As a kid growing up, you are always encouraged to follow your dreams. Practically every kid in the world at some point in their life dreams of being a doctor, lawyer, police officer, teacher, or even a firefighter. It’s almost as if our society has preconditioned kids to believe that the only way you can be successful in life is to have a job in public service. While I do believe that public service jobs can be very rewarding, these jobs are not the only pathways to success and children should be taught that early on in their lives.[1]
Technology has become a vital part of the educational system in America over the last ten years.[2] A recent study was conducted on students and the activities they engage in on a daily basis and the reports were astonishing. According to this groundbreaking study, students spend approximately 7 hours and 51 minutes per day utilizing technology in some capacity.[3]
With this increase in technology usage, students are now suddenly introduced to both math, science, and technology in a new and revolutionary way that makes software development an even more popular career choice than in the years prior.
Why exactly should kids consider software development as a career choice? Here are a few reasons why:
Your Job Will Always Evolve
Most people quit their jobs year after year because they don’t feel challenged when they go to work. While some may enjoy being stagnant in their roles, there are many individuals in the world who feel their career growth is directly attached to how challenged they feel. Having a job in software development not only guarantees challenges, but it also guarantees constant evolution because technology literally changes daily.
High Demand
Every single day a brand new application is born on the internet. Because applications are constantly being built, the number of software developers need to increase in order to maximize the demand. Jobs in software development are responsible for apps, websites, and a host of other products and services we use on a daily basis, making the industry visible and demanding in unprecedented ways.[4]
The Pay is Good
As a kid growing up, many kids dreamed of being doctors because, well, the job paid well. While software developers may not make the same as some medical doctors, the salaries are impeccable. According to Glassdoor, the average software developer makes about 85,000 dollars a year.[5] The best part of the salary is that you don’t have to spend your entire life in college (or in debt, for that matter) in order to make money in this industry.
Potential Loan Forgiveness
One of the ongoing conversations across the country is the growing number of student loan debt. Because of a bill presented by President Obama, students now have the option to have their student loans forgiven if they work in public service.[6] Because technology is a necessity in a variety of industries, the potential for loan forgiveness is unlimited as a software developer. A software developer could be a teacher that teaches students how to code, a software developer for the local police department, or even the software developer at your local library. If you’ve somehow gotten yourself into an insurmountable amount of debt that you’re hoping to eliminate immediately after graduation, the opportunities are definitely endless.
Job Security
Unemployment rates across the country continue to go up and down, leaving many professionals wondering if their jobs will be necessary in weeks, months, or even years into the future. As a software developer, you are not exempt from layoffs, however, statistics have proven that those in software development are less likely to become unemployed (and stay unemployed) than any other, making this industry a place for job security.
It doesn’t matter what industry you choose to work in, especially when you’re a kid still trying to figure your life out. However, every parent should echo one sentiment into their child’s life, and that is to encourage them to always follow their dreams.
Reference
| [1] | ^ | The Guardian: Why work in the public sector? |
| [2] | ^ | Mashable: 8 Ways Technology Is Improving Education |
| [3] | ^ | Learning Works for Kids: How Much Time Do Kids Spend With Technology? |
| [4] | ^ | ITransition: How to Outsource Development Effort without Cooling Your Hot Startup Down |
| [5] | ^ | Glassdoor: Salary: Software Developer Salaries |
| [6] | ^ | Time: Here’s What Obama’s New Student Loan Moves Could Mean for You |
