Sometimes a certain skill or trend comes along that really gets everyone talking.

For instance, it seems like more and more people are interested in being an influencer by using social media platforms like Instagram to make money. There is now an influencer for everything and everyone. Or even trendy diets, from Akins to The South Beach Diet, have been known to take the world by storm.

One trendy skill you may have heard about is learning to code. Whether people are interested in website building or not, coding is becoming increasingly popular. Ever heard of the Girls Who Code movement? Their Twitter account has just under 280,000 followers!

Regardless if you’re a website developer or just setting out to discover something new, learning to code is for everyone, and there are some key reasons why you should learn this new skill!

To find out more about why you should take the plunge and learn how to code, just keep reading!

Why you should learn to code

You may be thinking that learning how to code doesn’t pertain to you as you may not work much with computers, websites, or apps. Think again. Coding goes well beyond the world of tech, and you may be surprised to learn all of the ways coding can benefit you in the long run. From HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, there’s a lot to learn. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed at first. Push through that brief overwhelming feeling because the benefits of learning are worth it.

New career opportunities

Dust off that resume and add “knows how to code” to your list of skills, along with computer programming languages you learn along the way. This may seem like the most obvious reason to learn how to code; it’s because so many new and exciting career opportunities could open up when you learn new programming languages and increase your coding knowledge.

If you have ever been unsure about where to go or what to do next in your career, coding could potentially open up new doors for you, and not just as a developer. Whether it’s moving up at the company you currently work for, taking on new projects, starting a side job, or making a complete career change, learning to code is a great way to advance your skill set.

You could even teach others how to code once you become a master yourself. If you do decide to go the route of becoming a web developer, tech companies abound, so you can take your pick as to which one fits you and your needs best.

There are plenty of available online options to kickstart your new career. If you're not ready to invest in an expensive coding bootcamp or tutor, try one of the many free coding resources the web has to offer.

Enhance problem-solving and logic skills

Steve Jobs once said, “I think everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer, because it teaches you how to think. I view computer science as a liberal art.” He was right! As you code, you start with a plan, identify areas where you could run into a problem, and continue to troubleshoot as you go.

The core coding languages are a system of variables, rules, and symbols. Like the English language, which consists of grammatical rules and standards, sometimes you might make a mistake like forgetting a comma or misspelling a word. There are certain “rules” you have to follow, and coding is very much the same.

Each coding language consists of a different style – and yes, if you forget to close out a bracket, you can get flagged with an error message. When this happens, you’re forced to retrace your steps, see where you made the mistake, and break whatever problem is happening up into smaller steps. Plus, your attention to detail skills will be stronger than ever. Who would have thought you could easily spot a forgotten hyphen, a missing period, or a double slash that throws off the entire code?

Photo courtesy of HackerNoon

You’ll become a team leader

New ideas and new projects are typically created with a team effort. Developing something new takes a group of people with varying talents, ideas, skills, and perspectives all coming together to work as one. When you’re well-versed in coding, you’ll have a clearer idea of what realistic timelines and results are, which in turn makes you a better leader and asset for your team.

Even if you don’t find yourself working on projects with engineers or developers, at some point people will find out about your coding knowledge and you’ll likely get asked to make smaller changes deemed too trivial to ask the top-tier programmers. You’ll become the go-to person for quick and easy coding tasks.

New understanding of the tech community

Ever been interested in understanding more about the ins and outs of the tech community? Learning to code is your chance. Being able to grasp technical conversations around you allows you to partake in technical discussions, ones that you wouldn’t have been able to join before.

Technology is everywhere, and no matter what your short- or long-term goals are for learning how to code, it’s bound to come in handy inside and outside of the workplace. For instance, if you’ve ever gone to an engineer or web developer at your company with a question, you may not have been taken as seriously if you didn’t even know how to form your question or weren’t sure of how the programs even work.

Even if you don’t have a job yet, being familiar with coding and coding terminology can give you a leg up against other applicants. It’ll be just one more way you can make your resume stand out from the crowd.

To code or not to code

If that’s the question you’re still asking yourself, know that the answer is to code. In a world that’s so tech-driven, learning how to code can open personal and professional opportunities. No matter your age, educational background, or current profession, learning how to code is a skill that everyone should consider adding to their arsenal.

Want to learn more about website building? Check out our articles on domain names, website hosting, and the cost of a website.