5 Ways to Improve Your Coding Skills

Coding jobs may seem uninteresting if you get in a rut. Maybe you find yourself doing the same things over and over while your peers advance. If you’re looking for a sure-fire way to get left behind in your computer coding job, then stop reading now! However, if you’re interested in shaking off the rust in your coding know-how, keeping your skills fresh, and progressing in your career as a coder, here are five ways to stay on top of your game and get ahead. 1.) Practice writing programsYou know practice makes perfect, right? If you want to improve in anything and keep your skills sharp, you must practice. A practical and easy way to sharpen your coding skills is to practice writing code. By writing large programs, you can identify where you are making mistakes. You’ll learn how to identify those mistakes before they happen. By writing small programs, you can develop the skills to code more quickly. You’ll learn how to be effective and fast simultaneously. Another way to practice programming language is by taking a piece of code and modifying it. This is especially helpful if part of your coding job focuses on debugging programs and software. Practicing code modification will help you better identify the buys you’re trying to correct.

2.) Learn how to refactor

Code refactoring is the process of restructuring existing computer code without changing the functionality. When you continuously refactor and improve code design, we make it easier to work with computer programs and software. To get started, try changing the name of a variable or the type of variable. Eventually, you’ll be converting inline code into a method or function.

3.) Find a mentor

A good mentor in any field is priceless. Mentors can help you with sound advice to keep you on track. With computer coding jobs, there will almost always be someone with more experience and knowledge than you. A great mentor will be honest with you and help you improve on your strengths and your weaknesses. Don’t mistake suggestions or feedback from a peer as mentorship. The mentor/mentee relationship is much more than that. To find the right mentor, look for somebody who has been around the block a time or two and somebody whose work you admire. And they must be interested and willing to help you out.

4.) Try a coding bootcamp or skill-up courses

The process of improving and evolving in your computer coding career is never-ending. That’s a good thing because it keeps things interesting! There are always new skills to learn and means to sharpen the tools in your toolbox. A coding bootcamp or skill-up course from a coding academy such as Eleven Fifty can help you brush up on what you already know, but it might also teach you a brand new skill that will help you get ahead at your coding job. Because your education in coding needs to be tested from time to time, it’s always a smart idea to head back to the classroom. Who knows? Some classes can help you uncover new coding bootcamp job opportunities.

5.) Read to stay up-to-date with industry trends

There are practically countless blogs about the coding profession and trends in the industry. There are some tried and true books as well. Common wisdom says the more you read, the better your vocabulary—with coding, the more you read translates to a deeper understanding of the language that fuels your career. Don’t overwhelm yourself though—find a few resources that you like and trust and become a voracious reader. We like this one, and this one, and this one, too.

What are you waiting for?

There’s no time but the present to advance in your coding career. Our online coding bootcamps and cyber security courses are designed to arm you with the tools and the knowledge to succeed and in your job and position you for opportunities at the next level.