Apart from companies in the technology sector, the number of businesses relying on computer code is increasing drastically. It's really no wonder it's listed 8th of the top 25 jobs this year according to GlassDoor.
A software engineer could easily find themselves working for big companies such as Apple, as much as they can in a hospital or an automotive manufacturer.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that employment, especially for computer programmers, will decline 8% to 302,200 positions over the next decade as businesses outsource projects to less expensive contract workers overseas. And that's one of the reasons why programming is the skill you have to learn.
Why is computer programming important for the future?
Programming is crucial when it comes to learning how to innovate, create very eco-friendly solutions for global problems and such. In essence, it helps in speeding up the input and output processes in a machine. Additionally, it helps you develop the ability to automate, collect, manage, analyze the data and information correctly.
Programming is, without a doubt, very imporant. Hundreds of universities, thousands of professors, students and practitioners teaching, learning and practicing the discipline of programming are the purest testimony to the fact. And that's why programming is the skill you have to learn.
Some of the more reasons why programming is important are:
- The interaction with machines and computers
- Harnessing the power of computing in all human endeavor
- Automatization of tasks
- Creating intelligent machines
We can only speculate further as to why programming is important today and will be in the future for that matter. What we can do though is elaborate on why programming is important to programmers.
My very first meeting with programming was back in high-school with C. I had learned C programming one summer by reading this book I found called ‘Let us C.' Over time, though, due to lack of practice and use I forgot most of the stuff. It didn't help that I was pursuing an education in a discipline that had little need of or exposure to programming(or so I was led to believe.)
I accumulated up a little python from the internet through tutorials and classes(none of which I have been able to complete so far.) Thankfully some of my old association with C has come in handy and I haven't had to start from scratch. So far, I have written scripts that help me populate spreadsheets, fetch stock data, etc. And I am hopeful that as I continue to learn my skills will become useful in more ways.
Which is the best programming language for the future?
The programming community is evolving at a rate faster than ever before. Different programming languages emerge that are suited for very different categories of developers – beginners, intermediate and experts. But, they're also suited for different cases, such as web apps, mobile apps, game development, distributed systems, etc.
Choosing the best programming language is part of knowing why programming is the skill you have to learn.
We've listed the 5 best programming languages for the future, based on the popularity and necessity.
- Python
- Java
- C/C++
- JavaScript
- Swift
Python tops the list undoubtedly. It's widely accepted as the best programming language to learn as first. Python is very fast, easy-to-use and very easy to deploy. It's currently being used to develop scalable web applications. Some of the famous websites that rely on Python are YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, SurveyMonkey and a lot more. Python provides a great starting point for beginners, and if you're looking for a good job then Python is the way to go.
Java is a close second. It's a very popular choice among developers and has remained so for decades. It's widely used for building enterprise-scale web apps and is extremely stable and that's probably the reason why so many large enterprises have chosen Java. Additionally, Java is used in Android App development, being the official language for Android apps.
C and C++ are, if I may, the butter and bread of programming. Almost all low-level systems like operating systems, file systems and so on are written in either C or C++. C++ is widely used by competitive programmers just for the sole purpose that it's fast and very stable. C++ can also provide something called STL which is an acronym for Standard Template Library.
JavaScript is dubbed as the “front-end” of programming. It's mainly used for designing interactive front-end applications. To make it more clear, every time you're clicking a button that opens up a popup, you're using JavaScript. A lot of organizations, especially startups, are using NodeJS, to begin with, which is a JavaScript-based run-time environment. JavaScript allows developers to use server-side script-running scripts to produce dynamic web page content before the page is sent to the user's browser.
Swift is the official programming language used to develop native iOS applications. And since iOS applications are on the rise for quite some time now, it's becoming very popular to learn Swift. The iOS feud over Android will remain forever, seems like it, and the best you can do is take advantage of it and start learning Swift for a stable job.
Do programmers get paid well
If you're thinking of becoming a programmer, you have to take into account that there's a lot to consider. And how much money you're making is no small part of the decision. You should know how much you can get paid and it might give you a boost on why programming is the skill you have to learn.
If you're wondering how much you'll get paid when you become a programmer, you're in the right place. We've taken info from Glassdoor, PayScale, and Salary.com to provide the average numbers. Keep in mind that these numbers are an average, not a guarantee.
We've sorted out the most famous programming fields and took the info for a Web developer, Web designer, Game Developer, and Mobile developer.
If you become a Web developer, the main duty you'll be assigned is to create and maintain web applications. It's really a diverse field – your exact work really depends on what languages you know. This will divide you into front-end or back-end developer – or full-stack if you know both. Glassdoor rates the average pay at $93,000 per year, which is much more higher than PayScale ($58,000). While Salary.com claims an average of $60,000. So it really depends on the type of web you're working on.
Web designers, on the other hand, have the responsibility of creating and designing websites for the best user experience. While the web developers are focusing on turning the design into code, web designers are the ones who built the web in the first place. The primary concern is how the web will look like and how it feels. The average pay for a web designer is somewhere between $49,000 and $75,000.
Game developers have the main duty of creating video games through coding logic, creating art and somewhat similar tasks. Programming video games sounds like a dream job for a lot of gamers out there. And the best thing (apart from actually designing what you love) is that it's not a low paying job at all. But, it does depend on the company you're working on. Small studios can't pay as much as majors like Sony, obviously. The range starts from $45,000 to $89,000.
And last but not least mobile developers. The main responsibility a mobile developer has is to design, test and support mobile applications. Most people access the internet via mobile phones and tablets, which makes mobile programming very important. This type of programmer works to create mobile-specific apps for companies, mostly for Android and iOS. The range is estimated from $72,000 and $103,000.
Why is coding useful?
If you have the capacity, coding can be very rewarding for you. Software is really the glue that allows us to use and communicate with computers – anything from toasters to automobiles). And that's one of the reasons why programming is the skill you have to learn/
You can write code for a hobby, or you can pursue a career in it. You don't even need to have a computer degree, but if you do want to pursue a long career in programming it might come in handy. Coding teaches you to handle things like data structures, structure design and OOP (object-oriented programming). I've had to deal with programmers who are Civil, Chemical and Engineers who are very good at what they do.
In essence, coding is telling the computer what to do. If you don't know how to do that, it's as useful as a doorstop. So in essence, coding is useful because computers are useful. Simple as that.
You order a computer to do something by writing applications that are essentially collections of computer instructions. Those instructions are usually written by humans using one of the many, many programming languages.
Writing an application requires a lot of logic and creativity. It also requires abstract thinking, but it's all worth it. What makes it very hard for some people is that they lack those mentioned above.
Can anyone learn to code?
In the “learn-to-code” community you will often hear the words “Anyone can learn to code”. And, after all, there are a lot of self-taught developers who started on their own. And if they did it, following the norma logic, anyone can do it too. Right?
But, just because you can doesn't mean you should.
The failure to comprehend this fact can be very misleading. Only if you have an interest in coding you should start learning it. Otherwise, the answer is no. An enthusiast of automobiles will not grasp the logic behind programming and vice versa.
Generally speaking, there are two limitations to this question:
Competition. If you want to code to get a job (this doesn't concern the ones that do it for fun) there can be limitations to jobs and large pools of people trying to get in. This begs the question of whether you're better than the rest and if you deserve the job.
Mental capacity is the second limitation. The capacity to comprehend complex topics and the ability to learn can be a deal-breaker for some people. I've seen people start and ditch programming as soon as it got hard. There are people who can't learn how to drive a car, and it's not really their fault. Their brain is not wired to solving abstract problems but they excel in other things. Coding is definitely not for that kind of person.
Alicia leads content strategy for LearnWorthy managing a team of content producers, strategists, and copywriters. She creatively oversees content programs, awareness campaigns, research reports, and other integrated marketing projects.
