There’s no doubt that computer science is a quickly expanding industry. In fact, back in 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that, by 2020, there would be 1.4 million programming-related jobs available and only 400,000 graduates with the coding skills required to fill those roles. That means there is a huge demand and opportunity for young coders down the road to put their grit, determination, and problem-solving skills to work.
Far from the boring, lonely jobs one may imagine when they think of programmers, on the whole, careers in computer science require creativity and collaboration. These roles often balance teamwork with technical challenges such as identifying problems, designing solutions, and testing functionality. Rather than working alone, programming actually encourages a team-oriented approach with people working together across departments like design, marketing, and sales.
But what kinds of careers can await kids with a passion for computer science? The opportunities are endless, encompassing everything from artificial intelligence and app development to cybersecurity and robotics. Here are a few ideas to get young programmers thinking about the future:
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX designers focus on user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) by designing the interface that a user interacts with in programs, like Spotify or Instagram. They have to consider how to make the design simple and intuitive and also unified with the company's branding. They use tools like Illustrator, Sketch, and Figma to create and collaborate on design mocks. It is incredibly helpful when a UI/UX designer understands how the interface would be implemented in code by a web developer, so they often have a good understanding of programming languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
Data Scientist
Data scientists are charged with finding patterns and insights in business data to recognize trends, inform decision making, and predict future outcomes. Oftentimes, data science is linked to Machine Learning, which is used to model existing data and make predictions.
Data science is relevant to many fields and industries. For example, Southwest Airlines has used sensor data to improve the daily operational safety of its aircrafts. The IRS recently uncovered $10 billion worth of tax fraud using advanced data analytics and detection algorithms. Many companies—like Target, Walmart, and even Etsy—use data scientists to better understand their customers.
Security Engineer
In today's world, we rely on the internet for everything from online shopping to playing games. With so much private information, like our credit card numbers and healthcare data, stored online, security engineers and security analysts are extremely important to protecting everyone's sensitive information. They protect computer networks and systems from security threats and attack. Thus, security engineers have many different responsibilities, such as installing preventative security protocols, monitoring for threats, and responding to potential attacks.
Software Engineer
In general, software engineers manage the design, development, maintenance, testing, and evaluation of software. They build software products, develop computer games, and run network control systems. Here is a sampling of the wide variety of work that happens in software development:
Help your child take the first step towards a rewarding and challenging computer science career with our coding classes. Fall registration is now open with virtual classes offered for every skill level. We can’t wait to see your child in class and help them on their coding journey.
A version of this article originally appeared on junilearning.com
Far from the boring, lonely jobs one may imagine when they think of programmers, on the whole, careers in computer science require creativity and collaboration. These roles often balance teamwork with technical challenges such as identifying problems, designing solutions, and testing functionality. Rather than working alone, programming actually encourages a team-oriented approach with people working together across departments like design, marketing, and sales.
But what kinds of careers can await kids with a passion for computer science? The opportunities are endless, encompassing everything from artificial intelligence and app development to cybersecurity and robotics. Here are a few ideas to get young programmers thinking about the future:
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX designers focus on user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) by designing the interface that a user interacts with in programs, like Spotify or Instagram. They have to consider how to make the design simple and intuitive and also unified with the company's branding. They use tools like Illustrator, Sketch, and Figma to create and collaborate on design mocks. It is incredibly helpful when a UI/UX designer understands how the interface would be implemented in code by a web developer, so they often have a good understanding of programming languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
Data Scientist
Data scientists are charged with finding patterns and insights in business data to recognize trends, inform decision making, and predict future outcomes. Oftentimes, data science is linked to Machine Learning, which is used to model existing data and make predictions.
Data science is relevant to many fields and industries. For example, Southwest Airlines has used sensor data to improve the daily operational safety of its aircrafts. The IRS recently uncovered $10 billion worth of tax fraud using advanced data analytics and detection algorithms. Many companies—like Target, Walmart, and even Etsy—use data scientists to better understand their customers.
Security Engineer
In today's world, we rely on the internet for everything from online shopping to playing games. With so much private information, like our credit card numbers and healthcare data, stored online, security engineers and security analysts are extremely important to protecting everyone's sensitive information. They protect computer networks and systems from security threats and attack. Thus, security engineers have many different responsibilities, such as installing preventative security protocols, monitoring for threats, and responding to potential attacks.
Software Engineer
In general, software engineers manage the design, development, maintenance, testing, and evaluation of software. They build software products, develop computer games, and run network control systems. Here is a sampling of the wide variety of work that happens in software development:
- At Microsoft, computer programmers built Seeing AI, an app to help people who are blind read printed text in their world from their smartphones.
- At Airbnb, developers built a knowledge graph to provide useful travel information about the cities users are visiting.
- At Instagram, engineers launched Type Mode, a way to post status updates to Instagram Stories with no photos or videos.
Help your child take the first step towards a rewarding and challenging computer science career with our coding classes. Fall registration is now open with virtual classes offered for every skill level. We can’t wait to see your child in class and help them on their coding journey.
A version of this article originally appeared on junilearning.com