Becoming a Computer Programmer — The Job of the Future

Computers. They just seem to be about everywhere now. As you look around, you can see many things that are considered computers. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a computer as “a programmable usually electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process data”. For example, you are reading this on a computer right now, maybe you watched some TV, and even the food you ate most likely originated from a factory with machines controlled by, guess what, a computer. Now, what does all of this have to do with ‘the job of the future’? Well, allow me to get to that.

Computers are Replacing Us

We see this a lot and we might not know it. When we go to the grocery store, most grocery stores have a self-checkout line, where you do the job of the cashier, by yourself. That used to all be done by hand. You also see kiosks everywhere now, which does a job that a human once did. While we might not see this, factories are turning to robots, to get things done for faster, and a whole lot cheaper, as a result, many people are being left in the dust and out of a job.

What I mentioned is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more jobs that were replaced by computers, but being future forward, let’s think about jobs that might not be around within a few years. For example, public transportation. Not all of us take a train or a bus to work/school but besides the point, you need someone to drive that bus. We currently see companies like Waymo, which is Google’s self driving car project, with the goal to make self driving cars affordable and available to all. With this in the near future it wont be long until bus drivers, train engineers, taxi drivers, or operators of other popular forms of public transportation obsolete.

Job of the Future

So I just mentioned all this information, but what does this mean? Well as you noticed, the one thing that they all have in common is that they are all controlled by computers. Like any other computer, it is useless without software. Creating great software is the job of a computer programmer, software engineer, or whatever you’d like to call them. However, they all share the same common goal.

Becoming a Developer

Computer programming is very easy to understand, and it is just as easy to write. For example, look at this line of JavaScript:

console.log(“Hello World”);

Now what exactly does that code do? Well it logs to the console, “Hello World”. Now how does one go from an app that says “Hello World” to say an app like Facebook or Twitter? The easiest way to describe computer programing is just a bunch of logic. If this is true, then do this, otherwise, do that. This is done in an ‘if-else’ statement.

if (2 + 2 === 4) {console.log(“It’s true”);} else {console.log(“It’s false”);}

While these if-else statements aren’t too hard to do, what if you want some practice? A good way I believe to learn the basics is a tool called Scratch. While Scratch might seem like just a little game used by children, it is a great way to learn the basics of computer programming and learning the logic behind it. While Scratch can’t make you anything that is too advanced, I still highly recommend it. Check it out here.

From Zero, to Hero

So you just learned the basics and you now understand the logic behind computer programming, so now what’s next? Now is time to get some action, to start building you first application in the language of your choice. A fairly popular one is Python, however, you can do other languages like Swift for iOS, Java for Android and other devices, or if you like web development JavaScript. I personally started with PHP. To learn, there are multiple ways to learn, you can take a course, watch YouTube videos, or even figure things out yourself if you are up to the challenge.

Udemy

Most people, tend to go for the courses, and one of the best places to find courses is a site called Udemy. I’ve used Udemy a few times before and you can find quite a few courses on there. I don’t really have any recommendations but search for “learn [your desired programming language]” and wonderful courses will show up. Check out Udemy here.

Pluralsight

Another option for online courses is Pluralsight, which many friends have recommended to me. They offer a 10-day free trial, but if you are signed up with Microsoft Imagine, you can get a 90-day free trial. Check out Pluralsight here, and Microsoft Imagine here.

Courses Near You

What if online courses aren’t your thing? If that’s the case, then take a look around, some community colleges offer courses that you can take, sometimes for free, to learn computer programming.

While these are some ways that most people do it, this is not the way that I learned how to code. I plan to publish another article on how I learned computer programming here soon, so stay tuned for that.

So What Now?

Congratulations! You are now a computer programmer! Now let’s use that skill to make some money.

Freelancer and Upwork

Using a site like Freelancer or Upwork, you are able to look around to see what services people are looking for, there tend to be hundreds of listings on those sites from people looking for computer programmers to build apps, websites, and all sorts of things, just look around and it won’t be long till you find a job that interests you.

Fiverr

If you prefer to offer services rather than have people offer jobs, then check out a site called Fiverr where you can make a post for your software development services skills. Check it out here.

Down the Road

You had been studying and learning more about your programming language for a year now. With practice creating your own apps, you are able to apply for a job as a computer programmer and start living a life as a software developer. Maybe you might even start your own company? Whatever happens, it will be all worth it after all the hard work you put in, you can help change the world with software you create.

Conclusion

I thank everybody for taking their time out of their day to read my little article here, sorry it’s a bit long. To all of those who plan on pursuing the profession as a computer programmer, I wish you all the best of luck. Please share this article with your friends and show me you want more by clicking the follow button.

Show some love by checking out DvlprStash.com(Check them out here), they offer appeal for developers rookie, or veteran.

Have a great day everybody!