Text by Tegan Crous
University applications are looking for achievements, extra-curricular activities and shiny skills that prove applicants are top performers. Employers are looking for the same… plus five years of work experience.
So, how do young people entering the workspace ensure that they’re prepared?
Young people should be upskilling themselves with 21st-century aptitude: skills to use, understand and create the technology that keeps the world turning. According Apple CEO, Tim Cook, learning to code is more important than English as a second language. He said that coding should be “required in every public school in the world”. Of course, it’s not. That’s unfortunate, but it’s something that learners can remedy, by taking the initiative to learn industry-relevant skills in their free time – on the weekends and in their holidays.
But let’s take a step back. Why should everyone learn to code? Quite simply, because everyone uses technology.
Digital technology is growing exponentially – taking over repetitive, formulaic work – which means that in the workplace, people are likely to either be replaced by technology, to use technology, to create technology, or to work with people who create technology.
If you understand code, it will help you to understand how technology works and you will be able to effectively use and/or create new technology.
Not convinced yet? Here are a few other benefits:
- Access to high paid jobs (get an idea of developer salaries here)
- Opportunity to work remotely or internationally
- Ability to create your own flexible, part-time or freelance work
- Improved problem-solving abilities (learn how to break problems down and apply a formulaic approach)