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​The One Skill set that Will Set You Apart from the Others

7/17/2017

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By Laura Ziegler

Marketing Manager

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Working in the field of IT talent management and recruiting, we frequently have candidates requesting ways to make themselves more marketable. They want to know, from a first-hand perspective, what skill sets will elevate them to the top of the resume pile. Over the past 20 years, these answers remain the same for the most part: strong interpersonal and communication skills, great work ethic, dedication, and enthusiasm. These are qualities that remain timeless and are a necessary component to any candidate vetting. However, we’ve seen a shift in the past couple of years toward a core skill that is becoming more and more important, and the trend seems to continue in this direction – learn to code.
 
<Code>, <Code>, <Code>…
Our team has seen a trend throughout news outlets and across social platforms. There are articles everywhere expounding on the major changes in the IT world with the movement toward the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Connected Vehicle solutions. Tech is everywhere we look and our connection to tech only continues to grow. Knowing how to code has limitless benefits, and anyone can learn how to do it.
 
I recently read an article in Inc. about just this topic and the author, Andrew Medal, summed up the necessity of coding by saying “Acting as time travelers, those of us who code, are on the front lines of this revolution – forging ideas, changing the world and disrupting the status quo…Those who don’t code...run the risk of professional extinction.”
 
It’s clear that so much of the world is adopting this belief. There are toys everywhere that teach children the rudimentary beginnings of coding. There are more and more after school programs that focus on this very skill set, and educational curriculums are shifting to S.T.E.M learning.
 
Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?
So, these programs and offerings are wonderful for the future of tomorrow, but what about the workforce of today? Can we learn to code, even though computers weren’t necessarily a part of our everyday life as children? The answer is yes, and getting started is not as hard as you think. Here are some suggestions to taking the first step down the path of coding.
 
Look at taking online classes:
  • Learn to code for free: https://www.codecademy.com/
  • More free coding courses: https://www.udacity.com/course/java-programming-basics--ud282
  • More in-depth courses for a fee: https://generalassemb.ly/coding
 
Hands-on Learners:
For those of you that are visual learners or prefer a more hands-on approach, there are several kits you can purchase to teach you the basics. Everything from the Kano Pixel Kit https://kano.me/store/us/products/pixel-kit  to a Raspberry PI https://www.raspberrypi.org/.  There are endless options when it comes to learning to code. Google is a great place to start.
 
Key Takeaway
It’s hard to say where the future is headed. Will coding become a thing of the past with the advent of AI? Some skeptics say this is true, but they also say that coding is a stepping stone to whatever comes next in the world of tech. So, whether the articles are depicting the future accurately about the need to code, one thing is certain; it wouldn’t hurt to spend some time investigating whether or not you’d like to add it to your resume as a skill set. It may move you to the top of the resume pile.  

Referenced article: https://www.inc.com/andrew-medal/everyone-on-the-planet-should-learn-to-code-heres-why-and-how.html

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