Generation Z has been privileged with coding lessons in school.
Anybody older has had to develop this expertise on their own or be informed that it is something that has to be on their CV.
Is it really necessary to be a coding genius these days to get a job? Are you condemned to rejection if it’s not on your resume? Should you invest in studying a particular course, and will this result in more job offers?
The replies to these questions are all dependent on what you want to do within your profession.
If you want to work in the area of website development or something tech-related, coding is a must-have skillset.
This means you don’t have to worry about not being able to code preventing you from getting a job; unless coding is an essential element of the work you’re looking for.
Even if you are not attempting to become a software engineer, however, and you can be bothered to learn to code, it may pay off in the long run.
For one thing, having coding as one of your capabilities may give you an advantage over other candidates.
Listing coding on your LinkedIn profile or CV may be particularly enticing to potential employers. This is because the advantages of being able to code are so broad. Coding necessitates problem-solving and mathematical ability. These qualities are in great demand for many professions. And transferrable to many other career paths outside of tech specialized roles.
Candidates with coding abilities in their profile may use their ability to look at complicated material and reinterpret it in a logical and succinct manner.
Plus, many roles are becoming more digitally focused.
A position that might not seem like it even needs coding skills could see you benefit from having them.
Furthermore, many occupations are becoming more technologically focused; a function that may not appear to require coding abilities may benefit from having them. We all know that technology is everything, and jobs are going to increasingly center around innovation.
As a result, coding may provide you with chances that you would not have had otherwise. You would be a valuable resource to any employer; even finding yourself having a skill that no one else in the company department would have.
Even if the skill isn’t immediately applicable, coding is frequently one of the things companies look for when narrowing down a list of candidates.
A recent study revealed that coding was 18th on the list of most in-demand skills in 2021 by analyzing job ads.
In a similar manner, ‘data’ was ranked first. Clearly, having some technological know-how will always be beneficial when it comes to job hunting.
It’s also a good idea to have an open mind about coding. Not just as a tick-box activity to impress recruiters, but as something you could actually find enjoyable to study.
The main message, though, is not to worry if you are not a coder; as long as you don’t want to work directly in this field.
If it’s something you’re truly interested in, go for it as a fun way to learn something new. Potential employers may be more interested in you if you have code on your CV.
However, your job chances are not jeopardized just because you never learnt to code. If you are entering the digital sector but not in a specialized coding job, chances are you will never need to do it and it will not be something your employers are searching for – so your career in the industry will not be doomed.