It used to be the case that developers were regarded as geeks who sat behind their computer screens all day speaking in tech, but that has definitely changed. Coding has become cool and the image of developers in 2018 is trendy. In fact, The Harvard Business Review calls Data Science the ‘sexiest job of the 21st century’. Here are some reasons coding has become cool.
Become a Game Designer
As a coder, you can become a game designer and games are cool. Game designers are responsible for developing storylines, puzzles, challenges and level divisions in games. They may well need to collaborate with content developers, artists, programmers and other technical coworkers. However, the central figure is the designer who comes up with the overall concept of the game. The designer is responsible for setting the rules of the games and creating a particular atmosphere for the players.
According to Learn.Org, game designers need a wide range of skills including the following:
- Capacity to work in a fast-paced environment
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Ability to strategise on the job – e.g. exploring potential moves in a game
- Vivid imagination – good games need fascinating plots, settings and characters
- Ability to collaborate in teams
- Coding skills
You Can Create Cool Stuff
Coding lets you unleash your creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Knowing how to code means you can create a website to get your business idea off the ground. Or if you’ve had a brilliant app idea, you can make it happen. Coding is one of the easiest ways to solve practical problems without needing large machines or lots of raw materials – you only need a computer and preferably an internet connection. The end product just depends on your coding skill and how good your idea is, and not other hard-to-control factors.
Here are some fun coding project ideas:
- A web app using HTML, CSS and JavaScript – for example, a game or quiz, a calculator, a colour picker or a word counter.
- A data-driven web application like a social media site.
- Some web-based animation – although Flash and JavaScript have been used for years for creating web-based animation, this is falling away. CSS animation has stepped in to fill the gap.
The Tech Community is Awesome
One of the key reasons coding has become cool is that the tech community is great. There are many reasons to join a tech community, whether it’s online or in real life, including: interacting with like-focused individuals, increasing your visibility and chance of finding work, learning the latest tech knowhow, problem solving in real time and learning from experts.
Here are some online tech communities worth checking out:
- Stack Overflow – this is one of the biggest software communities on the internet.
- GitHub – this is mostly for version control, but it’s also a ‘Developer’s Disneyland’, because you can access the code of many world-famous apps.
- Google Developers – this is a platform created by Google to build software using Google’s products such as Google Maps.
- Developers Facebook – this is similar to the Google platform, but you use Facebook’s API and integrate your apps into Facebook.
Because The Job Demand is High and You’ll Get Paid Well
Coding has become cool because coders are in demand and the salaries are good. The average US salary for a front-end web developer, for example, is $88,680, states PayScale, with salaries rising for senior developers to $119. There is also a 20% US job growth rate up to 2022 for these developers, claims TEACH magazine.
Software Engineering is predicted to grow at a startling 24% employment growth between 2016 and 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In essence, tech jobs are on the rise. According to Modis, there’s an anticipated 12% growth in tech employment by 2024 (compared with 6,5% projected growth in other industries). By 2024, there will be 48,500 additional tech jobs.
There are many reasons coding has become cool. From having excellent job opportunities to solving real-world problems, coding is a skill that opens so many doors. If you’re wanting to learn how to code, consider signing up for one of HyperionDev’s six-month, part-time online coding bootcamps in Full Stack Web Development, Mobile Development and Software Engineering. You’ll get your own personalised mentor to help you whenever you get stuck.
