Coding is one of the most in-demand skills in the technology industry right now. And with tons of employment opportunities available including freelance roles that allow you to work wherever you want if you have a computer and an internet connection, there are certainly lots of reasons to consider learning how to code. If you want to get into some of the most cutting-edge job fields currently available today, coding is one of the best skills to learn to help you get there. Many of the most exciting opportunities for coders today are in AI and cryptocurrency, but coding is an essential skill for IT professionals in lots of different industries around the world.
Learning how to code can be challenging, but it is also a very worthwhile challenge to take on. After just a short amount of time spent learning how to code, you will be amazed at what you will be able to create. And, coding skills are not just relevant now, but they will also be relevant in the future, allowing you to get into roles where you know you can enjoy a lot of job security as your skills continue to experience high demand. Jobs that require coding skills are often very well-paid, and while you can learn coding at college, you do not need a college degree to learn this skill.
Coding for Beginners
If you want to learn how to code, it’s important to prepare for the fact that it can be tough when you first start out, since you’re essentially learning a new language. If you are completely new to coding, it’s going to be very different from anything else you have ever experienced, whether you’re teaching yourself how to code online or learning coding as part of a college degree such as an online MS computer science from Baylor University. Even if you already know some coding, there are so many programming languages to learn, and even experienced master’s degree students will need to overcome the challenges of mastering a new one.
Choosing a Programming Language
The first thing to do when getting started is to choose the programming language that is the best fit for you. If you are completely new to coding, it’s best to start with a language that is one of the easier ones to learn and is mostly user-friendly. HTML or CSS are two of the most popular coding languages to start with. These are mainly used for basic websites and web applications. If you want to get into software development and are interested in starting with a more serious programming language, Python is one of the most popular choices for beginners since it is fairly easy and straightforward to learn compared to some others. There are also many programming courses that focus on Python. Find out more about reliable programming courses here.
What You Need to Start Coding
When you’re first starting out, computer science and coding can be overwhelming. Even if you are familiar with the basics of how computer systems and networks work, it’s still a good idea to refresh your computer science knowledge. It’s a good idea to learn basic computer science or give yourself a recap if you have already completed a course in this subject. There are lots of great resources out there to learn or refresh your knowledge of computer science. It’s also vital to have an understanding of how networks work; before you can start successfully coding, you will need to understand how different computers communicate with each other in various network types. Get familiar with the command line, and learn more about how to start building a website, especially if you are considering learning coding in order to become a web developer in the future.
Common First Programming Languages to Learn
Beginner coders will often start out with one of these three popular programming languages:
HTML
HTML is one of the best options to start with if you have never done any web development and are completely new to coding. It stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is used to create basic web pages. While it is not technically a programming language, it makes up the basics of any website and is essential for any web developer to know. Whenever you are browsing the web and see images or text on a web page, they will have been placed there using HTML. While it’s one of the more basic types of code and there’s not a whole lot you can do with it, HTML does appear all over the internet, and getting a good grasp of it will make it easier for you to move up into more programming languages.
CSS
If you want to develop websites, CSS is an important coding language to learn. CSS is more complicated than HTML and offers much more variety when it comes to developing websites. It is recommended by experts to learn both HTML and CSS before you step up and start learning more interesting programming languages. CSS can be used to make all the HTML you wrote look really good online. You can use it to do a range of different tricks like adding padding, margins, changing fonts, adding colors, gradients, and more.
JavaScript
Finally, once you have gotten a good grasp of HTML and CSS, JavaScript is often the best next choice of programming language to master if you want to learn how to start coding to a high professional level. JavaScript is a must for coders, especially if you want to get into web or app development as it’s simply everywhere today. It is one of the main in-demand programming languages since it’s difficult to find a company that doesn’t need or want an online presence, and JavaScript is used to build most websites and apps. Once you have mastered JavaScript, the job opportunities that you can find are huge but competitive. The average salary of a JavaScript web developer is around $60k per year, with opportunities to earn even more as you develop more advanced skills.
Coding is one of the most highly sought-after skills in the professional world, and very interesting to learn.
