AFRIKAN TECHIES

There are quite a few misunderstanding among the non-techs and people aspiring to become a future programmer, and this is regarding what would be required to become a programmer and what would not be.

• Be a Genius. Be a mathematician

This one is the most important myth to dispel- the myth of a privileged mind. There is no special thing your brain must have to become a programmer.

Programming is a skill like playing the guitar or running a marathon. You get better at it by doing it. By dedicating time and effort. By learning from others. It's a skill that you develop and grow the more you do and the more productive effort you put into it.

Also let's talk about math. Even though mathematics is at the heart of programming. The majority of programming languages used today for most jobs are high-level languages. These are closer to human languages than numbers and don't need any special knowledge in math.

• Be fluent in English

As with most of popular hindrances, being fluent in English helps. Programming languages were invented and floursihed in English speaking countries. So for better or worse English dominates the field.

The words used in programming languages are English. And the majority of documentation,tutorials, articles, and resources about the subject are in English. So it helps a lot if you have a decent level of comprehension.

But this shouldn't be the barrier that's holding you back from programming. You can learn and become good at it with an intermediate level of English. Many people get by only with being able to read and comprehend English

• Be young

You do not need to be young to work in tech. You do not need to start young to be a good programmer

We've had testimonies of people who started learning at 53 and they got their first job. And there are people of every age group who have successfully made this transition.

It's never too late to learn. Never too late to change careers. Besides, a company that only wants to hire young people is probably not a good place to work for anyway. If you need some more inspiration, check out this story about developers who got their first tech jobs in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

• Be a man

This should be clear. But it has to be said. You don't have to be a man to be a programmer

Any company with insightful leadership has understood the importance of gender-diverse teams. It is not good for "equality"(which is reason enough), but also, gender-diverse teams make better decisions and are less likely to be biased.

Gender is not a factor in how good of a programmer you can be. There is no chromosome or brain configuration that is btter suited. Programming is mostly about problem-solving. And we need as many perspectives as possible to solve a problem in the best way.

here are things you need to know before going into programming

• Understand why you want to start programming

This is the first and one of the most important things to know before wanting to become a programmer and this is identifying your reasons for starting. Sit down and have a good think about these questions, as your answers will help you decide exactly which path to take: Why do you want to learn programming?
What do you hope to do with the knowlege you're going to acquire?
What sort of programming do you want to do?

• No programming language is better than the other.

Programming itself consists a number of languages. Languages like Java, Python, PHP, JavaScript, Ruby, Swift, C++, Typescript but a few to mention and each of these languages have its unique uses

As Python is used for artificial intelligence and machine learning, JavaScript is used to create rich and interactive websites, Java is used for Web and Mobile applications. These languages have their own area of usage and its abilities. So, no language is better than the other. All you have to do is choose your niche and focus on the languages required.

• Decide what field you want to go into.

There are a variety of different types of programming. When you are figuring out how to learn programming, you need to think carefully about what field you are planning to look into. Here are some of the fields that a programmer can go into:

Web Developers: Web developers can be further separated into front-end (client-side) and back-end (server-side). Front-end programmers are responsible for writing the code that dictates what a website looks like and how it's content is presented. Back-end programmers are required to write web apps and other complicated programs that provide the framework for the website to run on.

Software programmers: Software programmers areas you cam probably guess- responsible for creating software. They usually take a design or a concept that someone else has come up with and write the code to turn it into a working product.

Data scientists: Data scientists usually work in research or academia, where they use Python almost exclusively to analyze and manipulate scientific data.

Mobile app development: As the number of smartphone users grow, the demand for exciting new mobile apps also grows. Mobile app development is quickly becoming one of the most lucrative programming fields, especially if you are good at working on your own. Freelancing is very common for mobile programmers.

• Identify the languages you'll need to learn

It's perhaps more helpful to home in whether you would be interested in programming on the front-end or the back-end. While many of the same skills underlie both, each category has its own focus and requires a distinct set of skills. Here is what you'll need to learn if you're interested in either front-end or back-end or becoming a full stack web developer:
HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Bootstrap
Node.js/Express.js
React.js
SQL
Python
Ruby
Java

• Start learning at a Bootcamp or Independently

There are countless ways for aspiring programmers to get the skills that they need to become professionally competitive and find a great job; the method you choose depends on your situation and the resources you have at hand.

You may need to consider how much time you have to dedicate to learning programming skills. If you are just starting your career and have saved up some money, you may opt for full-time study to move more quickly into your new career - but if you have outside obligations or need the income that a full-time job provides, a part-time course of study may be the best for you.

• Start a project as soon as soon as you can

Regardless of the educational avenue you choose, starting your programming projects is a great way to get experience and develop your skills. Don't wait till you know it all before you start creating something, start implementing what you've learnt as soon as you can and build projects. You can cite these projects when applying for jobs, and participating in large-scale programming initiatives will empower you to make valuable industry connections.