Emerson Exchange 365

As an undergrad, I studied International Relations and German. Needless to say, I had zero interest in studying or making a career of any “technical” subject matter. A month prior to graduating, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone held a talk on campus and discussed his inadvertent career in tech. Biz spoke about how he went from designing book covers in a small design shop in Massachusetts, to building websites for his employer (and others.) During his talk, I was handed a flyer for a coding bootcamp. Between the buzz in the room generated by Biz’s engaging speech and having a ‘ticket in hand’ from MakerSquare (now HackReactor) - I was hooked! It was time to start coding.

I supplemented my studies with free online resources such as codecademy and freeCodeCamp. However, as much as I pride myself on being an autodidact, especially when it comes to learning languages – learning JavaScript and Object Oriented Programming was a struggle for me.

I needed something more immersive. After much research, I chose a program in Austin from General Assembly. There are tons of programs, I recommend meeting with current or former students of programs in your area to find out what the best fit is for you. For my part, I took out a loan and dedicated myself to learning full-stack web development with twenty other fantastic individuals, many of whom became good friends and even work colleagues of mine, after the program.

This brings me to the perks of learning how to code, there are plenty, but from my perspective these three are the top benefits of adding coding to your skill set:

1. Critical Thinking - Programming, irrespective of which language you use, requires you to think critically. There are many things to take into consideration when building an app/website, from deciding what language/framework to utilize, to knowing which API’s and services to keep things working properly. Thinking things through with great detail is something I’m grateful to have picked up as a developer
2. A Deep Appreciation for Tech - Nothing makes you appreciate, that we are indeed, standing on the shoulders of giants more than building a website or app from scratch.
3. The Joy of Creating - Much like kids who play Minecraft, I too enjoy building worlds with the tools at my disposal. I still remember my first tutorials on HTML and CSS and building my first web pages; the feeling was intoxicating! Write a few lines of code in my editor, save the file, hit refresh and voila there’s something on my screen!

It’s empowering to be able to use creativity in conjunction with technical prowess to build things.

Although, I did pursue development as a career path and currently work as an implementation engineer; it’s important to note that coding is a skill that can prove to be a valuable resume builder and is a great investment in your own ‘human capital.’ It's not necessary to pursue it as a formal career, you can  use coding to supplement your current skillset or simply look at it as a hobby.

Coding also lead me into the world of non-profits and empowering other women to pursue technology. In my free time, I am also the organizer for the Austin chapter of the non-profit, Women who Code. Women who Code provides women with learning resources and mentorship opportunities. I also advocate teaching a younger generation of women to learn how to code through the program, Girls Who Code.

If you’re interested in learning more about programming but don’t know where to start, check out this this article featuring nationwide, worldwide, local and remote programs: Best Coding Bootcamps: The 2018 Comprehensive Guide. I guarantee there is a resource for everyone who is willing to invest the time in learning.

If you liked my story, please reply below to share more about your programming endeavors and/or breaking down barriers in the STEM industry. I'd love to hear about other member's journeys into STEM...