Are you stressed out about what career path to follow?
On its own, choosing a career path is a huge challenge, but in these rapidly changing times, it that much harder.
There is all this talk about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and about Artificial Intelligence taking our jobs, and plenty of young people just don’ know how to handle it.
Our advice: don’t stress it.
We’ve all been there, and as much as it’s a challenge, with a little bit of research you will be equipped to make the right move that will set you up for life.
1. Coding is the language of the Future
Take a look around you. What do you see on the media and on the internet? What is the current buzzword?
Technology. That’s what everybody is talking about right now.
There’s a good reason for that. Tech is advancing faster than ever before. Daily new tech is emerging and entire new fields are coming into existence. The majority of jobs in the future will be in tech.
And the language of technology is coding. If you know coding, you control technology.
2. Coders are in BIG demand
The MICT SETA Sector Skills Plan report shows that software developers are in huge demand, but positions are hard to fill because of a shortage of skilled developers.
Software development (especially in Java and C#) is the most sought-after skill set on job portal Career Junction, with the latest Career Junction Index showing a 6% jump in demand for software developers from July to August 2017. Click here to learn more.
Careers24 lists Software Development skills as being among the top 5 popular skills in the South African job market. Click here to learn more.
3. Coding skills can lead to a number of career paths
Coding is not just the name of a career, but a skill that can be applied in a number of careers. With solid coding skills you can get into a number of different careers such as:
- Software Development
- Mobile App Development
- Web Design
- Game Development
- Artificial Intelligence
- Big Data Analysis
4. There are great opportunities abroad
For those who plan to move abroad, coding is a great option because the demand for coders is global.
5. Coders can work remotely and freelance
A career in coding will enable you to work from anywhere
For those who prefer not to work a 9-to-5 job, coding is a great option.
Many coders work from home – or the beach, or a coffee shop – anywhere they want. Others travel the world, doing work for their employers or clients remotely.
Somewhat related, coders also have opportunities to run their own freelancing businesses rather than work for a single company. There are a number of websites like Freelancer.com where coders can go and find freelancing work.
6. Coders earn good money
According to PayScale.com, entry-level software developers earn just over R250 000 per year, and this rises steadily with experience. Click here to learn more.
Conclusion
As you can see, coding is definitely a viable career option. The best part about coding, is that it’s not hard to get into, nor do you need any special talents. Some people claim that you need to be good at maths to be a coder, but that’s not true at all. Anyone can learn to code, even kids.
