There are many reasons to switch career later in life: to pursue a neglected passion, to adapt to a changing job market, or to learn a new skill set, to name but three. In a changing world of work, there are always exciting new areas to explore, but it can be intimidating as a new entrant in a sector seemingly dominated by younger workers – especially those that can claim that dreaded title, the ‘digital native’.
But if you’ve worked thousands of hours at a job or jobs that required you to be deeply logical and scientific, or you have an engineer’s mind for an elegant solution, learning to code may feel relatively natural to you.
Indeed, coding has become a highly valued skill – the third highest paid, according to one study – meaning that a combination of up-to-the-minute knowledge and a demonstrable history of logical problem-solving could stand you in good stead for a decent position. And the great thing about getting up-to-speed with this particular area of expertise is that those who can help you are highly represented on the greatest learning resource we have to hand: the internet.
When they’re not busy building the thing, coders can be found offering technical lessons and community support via online portals such as Quora, Github and Hashnode.
We’re in the midst of a huge shift in the labour market, with experts predicting a dramatic reduction in the demand for the work of drivers, waiters, nurses, and even accountants, over the next couple of decades. If you’re interested in staying ahead of the game, or you just want to know what all this fuss about ‘coding’ really means, check out this great new infographic which comes with some reassuring advice on where to start and where to find the support you need as you reinvent yourself as a 21st century coder.
Comments