Things Your Kid Should Do If They want to Be a Successful Programmer
Being a successful programmer is not that easy. Despite the many coding classes and programs available today, many kids still have a hard time using and applying all the things that they learned.
So to help your kid become a successful programmer in the future, we have created a list of things you and your kid can do.
Don’t Skip the Basics
As much as we love the new and innovative ways to teach coding nowadays, some coding programs miss the mark and ignore the basics. Learning the basics of coding and programming is crucial because it would supercharge your kid’s career and make it easier for them to learn new things such as other coding languages, AI, data analytics, design, and so on.
Remember that the path toward becoming a successful programmer is not linear. There are a lot of things that your kids have to learn to be successful in this field. That is why it is important to nail the basics first so that they can easily learn and absorb new information as they go along.
With that said, your role as a parent is to find the best coding for kids programs that drills down the basics and fundamentals of programming. The best way to get started is to try what these programs or classes have to offer. Most of the time, they offer free trials for the first month for your kids to try.
Make sure to learn text-based codes
Given the vast learning materials and resources available today, it is not that hard to teach yourself how to code or program an app, game, website, etc. Because of this, your kid needs to up their ante if they want to stand out and become a successful programmer in the future.
One of the ways to make sure your kid’s skill set remains relevant is to teach them text-based codes. Today, there are now many software and apps (e.g. Scratch, Swift Playgrounds) that do all the coding for them. All they have to do is simply drag and drop lines of command without having to write the codes. While these apps and software are still helpful in teaching them logic and syntax, it would make them stand out in the job market if they understand and know how to write the codes as well. This way, they have a one-up over the other kids because they can write their own codes without relying on these apps and software.
Get acquainted with real-life tools, apps, and software
A successful programmer is flexible, which means they can adapt to different working environments. Keep in mind that programming has different subfields and each field uses different tools, apps, and software.
With that in mind, it is best to introduce them to these tools from early on. This way, when they finally enter the job market, they would not have a hard time adjusting and they can easily work with the tools given to them at work.
So apart from the helpful teaching apps and coding games that they are currently using for class, you should also introduce them to technical tools and software. This way, once they start learning different coding languages, they can easily master all the tools and software they need to fix, write, or compile codes.
Master one field and familiarize yourself with the other
It is no secret that mastering a niche or subfield would make you more in-demand in the job market. So to help your kid become a successful programmer, you should at least help them find a field that they can master. For instance, if they choose to focus on analytics, then they can start polishing their skill set by learning programming languages such as PHP, MySQL, VB6, and so on.
Moreover, mastering one field does not mean that your kid should entirely ignore other fields like game development, web management, app creation, etc. So to help them land more job interviews and have a better career position in the future, it is better to be flexible and be adept in other fields as well. They should at least know the basics of these other fields so that they can explore or try other career options in the future.