code would allow you to work toward whatever your goal might be.
  • Tailor your blog or any website to its main purpose. You can use code to add some cool graphics to illustrate your point, or add a link to your text to give your readers another resource to use. A blog tailored to its purpose will likely be more successful, because readers will remember how much it helped them out.
  • Make a blog or any text more readable. Coding allows you to add elements like white space and lists to make your text more readable. If your content is easy to read, your audience will have more reason to read it.

Once you learn the basics, you’ll be able to do all these things and more. Continuing to learn more intermediate and advanced coding skill will make the possibilities endless.

3. Coding Promotes Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

This one is a win-win. Coding skills are in high demand from employers. So are soft skills like critical thinking and problem solving, which programming helps develop. There’s no downside here!

The challenge of programming fosters these skills. It takes some practice and thought to get your code perfect and error-free. Programmers exercise their critical thinking and problem solving skills every day. With coding, you can, too.

4. Learning Code Helps Us Understand Tech Better

Smartphones, laptops, tablets; technology is a huge part of our everyday lives. But what goes into that webpage that you’re browsing, and what makes the apps you use every day tick?

Knowing the basics of programming allows us better understand these devices and resources we use on the daily.

5. Coding Opens up a Whole New World of Possibilities for Bloggers (and Non-Bloggers)

This is the one that hits closest to home for me. As a beginner blogger, I don’t know where I’d be without some basic knowledge of HTML.

Want to bold that phrase? There’s a code for that. Need to add a numbered list to your blog post to make it more well organized? There’s a code for that. Coding allows bloggers to get the most out of their posts by formatting them for better readability and organization.

Whether you’re already a blogger or you’re just starting out, learning the basics of HTML will be beneficial for you.

Not a blogger? Not a problem.

Like I said before, coding is useful for people in almost any profession. Think about your current position. How might coding help you personally?

Coding can help you bring an idea or a prototype to life. It can help you better understand the way that things in our technological world work. It also provides your brain with a challenge. Learning to code offers the same benefits that learning a new language offers to your brain, with some added technical skill to boot.

Learning the basics will give you a solid foundation to build on in the future if you decide to keep learning new code.

6. It’s not as hard as you might think.

As our friend Gary tells us in the series I mentioned before, there are resources out there to get you on the road to coding success.

  • Codecademy lets you try your hand at HTML and assists you in the process
  • Code Avengers teaches you how to code and also aims to keep you entertained
  • Code School is for when you’re ready to take the next step after mastering the basics

So there you have it, coding can help us all out, so why not give it a shot? You have nothing to lose, only the awesome benefits of coding to gain!