Three Advantages of Taking an Introductory  Coding Course

BY ANTON LUCANUS

These days, a basic level of computer literacy is required if you’re going to be prepared for the current job market. These skills are becoming more and more required, and even in non-technical jobs you’ll need them to remain competitive. Today almost every task or system in a business is being run, tracked, supported and improved by computers. The more proficiency you have in this area – the more attractive you’ll be to a prospective employer.

There is some merit to making basic coding or computer programming courses a requirement in today’s college curriculum. Until then, you can give yourself a leg up by acquiring this knowledge voluntarily, adding it to your repertoire to help provide you with an edge over other candidates. The advantages for doing so are threefold: you’ll be able to converse intelligently about programming terms, you’ll be introduced to the field of programming (in case you find you’d like to learn more) and you’ll be more capable when using website builders to design a site.

Advantage #1: Speak About the Topic Intelligently

When interviewing for a job once you graduate, it’s important that you can speak intelligently about relevant topics. Even if you aren’t applying to be a professional programmer, if you can demonstrate at least a familiarity with this area it can highlight your technical expertise, showing employers that you’re knowledgeable and computer literate. This is especially true at a small company, where management may be looking for a candidate with multiple skill sets. Proving your flexibility and skills across varying disciplines can allow you to wear several different hats – and your ability to fill more than a single role can significantly increase your value.

Advantage #2:  Determine Your Level of Interest

College isn’t just about mastering a single small area of focus – it’s also a time for you to explore a variety of different fields of study to see what sparks your interest. While many people go through this process in high school (or even sooner), you may still not be sure what you’d like to major in. Taking a general or introductory course on computer programming could help you determine your level of interest in the subject, and spark a passion you might otherwise have never known existed.

This could lead you to pursue this course of study as a full-time career, rather than just a single course taken to add to your general knowledge.

Advantage #3:  Use Website Building Programs More Capably

The final advantage of taking a coding course before you graduate is web design. It’s highly recommend today that college graduates have their own website to effectively brand themselves and present their skills to potential employers. A general knowledge of coding can help you become more capable with website building programs like those found built into services like Wix and WordPress. While these tend to feature a drag-and-drop interface that requires no coding experience, having at least a core competency when it comes to programming will improve your ability to spot and fix bugs within the code, and customize the sites design the way the professionals to.

Having a basic familiarity with coding will not only help you when using software – it will also help you identify the most powerful and efficient option for your purposes. There are many website builders available on the market today, the ability to assess the differences between them and the capabilities they provide could save you a lot of wasted time and headaches once you reach the design process.

Since every business from large to small needs a website to compete in the digital market, the ability to create one for your prospective employer is a distinct advantage.

Considering these three advantages alone, it’s surprising that more institutions of higher learning haven’t made basic coding a requirement in their curriculum. While this could change in the future, right now your best bet to landing your dream job is to take the initiative and enroll in a coding course to give yourself a competitive edge when you’re searching for employment after graduation.

Byline – Anton Lucanus is the Director of Neliti. During his college years, he maintained a perfect GPA, was published in a top cancer journal, and received many of his country’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships. Anton writes for The College Puzzle as a means to share the lessons learnt throughout his degree and to guide current students to achieve personal and educational fulfilment during college life.