Coding opens doors to jobs in nearly every business sectorA few weeks ago, one of our Zip Code Wilmington alums, Kelsey, made an insightful statement: “Learning coding is a door to a million other doors.”

Kelsey also described her point of view before attending our Java Boot Camp:

“I didn’t understand there were so many different fields you could go into. I never knew there were so many options out there, so many different places you could work, and so many different specialties. During the boot camp, I realized, ‘Oh wow, I could go anywhere with this.’ You can find out exactly what you like and are good at. There’s not just one path.”

Kelsey’s words sum up a common myth people hold about coding: Learning coding will only get you a job in the tech field. We wanted to delve further into that idea this week and challenge that common misperception.

There is no field untouched by coding and tech

Burning Glass, a company that analyzes job markets, released a report in 2016 about the expanding demand for coding skills. In that report they say, “We live in a digital world. Our phones, our cars, our banks, and our hospitals – nearly every aspect of our lives – depend on computer code. As a result, coding, or computer programming, is becoming a core skill requirement for many well-paying jobs. Coding skills are in-demand across a broad range of careers, not just for programmers. The ability not only to use but also to program software is often required of business people who work with data, of designers and marketers who create websites, of engineers who build products and technologies, and of scientists who conduct research.”

In their research, Burning Glass found 7 million job openings that placed value on coding skills. They also found that jobs that required coding skills paid $22,000 more than those that did not.

What’s driving the need for coding skills?

  • The rise of big data. The IDC predicts the universe of data will grow to 44 zettabytes by 2020 (that’s 44 trillion gigabytes). That growth has been triggered by mobile devices, connected devices, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Business are being tasked with gathering, storing, and making sense of this data flood. They require coders to help them with those tasks.
  • Digital transformation across industries. You may have heard the phrase “digital transformation” but not really thought about what it means. There are several schools of thought, but at its most simplistic, it’s the application of digital technology to every aspect of business. At its most complex, this transformation has blurred the lines between business functions. Sales, marketing, production, supply chains, shipping—digital transformation has interconnected these functions. Coders smooth out that interconnection.
  • The app explosion. The mobile nature of both our professional and personal worlds has fueled the growth in app development. From smart phones to tablets to phablets, we conduct our digital lives in a mobile setting. Smart businesses cater to this expectation of instant access to information, shopping, and services directly from their mobile devices. Not only do their customers want that access, their employees do too. Apps are being built that are customer-facing and employee-facing. Businesses need coders to create these applications on demand.

If your business is looking to hire local tech talent, consider partnering with Zip Code. We place 92% of our graduates in paid technical roles within three months of graduating from our 12-week boot camp. Contact James Spadola, Director of Business Development, at

ja***@zi***************.com











 for more information.

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