From our earliest days of hunting and foraging up through the various stone, iron, renaissance and industrial revolutions human civilization has changed drastically. History has shown human civilization always pushes its members to grow and adapt to become more than what they were before. Often those that resist these changes become irrelevant, obsolete, or even outcasts. With each step forward knowledge in an area that was once cutting edge becomes almost laughable common knowledge.
Living now in the 21st century its debatable to identify if we are still in the throws of the technological revolution or on the cusp of another great renovation. Regardless of this debate we have seen a drastic jumps in the need for humans to be well versed in the technology that surrounds us. The once employable skill of managing email has become a laughable shaming entry on anyone's resume.
As we have progressed from age to age many skills have become absolutely essential for survival. While we are not born with the knowledge of those that came before us our civilization demands we teach even our youngest the necessary means of survival. I imagine in the earliest of days parents would teach their children how to identify safe food to eat from plants and bushes similarly to how we today teach our children how to use a microwave. Other essential skills such as reading and writing, which were once only taught to nobles, are now taught to everyone between 2-4 years old. Just as our ancestors had to know how to survive an encounter with the mighty saber-tooth, we must know how to survive in the dreaded technological workplace.
As a simple experiment try to identify the following cloud.
Do you know what the name for this type of cloud is?
- Cirrus
- Cumulus
- Stratus
- Fractus
While this may seem like an odd question usually around 7 out of 10 people over the age of 15 can identify these puffy clouds by name without needing to see the list of names. (Cumulus).
Now for another question
What language is this code written in?
for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {document.write(i)}
- c++
- Java
- JavaScript
- Ruby
With these two questions in mind which why is it that the vast majority of our civilization can identify a cloud by name but cannot identify the most commonly used computer language? Although we see the sky daily why is abstract cloud name knowledge more prevalent than rudimentary coding knowledge? Surely this rudimentary knowledge affects our daily lives at least as much as knowing the names of clouds.
The problem that we are seeing here is simply the evolution of our civilization. Not many would likely argue that our world of technology is a fad, or that it is going away anytime soon. As such knowing that coding powers technology it is going to become as crucial of a skill as reading and writing. The current workforce has already begun to see a vast shift if in this direction. People who once had no problem finding work are struggling to get a job. Many employers regardless of the the career field are looking for individuals who are not only comfortable with technology but those that thrive on it.
Learning enough code to become a software developer is not for everyone however, having a fundamental knowledge of software and the way it works is a crucial skill. Although it is unlikely that any of us will be in situations where our survival is based upon our knowledge of saber-tooth attacks these days; we will each likely have our survival in the workplace challenged by technological need. If you are curious to learn more about coding and the world of technology look at our courses and talk to us about your goals, we would be happy to help. You can also read about those who have made transitions through our course at switchup.com/boisecodeworks
