Enriching Education: Turning Interest in Technology into a Job

 Oftentimes our children’s hobbies can seem to be just that. A hobby. 

Sometimes, though, what appears to be wasting time can be turned into highly sought after technology skills. Like over $100k+ highly sought after, as you’ll see. 

As our world’s reliance on science and technology continues to grow, so does its need for experts who understand the inner workings of the technology that we use every day. 

It isn’t just about becoming a Software Developer, either. From companies like GE, that are building medical devices that save people’s lives, to companies like Minecraft, that your kids play every day, there is a reliance on code to make their products work. 

In fact, 7 out of 10 of the top STEM jobs in 2020 are in such high demand that they have 6 figure salaries!

So, the question becomes, “How do I help my child grow their interest in technology into a job?” 

Great question! Helping your child to grow their interest into something that can provide long term financial stability can seem like a daunting task at first, but by following a few simple principles you can set them on a path for success.

1. Do Some Research

There are a huge number of technology-related jobs available out there! Knowing what sort of jobs are available across industries, and what skills are required for those jobs, is an important first step in growing a hobby into a viable career.

2. Set Goals 

One Harvard Business Study concluded that people who have goals are ten times more likely to succeed than those without goals. Having a destination in mind before starting can make all the difference. These challenges can even be gamified by providing incentive to reach and complete goals that increase in difficulty.

3. Work with Something Real

One of the quickest ways to learn a new concept is to work with something concrete. It’s the difference between trying to learn how to build a house from a book and actually building a house. A book can teach you the “right” answers, but experience teaches you how to do things right. 

4. Provide Support & Role Models

There’s no reason to try to reinvent the wheel. There are plenty of people out there who have already turned an interest in technology into a sustainable career. Learning how to do things from the people who are already experts in their field avoids the frustration and burnout that comes from learning through trial and error. You can choose a role model you know or crowdsource help. In coding, places like Stackoverflow or Quora can be great places to find answers to problems that could otherwise become a roadblock.   

5. Make Learning Structured

We take a structured and progressive approach to learning. Instead of learning a few words in another language, your child needs to grow to put together sentences and then have full conversations. That means increasing the challenges and continuing to practice and refine basic skills. 

At CodeWizardsHQ, that's exactly how we take your child’s interest in technology and engage them where they are, whether they are already a coding master or just getting started. By giving structure to their interest in coding and technology they build on the knowledge they already have and take their skills to the next level. 

And with the only high school coding internship, we turn our students’ classroom learning into something even more valuable: real-world job experience.  

Check out our programs for elementary school, middle school, and high school students, to learn how we can help your child develop in-demand coding skills that can be transformed into a high paying career.