Coding is the technical process of writing programs that tell a computer what tasks to perform and how to perform them. Since its origins, coding has long since become an essential part of daily life, and as time passes, more and more of the technology we interface with relies upon computer programming to function. Due to this importance and ubiquity, coding is one of the most in-demand job skills right now and will continue to be in the foreseeable future. Demand for coding expertise spans almost every industry – from healthcare to software companies to manufacturing. Despite this, there’s a noticeable shortage of skilled coders; the US Labor Department estimates that by 2030, the global shortage of software engineers could be above 85 million.
Learning to code is a lucrative path that can be adapted to your ambitions and passions. Also, there are several tech fields that all fall under the larger umbrella of coding, meaning coding serves a wide variety of interests and work. Coding is used in web development, software development, data science, app development, and FinTech, to name a few. It’s best to choose the specialization that most interests you before learning how to code. This way, you’ll learn how to code in a language you’re motivated to master and likely to enjoy, putting you on your way to a worthwhile profession with fewer bumps along the way.
Let’s take a look at the main coding paths available and the languages each requires. Then, we’ll dive into how you can learn to code and the skills you might consider learning alongside coding.
Why Learn Coding?
One of the main reasons to learn how to code is because the skills involved are crucial to fulfilling the essential responsibilities of a wide range of careers. While most people only associate coding with web development and software design, virtually every industry and field relies upon computer programs to function. This means that having coding skills will help you reach your career goals no matter where you might see yourself working.
Web Development
Websites are built out of two components: the front-end (what you see and interact with within a web browser) and the back-end (the code that runs on and controls the web server and interacts with databases). Many Developers choose to focus on either the front-end or the back-end, but learning the full-stack (front-end and back-end) in a comprehensive bootcamp is becoming increasingly popular.
Front-end Web Developers write HTML to structure the website and fill in content, CSS to style and layout out webpages, and JavaScript to add dynamic interactivity and animation to the pages. Front-end Developers build professional, eye-catching websites and apps that users can seamlessly interact with and easily navigate.
You can learn front-end development altogether in one bootcamp, or you can learn each necessary language separately in courses that are a few hours or a few days long. There are both online and in-person options for learning front-end development, and online classes often come with options for both live and self-paced learning.
Back-end Developers have multiple languages to choose from when doing their work. Ruby on Rails is popular for creating web apps and is widely used by startups. Node.js allows Developers who already know JavaScript to have a framework to build the back-end of websites in addition to the front-end. PHP has often been used to power ||CPN913||websites, which number over 400 million. Python and other languages can also be used for the back-end and are becoming increasingly popular for social media and streaming-style applications.
Full Stack Developers know both the front-end and back-end when it comes to coding expertise. They are experts in all front-end languages and usually choose just one or two back-end languages to learn inside and out. They’re often tasked with knitting together an application or website built in two parts by Front-end Developers and Back-end Developers. In cases where they work for smaller organizations, a Full Stack Developer might be the only Developer on staff.
Bootcamps and courses that specifically focus on the back-end are less common. However, these skills are typically included in full-stack development bootcamps. For this reason, full-stack web development bootcamps are by far the most common and popular bootcamps for coders. They provide the most opportunities after graduation and the most comprehensive coding education available.
App Development
App development is a niche but important form of coding. Mobile apps are expected to be a roughly 540 billion dollar industry in 2024, so it’s no wonder people choose to specialize in them when learning to code. In fact, coding for mobile apps is widely considered the simplest form of coding. When it comes to learning app development, there are several options for doing so, both in-person or online. The most popular bootcamps teach iOS, but there are more Android job openings globally, making it a more lucrative choice for some prospective app developers.
IOS apps are usually coded in Swift, which replaced Apple’s previous programming language, Objective-C. Swift is similar to JavaScript, making it easier for web developers to transition their skills into app development if desired. Developers can also use React Native to create cross-platform apps that work seamlessly with web applications coded in JavaScript with the React library.
Android apps are coded with Java or Kotlin, which is now Google's preferred language. The Android operating system is found on nearly 70% of all smartphones globally. While Android app development is slightly harder to learn than iOS, it’s well worth it for the abundance of opportunities in the field and the transferable skills it comes with. Along with Java, Android Developers should learn Software Development Kit (SDK), Android Studio, SQL, and XML to have the best chances of landing a great job. These are often taught in one complete bootcamp but can also be found as separate courses both online and in-person.
Data Science
Increasingly, businesses and organizations rely on computer programs to collect, handle, maintain, organize, and interpret the massive amounts of data they collect on any given day. To do this, they hire Data Scientists who are trained in building and maintaining the programs and databases that make these data processes possible. Data Scientists most commonly use Python, or R. Learning Python or R is the best way to start learning data science and working towards a career as a Data Scientist. Still, you should also dive into SQL, Jupyter Notebooks, machine learning, statistics, and Tableau if you want to have the best shot at getting a job in data science. All of these skills are taught in comprehensive data science bootcamps.
FinTech
Financial Analysts typically use Excel and occasionally Tableau to carry out their tasks. It’s becoming increasingly popular to learn Python and SQL in these positions as well. Python can create automations and prediction models, while SQL can manage massive loads of data far beyond what Excel can feasibly work with.
FinTech goes beyond financial analysis, though. Technologies like cryptocurrency, blockchain, automation algorithms, and banking apps also fall under FinTech. Much like in the financial analysis world, Python is becoming more popular in FinTech. It’s easy to learn, simple to scale, and has many secure libraries that make developing a rapid prototype that can be turned into a final product much more efficient.
Traditionally, Java was used for FinTech because it’s revered for its security potential. But nowadays, it definitely pays to learn Python for FinTech. You can learn Python for FinTech along with automation, financial modeling, SQL, and blockchain in a comprehensive FinTech bootcamp, or you can choose to learn just one of these skills on your own. Python, SQL, financial modeling, blockchain, and automation are most popularly available as individual courses.
How Easy is It to Learn How to Code?
Python is considered the easiest programming language for beginners because it has a simple syntax and clean design. Python can also be advantageous for those who aren’t sure which path to take in coding because it’s a versatile programming language that can be used for web development, software development, data science, FinTech, and cybersecurity.
If you’re not ready to learn Python, HTML has much less material to learn and is just as easy to grasp as Python. When learning HTML, it is most common to learn it alongside CSS so that you can create a complete webpage. Front-end languages (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) are most commonly learned first because they are the easiest web development languages to learn.
Back-end languages like Ruby on Rails, PHP, and Java are much more difficult to learn because of their complicated syntax. Back-end languages also power parts of the website that users usually don’t see. This makes it harder to understand exactly what you’re doing and how your code works behind the scenes.
Similarly, languages used to create mobile applications are perceived to be some of the most difficult to learn. However, Apple’s recent change to Swift from Objective-C has made mobile app development more accessible; Apple specifically designed Swift to be more beginner-friendly.
Coding Careers
Coding experts can find work in almost every industry, both in the commercial sector and the public sector. While most commonly associated with commercial software development and web development work, coding skills are vital for almost every engineering task, any data science or research work, healthcare and government operations, and most business tasks, including finance and investing. As industries become more aware of the competitive edge that certain players have because of technological advantages, more and more professional coders will find work in high-paying jobs.
Technology growth shows no sign of slowing. Coding is what makes it all possible, which means that developers are constantly in-demand. These jobs often pay well and have opportunities for remote or freelance work. There are billions of web pages, apps, and insights gleaned from data. Coders make all of that possible. Code is what’s powering the modern-day economy – those wanting to secure their future jobs in tech will want to learn the necessary coding skills.
Typically, the harder a language is to learn (and master), the higher the jobs will pay. That's because fewer people are capable of learning those languages or don't invest the time required to learn and master them. As a professional task becomes more specialized and complex, those trained in that skill are more compensated for their services. For example, a Machine Learning Engineer needs to know a wide range of complex programming languages that wouldn’t be necessary for a Web Developer to know. As a result of this, Machine Learning Engineers tend to make more money than Web Developers.
For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that Web Developers make roughly $80,000 per year, and jobs are expected to grow at a rate of about 16% over the next eight years, which is much faster than average. On the other hand, Indeed.com estimates that the average salary for Machine Learning Engineers is $160,000 per year, double that of a Web Developer’s.
Learning How to Code
Students interested in learning how to code have a huge array of options available to them because there are so many different entry points to the field. Students will be able to choose between enrolling in entry-level courses aimed at teaching the basics of computer programming or more complex career-focused courses that aim to teach students all of the basic coding knowledge needed for specializing in a particular field. Basic courses are ideal for students who are interested in learning to code but are unsure of what direction they want to take with their training. Career-focused courses are better suited for students who are confident in their future career plans (meaning someone wanting to become a Data Scientist is better off learning Python in a dedicated data science training program vs. a beginner coding course).
Noble Desktop offers a wide range of different career-focused training programs that cover essential computer programming knowledge. These include their Full Stack Web Development Certificate program, ||CPN411|| program, Software Engineering Certificate program, and ||CPN509|| (among others). These courses vary in terms of length, but each class focuses on teaching students the relevant skills they will need to find a job in the targeted field.
For example, in the Full Stack Web Development Certificate program, students will learn to program using HTML and CSS, JavaScript, and JavaScript’s important libraries and tools (such as MongoDB and Node.js). Meanwhile, the Data Science and FinTech Bootcamps will mostly focus on Python. The Software Engineering Certificate is the longest of these courses, but it offers the most robust training, covering HTML and CSS, JavaScript, Python, and SQL.
No matter which courses a student enrolls in, they will receive practical, career-focused training to prepare them for the job market. Students can take advantage of one-on-one career mentorship sessions, and each course concludes with a portfolio-building seminar intended to help students compile materials for their job search.
Students can also enroll in shorter, more focused training courses designed to help novice programmers learn the basics of a given language. Noble Desktop offers a Web Development with HTML and CSS course for students looking to learn the basics of programming simple webpages, a Python for Data Science course for students looking to learn how to use Python, and an ||CPN834|| for students hoping to learn how to program databases (among a host of other coding classes).
These classes are designed with novice programmers in mind and provide a solid foundational education in writing, debugging, and compiling code using versatile and accessible programming languages. These courses won’t be sufficient to prepare students for a new coding career but will help ensure that students are prepared for further training when they decide to acquire and develop more skills.
These shorter courses also come with the benefit of Noble’s 1-on-1 Bonus Training. This entails a one-hour Zoom session with a course instructor within six months of completing a course. You can use your session time to review concepts or projects covered in class or even receive assistance applying course skills to projects of your own.
There are several other companies and programs that offer bootcamps and introductory courses for coding as well. Digital Crafts teaches a full-time, online ||CPN892|| for students aiming to become professional web developers. In this course, students will learn how to program full-stack web development projects using HTML and CSS, JavaScript, and Python, along with several important libraries for these languages. This course represents an ideal opportunity for students to learn the basics of coding in a structured and focused curriculum that aims to teach them important career skills. Students will learn all the major elements of designing and maintaining a web application and receive career assistance in building a portfolio of job materials.
NYC Data Science Academy offers a flagship Data Science Bootcamp that teaches students important computer programming skills for data collection, interpretation, and analysis projects. In this course, students will learn how to use Python to build, organize, and query databases in ways that make huge amounts of data understandable to generalist audiences. Students will also learn the basics of building programs that help visualize this data so that complex information can be more easily distilled into workable insights. Finally, students will learn the basics of machine learning programming and begin writing algorithms that allow machines to read and interpret data independently. By the end of this program, students will have the training they need to enter the world of professional data science.
Students can also find introductory programming courses in languages like HTML and CSS and Python from many service providers, including ONLC Training, CertStaffix, Ledet Training, Coding Dojo, and a host of other providers. Students interested in exploring their options for live online and in-person coding courses should take advantage of Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool.
In-person or Online Training
In addition to deciding the course of their training, students will need to decide on the delivery method of their course. Students looking for live instruction can either take a course at a training facility classroom or take it in a distance learning environment from their home office. Each of these class types has advantages and disadvantages, so students must consider their learning styles and goals before deciding.
Many students find that they prefer learning in a dedicated classroom environment because it is designed to facilitate their learning success. Students in these courses will be able to work face-to-face with an experienced instructor, and they will be able to work alongside a cohort of like-minded classmates. This can make learning the basics of coding easier, especially since they can receive targeted, personalized feedback and assistance. The drawback to these classes is that students can only take classes if they can physically commute to campus, which can restrict the in-person training options for students who don’t live near major cities.
Live online courses still allow students to work directly with live instructors who can provide them with assistance and feedback, but without the requirement that they commute to a classroom. Students will be able to train in coding from their personal computers without sacrificing the quality of the instruction. The drawback to these classes is that students may be more easily distracted in a work-from-home context than in a classroom setting.
In addition to live online classes, students may also have the option to take online classes asynchronously, which usually means all course material can be accessed from the start and worked through at your own pace. While asynchronous learning is a great option for many people who have unpredictable schedules, distraction can be an even bigger issue than in live formats. You also lose out on the immediacy of working directly with an instructor and group of peers. However, the option still exists and may be best for those who can’t dedicate the time often demanded of intensive bootcamps or who are currently employed and want to slowly build up their skill set.
Skills to Learn Alongside Coding
While coding skills themselves are the most fundamental for any programming or coding-related job, it can be a good idea to learn certain other skills either alongside a programming language or, in some cases, shortly after you’ve gotten your bearings with a programming language. It’s never a bad idea to continue learning and broadening a skill set so that you’ll be ready to tackle any number of tasks or even pivot to an adjacent field of work. Some tech jobs require knowledge apart from coding to successfully carry out tasks; depending on the kind of work you’re most interested in, here’s a list of skills that would be good to consider.
Graphic Design
Those interested in becoming Front-end Developers will especially benefit from having graphic design skills. In addition to coding webpages, a Front-end Developer with graphic design knowledge can elevate webpages to look even more professional by streamlining layout and integrating various graphics or designs.
Multiple programs are useful to know when it comes to graphic design, but many of the industry-standard offerings are part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. In particular, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are crucial programs for coders who want to become proficient in graphic design. Illustrator is the go-to software for creating vector graphics like logos and icons while Photoshop is great for creating original graphics and retouching images to appear more polished. InDesign is perhaps the most useful for Front-end Developers, as it relates most to page layout and design.
Noble Desktop offers a ||CPN548|| program that covers Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator over a total of 84 course hours. For those who can’t dedicate the time to all three programs at once, there are also options to learn each program individually, as with Noble’s Adobe InDesign Bootcamp.
UI Design
UI, or user interface, describes a website’s point of contact with users; in other words, it relates to how users navigate, interact with, and respond to the various elements present on a site’s pages. Several site components are related to UI, including navigational elements like search bars and back arrows as well as informational elements like loading bars.
Adobe Creative Cloud knowledge is helpful for people interested in UI design, with Photoshop and Illustrator being the software of focus for the sort of work UI Designers need to do. Another helpful tool to learn is Figma, which is something of an industry-standard tool when it comes to UI and UX design for both websites and apps.
Those hoping to enter a coding-related career can supplement their programming knowledge with a UI design skill set. Noble Desktop’s UI Design Certificate program is a great option for learning UI, as it teaches participants how to use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma. For those who can’t commit the time to learn all of this at once, Noble offers options for learning each of these programs in individual courses such as their Figma Bootcamp.
Video Editing and Motion Graphics
Any developers, though Front-end Developers, in particular, may find use for skills in video editing and motion graphics. Both video editing and motion graphics combine technical prowess with creative vision, which can be both challenging and rewarding when tackling projects in the workplace. While video editing involves manipulating multiple film clips through a variety of techniques to create a single finished video, things like creating and editing animations or moving graphics of any kind fall under the motion graphics umbrella.
In terms of software knowledge, the Adobe Creative Cloud once again contains industry-standard software for both video editing and motion graphics work. Adobe Premiere Pro is generally considered the program of choice for Video Editors, though Final Cut Pro is a great option available to Mac users. Adobe Audition knowledge is also helpful when it comes to manipulating or editing audio. For motion graphics, Adobe After Effects is great for creating and editing various animations and other visual effects. Other programs for Motion Graphics Artists to look into include Cinema 4D, Blender, and Maya just to name a few.
People who know both coding and motion graphics or video editing have numerous career paths open to them that they otherwise may not have with only one of the aforementioned skill sets, including video game developers. In many cases, various schools or programs will combine video editing and motion graphics curricula into a single course or certificate program. This is the case with Noble Desktop, which offers a Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate program that teaches Premiere Pro, After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Audition to help participants learn how to edit video professionally and create animations suited to numerous work environments and purposes.
As with several of Noble Desktop’s other certificate programs, you can take courses for each program individually if the more comprehensive programs prove too time-consuming or intensive for your current circumstances. Coders who want to start by picking up some basic knowledge of video editing may be interested in something like Noble’s Premiere Pro in a Day course. Meanwhile, those wanting to dip their feet into motion graphics can get a decent handle on After Effects in Noble’s After Effects Bootcamp.
Digital Marketing and SEO
Some coders may be interested in certain social indicators of website performance or other digital marketing tools and strategies to boost site visibility and return on investment (ROI). Such tools and strategies may include search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and email campaigns. Being able to track and analyze data is key to successful marketing as is monitoring conversions effectively.
Digital Marketers and SEO Analysts will probably want to be familiar with a variety of tools and platforms to carry out their responsibilities. You’ll want to be able to create reports in Google Analytics, advertise with Google Ads, research top keywords using Semrush, and adapt marketing strategies across social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitch.
Front-end Developers with a strong understanding of SEO and digital marketing can easily adjust websites in ways that will fuel traffic. Noble Desktop offers a ||CPN446|| program that will teach you SEO, content marketing, email marketing, and marketing using several key social media platforms. For those who are exclusively interested in SEO, Noble’s SEO Bootcamp requires a lighter time commitment while still offering Front-end Developers more marketability.
Live Coding Training Near You
There’s no other way to say it: coding is one of the best, if not the best skills you can add to your resume today, especially when it comes to finding high-paying work. As more and more of people’s lives take place online, companies are increasingly looking for professionals who have at least some level of coding skills under their belt. Whether these skills are in basic HTML, CSS, Python, or another programming language, it is incredibly useful for job seekers to learn the basics of coding practices, especially those that relate most to their desired careers. For instance, learning how to modify a website’s design using HTML and CSS can be extremely useful for a web manager who otherwise may not have many coding-related duties.
Of course, coding can also be the foundation for a fulfilling and high-paying career in its own right. Whether an individual is looking to work in fields like website design, app development, or data science, coding is always the first step into more advanced digital careers. As a result, coding is not only an important skill for the average professional to know but can be the key for a tech-savvy professional to jump-start or accelerate a career in programming.
Coding Career Opportunities
For professionals looking to master coding, there has never been a better time to start a programming-related career. More generally, these careers tend to fall into two main categories: data science and development. While development-focused professionals create websites, apps, and software using their coding skills, data scientists help create the automation and analytical tools that drive everything from database management to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The good news for aspiring coders is that coding-related jobs in both of these career subfields remain in extremely high demand across the country. For example, by focusing on development, programmers can qualify for positions like App Developer, Front-end Developer, Back-end Developer, or Full Stack Developer, all of which tend to pay anywhere from $100,000 to $140,000 per year, depending on the company. Professionals interested in these paths should consider learning skills like Python, HTML, Ruby on Rails, and CSS to enhance their development credentials.
According to recent job listings, professionals in data science can expect similar earnings over their careers; positions such as Data Scientist, Database Administrator, and Data Analyst tend to pay between $90,000 and $130,000 per year in most major cities. Aspiring programmers interested in these fields should consider PHP as a great starting point for their data science career.
In-Person Coding Classes
As coding has exploded into one of the most lucrative and in-demand skills today, educational opportunities to master the skill have grown as well. However, with hundreds of courses available from dozens of providers, it can be difficult to decide on the best option for your learning goals. To help, Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool allows users to search and compare coding classes available in their city. With the help of this tool, you can be sure that you’ve considered all of your options before embarking on your coding journey.
Some learners may benefit best from the traditional learning environment of an in-person class. Providers of these classes vary from city to city, but some of the largest providers available nationwide include General Assembly, New Horizons, ONLC Training, Certstaffix Training, and Coding Dojo, among others.
Courses offered by these providers are typically suited for beginners and more experienced coders alike. For instance, General Assembly and New Horizons both host classes focused on web development, software engineering, and data science at both beginner and intermediate levels. Learners interested in more comprehensive options should consider a bootcamp course like those offered by Coding Dojo, which takes place over 14 weeks at 70 hours per week in their onsite locations.
Virtual Coding Classes
Aspiring coders should also consider the benefits that a virtual or online course can offer them. In recent years, virtual learning options have become increasingly popular with many students, due to their combination of high-quality instruction with the option to attend lessons and finish assignments remotely. This makes these courses a great option for learners seeking a more flexible educational environment than an in-person class can offer.
For over three decades, Noble Desktop has offered industry-leading in-person and virtual tech education to students across the country. Today, Noble Desktop is proud to offer a wide variety of virtual coding classes perfect for novices and more experienced coders looking to pick up a new skill. In addition to classes covering the latest topics in development and data science, Noble Desktop offers immersive programs such as the Software Engineering Certificate, ||CPN411||, and Front-end Web Development Certificate bootcamps, which are perfect for students looking to master the coding skills of their choice.
Noble Desktop’s affiliate companies also provide excellent coding course opportunities to students, both in-person and online. For example, NYIM Training’s virtual coding classes include options heavily focusing on Python and its applications in data science, automation, and machine learning. Meanwhile, NYC Career Centers’ coding courses feature classes that primarily focus on front and back-end web development as well as web design.
Learning to code isn’t just for adult job-seekers, either. To help learners of all ages learn coding, NextGen Bootcamp is proud to offer virtual summer coding classes for high school students. These classes are perfect for high schoolers looking to dive into a coding career or prepare for a programming-focused college degree.
Coding Bootcamps
While there are dozens of ways to learn coding skills today, only a few of them are truly comprehensive enough to help jump-start learners’ careers in the field. Commonly referred to as bootcamps, these intensive educational opportunities typically involve dozens to hundreds of hours of immersive instruction specifically tailored to career skills and positive job outcomes. While these programs are difficult, the reward is more than worth it: in many cases, graduating from these immersive bootcamps can even take the place of a college degree on a resume.
Professionals seeking coding bootcamps have both in-person and virtual options to choose from, depending on their location. For in-person courses, learners in cities like New York City, Chicago, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, and more can choose from providers including Digital Crafts and Fullstack Academy, along with intensive programs hosted by local universities. Online, learners can choose from class options including Noble Desktop’s Software Engineering Certificate, which takes place over 282 hours of immersive instruction, or Fullstack Academy’s Live Online Coding Bootcamp, which takes place over 17 to 28 weeks and prepares learners for a coding career field.
Corporate and Onsite Coding Training
Given coding’s importance to the global economy today, employees must be at least versed in the basics of programming. To help employers meet this need, Noble Desktop is proud to offer onsite and virtual coding corporate training sessions to businesses of all sizes. In addition to these opportunities, employers can also purchase group vouchers for their employees to attend existing Noble Desktop coding classes at a discount. Please contact Noble Desktop to learn more about these opportunities.