How to Start a Career in Coding: Your Beginner’s Guide

Like many rewarding journeys, a career in coding often begins with a spark of curiosity. A friend recently asked me how to ignite that spark in her child, and it brought me back to my own early days with computers. Instead of forcing a path, the key is to provide opportunities for exploration. True passion, the kind that fuels a successful coding career, stems from intrinsic motivation – a genuine enjoyment of the craft.

Think about the programmers who truly excel. Their stories often start not with a calculated career move, but with fascination. They were drawn to the seemingly cryptic world of code, captivated by lines of text that could command a machine. The act of typing, the logical puzzle of syntax, the sheer magic of seeing instructions transform into on-screen results – these were the initial hooks. They intuitively understood that a computer program was a set of ordered steps, a language the “dumb machine” could understand and execute with precision. Rarely do you hear, “I chose coding for job security.” The driving force is the inherent satisfaction found in creation itself.

Just like any skill, the best way to know if coding is for you is to try it. My own journey began around age 13. My parents, noticing my and my brothers’ interest in our first computer, bought us a series of introductory books. The programming book, the third in the series, introduced me to BASIC. This language, with its straightforward syntax, was incredibly accessible. However, age is no barrier to entry. Whether you’re a kid or an adult, the crucial step is experiencing the coding process firsthand and honestly evaluating your reaction. If you find yourself enjoying the challenge, that burgeoning curiosity will naturally guide your learning.

Let me guide you through a simple way to experience computer programming using BASIC. Unlike my early days, you don’t need to install any software (lucky you!). Navigate to https://www.jdoodle.com/execute-freebasic-online. For the best experience, use a computer rather than a mobile device.

The website presents a split screen. The top section is a text editor – your coding workspace. It likely contains pre-filled code; delete it all to start fresh. Next, locate the “interactive mode” switch and ensure it’s toggled on. Finally, the lower section is the output display, where you’ll see your program’s results.

Programming languages are built from words, surprisingly few compared to human languages. We’ll use uppercase for BASIC commands and lowercase for everything else. Let’s write your first lines of code. Type the following into the editor:

PRINT "This is my first program ever!"

Click the Execute button. You should see “This is my first program ever!” appear in the output area. Now, let’s add another message. Below the first line, type:

PRINT "I'm coding!"

Click Execute again. The output now shows both messages, in the order you wrote them. Try swapping the lines:

PRINT "I'm coding!"
PRINT "This is my first program ever!"

Executing this will show the messages in the new order. Computers follow instructions sequentially, from top to bottom. Let’s explore variables, a core programming concept. A variable is like a container to store values, such as numbers. It has a name you choose (avoiding reserved words like PRINT). Let’s create a variable to hold a number. Add this line at the very beginning:

DIM n1 AS INTEGER = 7

This line tells the computer to create a variable named n1 and store the integer value 7 in it. Now, let’s make the program display this value. Add:

PRINT n1

Running this will output the number 7. Imagine n1 holds the computer’s favorite number. Instead of just printing the number, let’s have it say, “I like the number 7”. You could type PRINT "I like the number 7", but let’s use the variable. To combine text and the variable’s value, use the ampersand (&):

PRINT "I like the number " & n1

Run it, and the computer will express its programmed preference! Change the value of n1 (e.g., to 4) and rerun to see the updated output.

Variables become even more powerful when they can store values you input while the program is running. Let’s make the program ask for your favorite number. BASIC’s INPUT keyword handles this. We’ll add three new lines: one to declare a variable for your input, one to ask the question, and one to receive your input. Add these lines at the end:

DIM n2 AS INTEGER
PRINT "What number do you like?"
INPUT n2

Run the program. It will pause after asking “What number do you like?”. Type a number and press ENTER. INPUT n2 pauses execution until you enter a number and press ENTER, storing your input in the n2 variable. Now, let’s use your input in a message:

PRINT "Cool, I also like " & n2

Computers excel at comparisons and conditional execution. Let’s make the program respond differently if your number is greater than 999. We’ll use IF and THEN:

IF n2 > 999 THEN PRINT "It's a big number!"

This last line checks if n2 is greater than 999. If true, it displays “It’s a big number!”. Otherwise, nothing happens. Run the program, try entering 1000, then try a smaller number to see the different program behaviors. You’re making your program more interactive and “intelligent”!

I’ll stop here for now. Did you find this initial experience enjoyable? Was it fun to write code, click Execute, and interact with your program? This is the heart of programming. If you felt a spark of excitement and want to write more code, you’re likely on the right path to a coding career! If it felt tedious or confusing, perhaps my teaching style isn’t the best fit for you. Explore other learning resources like videos or books, and reassess your experience.

The world of programming languages is vast. The specific language you start with is less important than the act of starting. You can continue with BASIC or explore languages like Python, Java, or C++, based on your interests. I recommend choosing a language and finding a good introductory book. Code small projects, experiment with concepts, and if an interesting idea strikes you, try to code it!

Once you’re comfortable with a language, delve into its libraries – pre-written code that extends functionality. Libraries exist for graphics, data storage, user interface elements, complex calculations, and much more.

Eventually, you’ll encounter data structures and algorithms. Understanding these fundamentals is crucial. Explore software engineering principles, learn about unit testing, and version control systems like Git. But don’t feel overwhelmed at the beginning. Bookmark this article and revisit these topics as you progress. I sincerely hope you continue this journey and, most importantly, enjoy it! If you land a coding job someday, please let me know! I’d love to hear your success story.

Enjoyed this post? I can help your team implement similar solutions—contact me to learn more.