To the uninitiated, coding can seem like a jungle, reserved only for nerds and geeks. However, coding has become crucial for business and it’s never been a better time to pick it up. Having a working understanding of coding can be an incredibly valuable skill for anyone on a business team. Whether its to do a quick fix on a company website, or just understand the lingo your company’s programmers are speaking, a little coding knowledge can give you a big advantage. In recent years, a plethora of tools have emerged online to help anyone get started, no matter their age or experience. The best part is that most of these resources are free! That’s right. With a little time and dedication, you can work your way up to coding master with just your laptop.
Here are a few great resources to help you get started.
Codecademy
Probably the first stop for many prospective DIY coders, Codecademy offers easy-to-understand and interactive tutorials for languages such as Python and Ruby. Students can take lessons writing commands in HTML, CSS, Python and Ruby.
Khan Academy
Created by Salman Khan in 2006, Khan Academy eventually expanded to offer computer science courses. In Khan Academy, you can learn all the fundamentals in helpful lessons and explore programs that past students have left behind. You’ll learn how to build graphics, animations, and visualizations that you can apply to your own projects.
Coursera
Coursera is a resource that was founded by Stanford Professors in 2012. It has since received the backing of various universities including Princeton and the University of Michigan. Coursera offers a variety of classes for all skill levels.
Treehouse
Treehouse is a great resource that offers courses that are project oriented. It’s a great website for programmers looking to quickly learn to build a website or an application. Treehouse is geared to help novice programmers acquire the necessary skills to get a job.