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The ability to write computer code is an incredibly valuable skill in and of itself. It opens the door for limitless creative projects, and can in many cases lead to a strong, stable career. In addition to these clear benefits though, the ability to code also provides you with a foundation on which to build up other skills. There are fundamental aspects of the coding process that translate, either directly or indirectly, to other activities.
With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to provide a small list of other skills and activities you may naturally excel at if you’ve already learned computer code.
Arduino Configuration
Configuring an Arduino basically is coding, or at least a certain version of it. If this isn’t something you’re familiar with though, we’ll explain. An Arduino is essentially a ready-made circuit board that comes with certain parts and connectors you can configure as you like. It also has corresponding software that you can effectively “code” in as a means of instructing the circuit board on how to perform. It is essentially the ultimate DIY kit, to the point that a piece at Futurism even suggested people can piece together Arduino creations to build their own IoT networks. And while there’s a bit of hands-on engineering involved, it’s really a perfect hobby to step into if you’re a computer coder (particularly if you have some exercise with Raspberry Pi, which is a vaguely similar mechanism).
PCB Design
The design of PCBs (printed circuit boards) used to be a more mechanical process, more linked to electrical engineering than any sort of computer programming. Today however, PCB design is done largely through software programs. In surveying successful designers, Altium notes that the best of these programs have become preferred options because they are both easy to use and extremely powerful; they can be learned quickly, but they also have the capability to support complex, advanced designs. To anyone with a background in coding, that ought to sound at least vaguely familiar. Computer code is easy enough to learn in a basic, fundamental way, but it can also be built on essentially to no end. This similarity, alongside the fact that PCB design software can in some respects almost resemble coding work, makes this a very compatible skill for coders.
Project Management
Project management doesn’t carry a link to coding quite as direct or readily apparent as Arduino configuration or PCB design. However, there is a certain logic to the idea that a computer coder or programmer will excel at project management. The basic idea is that any coding project beyond the very basic will consist of steps and layers that have to be planned out, organized, and executed with care. There is outlining to coding, and there are smaller steps that need to be achieved en route to a bigger goal. In a certain sense, project management can be described in the same way, which is why we’d venture to suggest that anyone with coding experience has inadvertently trained for this type of job as well.
Excel & Sheets
Using Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets in basic, everyday ways doesn’t have much in common with coding. As you may well know however, these tools can actually be used in extraordinarily complex ways as well. And when it comes to building functions and formulas into Excel and Sheets pages — to make them functional, and almost automate them in some cases — there is quite a bit of similarity to coding. We’d certainly venture to suggest that the average coder will learn the intricacies of spreadsheet programming more quickly than most. And in this case, the skill can actually be a career booster! Per CNBC, skill with Microsoft Office (which often primarily means Excel) is among the top skills job seekers should include on their resumes.
Knowing how to code does not automatically make you proficient in these skills. But in various ways, it does give you a sort of foundation that can function as a leg up. A talented and practiced coder will often have an easier time becoming proficient in all of the above than a counterpart without coding experience.
