Remember when you finally beat the next level of Super Mario (or whatever game you liked)?
Yeah, that felt gooood.
Satisfaction. Thrill. Excitement.
What if you made a career out of it?
No, I don’t mean a professional gamer (though you could do that).
I mean programming, the career that just might be a healthy addiction!
You get to solve problems, and get in the zone. You get that dopamine hit. And beyond that, you get to build stuff that can make an impact.
That’s what Joel Carter, coding instructor at Coding Temple, believes is so compelling about the field.
Why Learn to Code?
Sure, a programming career can land you some pretty high salaries (see our guide to software engineering). But it’s true that when it comes to job satisfaction, money is actually lower on the list of most employees’ priorities, compared to values like autonomy, contribution, and purpose.
So why learn to code?
“I tend to think of software engineering as a superpower. I can literally build whatever I want,” Carter says.
It might not be easy though…. there can be challenges to overcome. But with great challenge comes great reward!
Carter shares a story:
“I was in a self-driving car program, and I could not figure out how to make this car turn left, for the life of me. It was in a simulator, and I was going through the training and all that. Then I just happened to look on the forums, and see if anyone else had that problem. The article said ‘flip your images and see what happens….’ “
That worked!
Then the fun and thrilling endorphins flooded him. ; )
“When I did it and it worked, I literally flipped, almost, through my house. I was running through my house because I had solved the problem that I could not figure out for a long time. That’s the things [I watch for with] new programmers – every time there is a lightbulb moment for a student, I can tell they will get there as a developer.”
So maybe coding isn’t just some nerdy thing of entering 0’s and 1’s. Maybe it’s a more creative experience, one of figuring out complex things to solve real problems (like make self-driving cars turn left!).
It’s a chance to get in the zone and finish your day with a healthy sense of fulfillment.
Learn more about Coding Temple. Use code CareerHackers for up to $500 off.
Show Don’t Tell (building projects)
As we say (and will always say), proof of work beats certificates or credentials.
And that’s what Coding Temple focuses on. Whether you choose their full-time, part-time, or self-paced program, in the first week, you’re placed in groups and you start building a full-on project, just like you were with a real company.
You dive into GitHub where you can document your projects and showcase the problems you solve.
It’s truly learning as you go, which is what happens on the job anyway. Even advanced instructors of coding like Carter don’t have everything figured out! What matters is your ability to grow, persevere, and adapt.
“If you do have issues where there is an error, that is a real-world experience that you’re getting,” says Carter. “If it’s an organic error that you – or even your instructor – has never seen before – that’s a learning experience for everybody.”
And once you’re in the interview for a job, it makes it that much easier to prove your value, because you can point to actual obstacles you overcame!
Highly Reputable, with a Job Guarantee
So if that dopamine fuel is compelling to you….feel free to join Coding Temple. With full-time, part-time, and self-paced options, Coding Temple can help you kindle the flame of a new career in tech.
You can potentially transform your life by boosting your income AND your fulfillment.
And these guys are established.
Founded in 2014, they’ve been named a top bootcamp by Course Report, Career Karma, and Switchup. They also celebrate a 97% placement rate.
And, they not only give a job guarantee within 9 months of the program, but lifetime career support. As you progress in your career, you can keep in touch and feel assured that Coding Temple has your back.
Learn more about Coding Temple. Use code CareerHackers for up to $500 off.
