Why learn to program? Take a look at 3 major advantages including career development and problem-solving skills at once!

Why learn to program?

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that programming education is "a basic skill that every student should learn in the 21st century"!
AI makes learning programs no longer the exclusive preserve of information science graduates. One day in the future, learning programs will be as important as learning "natural language"!

In this digital age, programming has become one of the basic skills that modern people need to master. Not only in the technology industry, more and more industries are beginning to expect employees to have basic programming literacy.
Whether it is improving workplace competitiveness, solving complex problems, or developing innovative applications, programming is a very powerful help, not only for the company's product development, but also for personal career development.

Programming language is not just a bonus in the workplace. Leaving aside the workplace, learning programming can subtly cultivate logical thinking and problem-solving skills! Because programming often requires analyzing problems from scratch, designing various solutions, and implementing them step by step, this process can effectively help us be more organized when facing various unfamiliar problems in life!

In the modern era where the AI wave is coming, programming languages are becoming more and more popular. With the help of AI, programming is becoming more and more simple and intuitive.
Nowadays, there are many resources on the Internet to help beginners get started quickly. Programming is no longer the exclusive domain of graduates from information-related majors like in the past.

This article will introduce what areas and aspects of the workplace programming languages can be used in, what job opportunities and possibilities it will bring, and how it will improve personal abilities. Finally, it will also include recommended learning resources. Remember to read to the end. oh!

Application areas of programming

Technology industry: software, web development, data analysis

The first thing to mention must be the technology industry! From software development, web design to data science, programming is a core skill. After all, the core technology of the company's products is built step by step using programming language!
For example, software engineers will use Java, Python and C++ to develop various applications and systems to make modern life more convenient; web development engineers will use HTML, CSS and JavaScript to design and build powerful and beautiful websites. Interface; data scientists/data analysts will use Python and R languages to analyze large amounts of data to mine valuable business insights and assist in operational decision-making.

financial industry

Positions that have always been very popular and highly paid: quantitative analysts and financial engineers are the best examples of the application of programming languages in the financial industry!
Quantitative analysts and financial engineers need to use programs to build and analyze complex financial models, conduct risk assessment and transaction analysis, and the development of familiar automated trading systems is also inseparable from programming!
These systems can avoid human-operated time deviations and execute transactions within milliseconds, improving transaction efficiency and accuracy. At the same time, programming can also be used to develop financial management tools and systems to help companies and individuals conduct customized financial planning and management.

According to statistics, the proportion of positions requiring programming skills in the financial industry has reached more than 30%. With the rise of financial technology (FinTech), the proportion is still rising.
Fintech companies use programming to develop innovative products and services, such as mobile payments, cross-border cash flow services, blockchain, etc., all of which require advanced programming capabilities.

Biomedicine, medical industry

Medical data analysis, medical image processing and customized medical solutions, which are relatively complex and quantitative applications in the medical field, are also highly related to programs!
Analyzing large amounts of medical data can help doctors make more accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions. Medical image processing technology uses machine learning algorithms to analyze images such as X-rays and CT scans. These program applications can assist doctors in making diagnosis and treatment decisions. Reduce human errors.

Taking AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment as an example, AI can provide customized treatment suggestions and plans based on the patient's medical data and medical records, greatly improving the accuracy and efficiency of medical services!

Job opportunities and career development

I believe that after seeing the application of programming in different industries, it should not be difficult to imagine that the positions that require programming skills are really diverse!

With the rapid development of the digital economy, the demand for programming talents is also increasing. Whether it's software development engineers, data scientists, or web designers, the demand for these positions continues to grow.

according to Glassdoor According to 2024 data, the average annual salary of software development engineers is more than $100,000, and the average annual salary of data scientists is more than $120,000.
Having certain programming skills can increase your salary level to a certain extent, and there is also a relatively stable promotion path. With the accumulation of work experience, engineers can be promoted to technical supervisors, product managers, or even company management.

Not just engineers! Diverse career options

What should I do if I don’t want to be an engineer or write programs all day?
In addition to traditional engineers, understanding programming is also very helpful for non-engineering positions!

For example, if the product manager has a certain understanding of technology, he can clearly understand the technical requirements and limitations of the product or project, and communicate more effectively with the technical team; transaction analysts can use programs to conduct data analysis and market trend modeling; even in In the fields of marketing and design, programs can also improve work efficiency, decision-making accuracy, and innovation capabilities.

Take marketing as an example. Mastering programming skills can analyze market data more effectively. Marketing is no longer just based on inspiration. Actual data analysis reports can be used to formulate more scientific marketing strategies. Through the program's regular tracking of advertising results, quantifiable feedback from consumers, etc., marketers can also optimize marketing activities faster and increase return on investment!

 

Creating products with technology moats: Entrepreneurial opportunities

Programming is a very valuable skill for anyone who dreams of starting a business.
Many successful new startups, such as Facebook, Google and Airbnb in the past, had early founding teams that were all talented people with engineering backgrounds. Having programming skills is equivalent to creating more non-replicable competitive advantages for the company's products, helping entrepreneurs transform the products into specific products and put them into market testing.

Starting a business using software is one of the most common entrepreneurial topics nowadays. Compared with physical stores that require huge funds, we can use programs to develop products and services to meet market pain points.
For example, develop an app that solves a specific problem, or write a website that provides a specific service. Programs can also help entrepreneurs quickly iterate products, make improvements based on user feedback, and enhance the competitiveness of products.
In the initial stage of a new venture, mastering programming skills can also save a lot of development costs, thereby increasing the chance of success.

The core value of programming: solving problems
Personal development and skills improvement

Improve problem-solving skills

Returning to individuals themselves, apart from job hunting, what else can programs teach us?
In the process of writing programs, a lot of logical reasoning and system analysis are required, and these skills can be applied to daily life. Programming teaches us how to break complex problems into smaller, more tractable sub-problems and solve them step by step. This systematic and organized way of thinking can help us find more effective solutions when facing various challenges.

When it comes to daily chores, programs can also help us improve efficiency!
For example, writing automated scripts can help us reduce repetitive work, and these automated processes have become easier with the emergence of AI!

Use the program as a personal side project to realize your unique self-worth

Because programming involves mathematics, logic and other abilities, by learning programming, we can understand and be exposed to more knowledge and fields. In addition, programming can stimulate our creativity and make us more keen on discovering problems when we are solving them, allowing us to experience more fun and a sense of accomplishment in the process of discovering and solving problems.

Programs can also help us develop our own side projects, such as developing an interesting game or a practical application. The flexible features of programming languages can enhance our sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Conclusion

Learning to program is truly a valuable investment. Whether it is career development, personal ability improvement, or solving daily problems, programming can optimize our lives in all aspects. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), the importance of programming will only become more and more important. But at the same time, learning programming is becoming easier and easier, because AI tools can be used to assist in writing programs, further improving learning efficiency.

Learning program information and recommended resources

AI assisted programming

Using AI tools (such as ChatGPT and Copilot) can greatly improve the efficiency of programming. These tools can help you write, tweak, and optimize code, reducing errors and speeding up the development process. AI tools can also help you learn new programming languages and technologies, providing instant help and advice.

Recommended introductory online courses

  1. Codecademy: Provides a wealth of introductory programming courses, suitable for beginners. Courses cover a variety of languages and technologies such as Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, etc.
  2. Coursera: Cooperating with many well-known universities to provide high-quality programming courses. You can learn course content from top universities such as Stanford and MIT on the cloud.
  3. Udemy: Courses covering various programming languages and techniques. You can find many practical courses from professional instructors, ranging from entry-level to advanced.

Advanced question brushing website

1️⃣HackerRank

Features of HackerRank, in addition to basic data structure and algorithm concepts

The most important thing is that there are questions on the syntax settings of programming languages.

For example: Use Python to complete Mutations, and design conceptual questions specifically for this language.

Answers and user discussions are also provided to allow users to practice.

2️⃣GeeksForGeeks

GeeksForGeeks is also commonly known as GFG. It is one of the websites that engineers basically browse when looking for relevant knowledge.

In addition to DSA, it also includes operating systems, the Internet, etc., knowledge that undergraduates will learn.

Of course, if you want to practice other programming languages, you can also use this website to learn!

3️⃣CodeChef

CodeChef is also a website for learning programming and computer knowledge in various fields.

But one feature is that the way the problem is stated is closer to the form of story description, and the competition is also very special.

In addition to general competitions similar to Leetcode Contest

You can also take a programming language test to test your familiarity with grammar.

4️⃣CodeForces

CodeForces is also commonly known as CF. There will be at least one game every week, and there are different levels of difficulty.

Personally, I think the CF competition questions are difficult. Sometimes it takes a while to think about them before you can figure them out.

It is also a website used by many people who specialize in playing competition programs.

5️⃣LeetCode

LeetCode has a lot of free DSA course resources to watch

In addition to weekly competitions and bi-weekly competitions, there are also questions from well-known companies.

That's right! Many large companies will generate questions directly from LeetCode.

This is why everyone says that you need to brush LeetCode when interviewing foreign businessmen.

Hogan & Wavelet Subscription Area

Finally, if you are starting to learn programming, or have been studying for a while, and hope to find a job as a software engineer or in the technology industry, you can also join the Hoagn & Xiaobo IG subscription area, which only costs less than 200 yuan per month.

You can get ✅ a lot of software career information ✅ subscriber-exclusive resume health check ✅ mock interview service!

No matter who you are, if this article has inspired you to want to learn programming, then get started now! Whether your goal is career development, innovation and entrepreneurship, or improving personal abilities, programming can help you realize your dreams!
Let us welcome this digital era full of opportunities and challenges together!

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