Whether you plan to be a software engineer, a chef, or a stay-at-home mother, computer coding using C++ ide is an important skill to acquire. Here’s why “Learn To Code” should make it on every woman’s to-do list.
1. You Will Take Control of Your Career
Learning to code is a new kind of literacy. Web development skills are transferable and applicable to every industry–from coal mining to banking and everything in between. Once you learn or at least understand, the fundamentals, you make yourself much more marketable in the employer hiring pool. These days, many tech companies and startups are mindful of hiring females (who are equally as competent) to increase diversity and gain new perspectives on their teams. Employment in the tech industry or in a field that involves tech tends to provide flexibility, perks, and well-paid opportunities.
The average software developer in the U.S. makes around $80,000.
If that’s not enough motivation, let’s look at the stats. As of June 2013, the tech industry employed 6.2 million people. By 2021 employment in all computer occupations is projected to grow by 22 percent according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of that, the demand for software developers is said to be the strongest, with increases ranging up to 32 percent. Having these skills will help guide or advance you into a very fruitful career.
2. You Will Challenge the Industry Standard
By now, it’s not news that the world of tech and startups is male-dominated. Globally, men outnumber women 7 to 3 in the tech industry. There have been countless articles, and rightfully so, on the “programming” culture of Silicon Valley and the tech industry overall. I’ve heard colleagues and friends speak of direct, and more commonly indirect, scenarios of sexism in the workplace. Working in tech is not for the faint of heart. Women need not be discouraged by this, but rather join forces and provide support, educate, and advocate for bringing change to the industry standard.
Women need to understand that a job in tech or the startup world can be a reality. The more people advocate, and the more women take it upon themselves to learn STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) topics, the smaller the gender gap will become.
3. You Will Keep Your Mind Active
Learning new skills and utilizing different areas of the brain has been proven to help keep the mind young. That’s why brain training has become a multimillion-dollar industry and companies are thriving. Much like these brain-training games, programming involves a wide range of cognitive processes, using both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Learning to code involves creativity, critical thinking, and algorithmic skills, not to mention the social skills needed to attend various events, meetups, and hackathons.
The Alzheimer’s Association recommends exercising your brain every day. They suggest staying curious, committing to lifelong learning, reading, and attending lectures, or enrolling in education courses. Learning to code is a great way to develop your mind. If you perform a quick Google search on “how many programming languages exist,” you’ll see a Wikipedia list of around 600 languages. That’s not to mention hundreds of smaller, special-purpose languages. To stay relevant in the world of tech, you must keep learning, reading, and following these evolving trends. Keep your mind active and create new neural connections by becoming a coder.
4. You Will Indulge in the Personal Perks
Much more than the perks you’ll receive once finding employment at the hottest tech startup, you’ll also receive perks from the process of learning how to code. For starters, you’ll learn a lot about yourself. When it comes down to it, coding is all about problem-solving and using a computer to find a solution. It takes persistence, perseverance, patience, and a lot of trial and error. You’ll strengthen your analytic skills and change the way you approach problems, both on the computer and in real life.
You’ll meet like-minded people and make new friends. The tech community, although seemingly very large, is also very tight-knit. The cool thing about tech is that it’s a relatively flat industry, meaning less corporate and more inclusive. Whether you’re the CEO of a large startup, a senior developer, or a total newbie, everyone tends to be easily accessible and willing to help. As a female, you’ll be able to unite with other women who code through various organizations and groups. Through networking in the tech community, you’ll be exposed to new and exciting opportunities that may not have previously existed.
As a bonus, tech companies and startups alike are known to give outrageous employee perks on top of the standard compensation, medical benefits, and 401k plans. Perks can vary, but some popular ones include pet-friendly offices, free concert tickets, gourmet kitchens, in-house yoga, and more. Why not join a community that’s truly looking out for you, both in, and out, of the office?
5. Your Time Is Now
Some people choose to learn to code on their own, but these days there are many options to help you join the movement. Hundreds of programs exist either online or in-person to fully immerse you in coding, the startup scene, and the tech community.
Since there are more men than women going into STEM-related careers, there’s a huge industry shift to increase female participation in these fields.
Don’t just sit on the sidelines and wait for women in tech to be the norm; help make it the norm. Stay ahead of the curve, and learn to code today!