As Steve Jobs said:
“Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.”

Rather than trying to dissect every word of what he said — trying to figure out which ‘country’ he was referring to — it is better to try to understand the gist of it: which is that learning to code teaches you to think.

Coding — unlike what a lot of people think — involves more ‘problem solving’ than coming up with ‘complicated’ algorithms or even making sure that all the semicolons are added into the code. Further, this teaches you to think more logically — which you can apply to your personal and professional life as well. This is not to say that you don’t need determination to learn, its just that anyone with the right dedication can do it.

While it can feel intimidating at first, similar to learning anything in life (i.e learning to play an instrument or learning a new language) it gets easier over time and therefore anyone is able to start learning at any age.

Upon understanding the misconceptions around coding and that everyone is able to get started, we can look at some of the benefits of learning to code:

First and foremost — as stated before as well — it teaches you problem-solving and logical thinking which is essential for anything you want to do in life.

Further, the tech industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world which directly correlates to an increasing number of jobs giving you a lot of career options. Some of these include jobs as a ‘business analyst’, ‘software developer’, ‘application developer’ and many others.

What's more, almost every company/industry requires an Information Technology(IT) sector adding to the total number of jobs in the field. This also means that you are able to get started with a programming-related job in the field of your passion (getting into an IT related job in the Healthcare/Educational industries if that is where your interest lies).

In addition to the opportunities available, finding show that ‘data’ is the most valuable resource (even more so than Oil) at present. Therefore, knowing how to code essentially means that you would be working with — what is now— the most ‘valuable resource’ on earth. Besides, knowing how to code and being a part of the tech industry means that you would be involved in a lot of new breakthroughs happening in the world.

Another — rather controversial reason to learn how to code — is Money. While it is thought that money shouldn’t be the sole reason for choosing a career, it is definitely an added bonus that the tech industry (people with the ability to code) enjoys.

A study found that graduates from University (or College in the US) working in the Tech Industry earn more on average than any other graduate. Reiterating on the fact that money should not be the only reason to learn how to code, it could definitely be seen as a plus.

Even if you do not want to get into a job in the Tech Industry, learning to code can definitely benefit you in other ways.

For one, it can make your job application stand — similar to how having extracurriculars, volunteer and work experience makes your CV stand out. With everything in the world relying more and more on technology, knowing how to code is definitely a skill that is valued highly, now and in the future.

Besides, unlike most other careers, getting into coding does not require you to have a degree in Computer Science. In fact, a lot of professionals in the industry have a degree in a different field or don’t have one at all since most of the resources required to get started are available online.

Knowing how to code can also maximise your ability to create and pursue your passion projects. A lot of the time, when you come up with an idea for a business that requires an application, the only holdback is the creation of the application. If you have the capability to create an application (because of your ability to code), you can essentially start with your business idea by yourself.