Have you always known you wanted to work in IT? Or do you fancy a change? Wherever you’re at in your career, taking a leap into coding may give you the rewarding role you’ve always dreamt of. Plus, the average salary for programmers in the UK is £52,500, so you can reap the financial benefits, too.

If you’re 100% certain that this is the right career for you, then check out some of our top tips for breaking into this industry. Firstly, we need to understand what a career in coding would look like.

What is coding?

Essentially, coding is what we need to make IT software programmes work. Software that is used on computers, smartphones or tablets need code (or instructions) to run. For example, the apps you have on your smartphone will rely on coding to function properly.

What do computer programmers do?

Your key task is to write code. There are multiple different programming languages that work with different applications, so you will need to know at least one of these. You will create the instructions for software programs, test for problems, remove errors and create updates that make your software run more efficiently.

So, how do you take a leap into the world of coding?

Learn, and Learn Some More

The best way to start is to learn as much as you can. There are several different ways to learn about code, so choose the best option for you.

• University degree – you can opt to study a traditional BSc course in Computer Programming. Many of these courses require certain grades at A-level or a specified amount of UCAS points
• The Open University – The Institute of Coding is partnered with the Open University to provide both degree schemes and short courses. This is a great option for those who need flexible, part-time distance learning
• Free online training sites – there are some great sites such as Codeacademy that will teach you about coding for free
• Study programming books – these are a great way to understand about different programming languages and provide a good reference point if you need to solve a coding problem

Speak to Industry Professionals

It’s worth contacting industry professionals with more experience than you, to see if they will review your code. Their advice will improve your skills and could help you see other ways of doing things that you might not have considered before. If they are impressed with your work, it could also lead to future job offers.

Immerse Yourself in The Industry

Attend conferences, watch technical talks online, follow code influencers, listen to podcasts – by immersing yourself in the industry, your knowledge and understanding will expand much more quickly. This knowledge will help you to further your career, as you’ll be able to engage in and share thoughts and opinions on industry topics with peers and potential employers.

Sound good? Why not start your journey into coding today?