The Arcane Treasure

Skynite consult, a Lagos based company needs a programmer analyst with 0.5 to 2 years’ experience for a salary of over 2 million naira per annum (http://bit.ly/2dmG3B1). This is a good deal considering the level of experience required. Similarly, http://softwareimpact.bsa.org estimates that the software industry creates millions of job and adds trillions of dollars to global economy. CNN also list a software architect as the highest paying job for 2015. Yet a lot of programmers are still needed. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2020, one million programming jobs in the U.S. alone will go unfilled.

So, why the shortage of programmers? Maybe our universities are not producing enough computer science graduates. But do we really need a computer science degree to program? Definitely NO. Dedicated programmer are getting jobs whether or not they have a college degree and whether or not they are starting careers or switching, midlife, from another field.

Now, imagine a brand new language is replacing English as THE leading international means of communication — its vocabulary is growing exponentially, soon only those who speak it fluently will be able to fully participate in the world, do business, lead, shape, innovate... What would you do? I’ve highlighted some reason why you need to have some knowledge about programming.

1. More Job Opportunities: Have you ever wanted to have your own app or website before, for either yourself or a product you thought of? Many others have felt the same way, and if you can program, those people will want to hire you. Of course, you can also go into entrepreneurship and start your own business as well!

2. Creator or consumer? Technology increasingly permeates every aspect of society and is a powerful agent of change. Whether or not we are in tech , we should understand that a solid knowledge of programming is a must have - it will help us realize our dreams and goals in whatever industry you choose, from art to medicine, and help put us in control of our lives as innovators and creators, not just consumers.

3. Encouragement to think smart: Programming is not just about algorithmic problem-solving — it enhances critical thinking across our personal lives. Specifically, it will teaches us how to manage, process, visualize and interpret data, to model and simulate real-world problems, to create and design brand new graphics and products (with code), to program and design new games, websites, software and robotics (with code), to understand security systems and to consider the wider ethical and social impact of technology. But what exactly is Code? Google’s initiative termed , Made with Code, describes it this way: “Simply put, code is a tool that lets you write your story with technology. If you can code, you can communicate your ideas with a computer or a program so they can be brought to life in bigger, brighter, and more creative ways.”

4. You get to be the boss of your own computer. It's the 21st century; we use computers all the time rather we like it or not, but do you know how to control your computer? What if I told you that you can make your computer do whatever you want it to do? Well, you can, with programming! Programming is commonly used to rapidly accomplish tasks that would take a human for-ever to do. Imagine if you had 9,000+ photos on your computer and wanted to re-name each file based on the date it was taken. You could either A) select the first file, check its date, right click the file to select rename, rename the file to the date, and proceed to file two, or B) write a program to rename each file based on the date it was taken.

5. You can make anything. Probably the best thing about programming is this: you can make whatever you want. Rather it be an app to boost your productivity, a mini social network for your friends, a complex color wheel for art class, or a website for your restaurant, programming allows you to create potentially anything. You can combine programming with your other careers. You can use programming with writing to create an interactive story or book. This is just one example of what you can do with programming. For me, I am currently using programming to promote education, among other things.

6. Get started... Imagine that half the world (that’s them!) is designing half the video games, half the apps, half the websites, robotics, software programs etc. How different might that world look? What would THEY design? Then challenge yourself to create something with your first piece of code. You may check code.org to get started. 

The time is now to learn is NOW. Even if you're a beginner in programming, you will still know a lot more than someone that hasn't tried it yet. As the Google slogan says, let’s “Do the Right Thing.”