How to Encourage Teens to Pursue Careers in Software Development

Pursuing a career in software development can be personally fulfilling and financially lucrative.  According to Indeed, the average software development role comes with a salary of over $105,000 and typically provides a bonus of around $5,000. 

Working in software development is mentally stimulating, too. Teens who pursue software development will be working on innovative solutions to emergent problems and will always be kept busy with updates, testing, and prototyping. This makes software development the perfect career choice for teens who enjoy problem-solving and want to take on big challenges. 

Parents and educators can encourage engagement in software development by investing in STEM education. A thorough STEM education can aid efforts to introduce young adults to coding, problem-solving, and testing and instill a scientific, resilient mindset in learners of all ages. 

Teaching With Games

Gamified lesson plans are gaining traction with educators in all fields. STEM teachers are particularly well positioned to utilize games and gamified lessons, as many of the core concepts taught in classes like software development can be learned in a gaming environment. There are plenty of games that teach coding available today, too, including: 

• Code Combat: This level-based game is perfect for young learners and teens alike. It offers a simple introduction to coding and advances in difficulty as learners progress. 

• Blocky Games: Learners can begin working with JS coding with user-friendly games that are intuitive and teach core principles. 

• Code.org: With over 92 million users, Code.org offers a comprehensive gaming and coding experience for a range of learners at different levels of proficiency. 

• Ruby Warrior: This arcade, 80s-style game presents a series of fantastical obstacles for players to overcome by using their coding skills. 

These games are designed to introduce teens to coding and build a sense of excitement around software development. They offer a foundational introduction to common languages like Python and JS and will serve learners well in years to come. 

Teens who show an interest in coding can also take up coding hobbies. Popular hobbies, like video game development and programming projects, are deeply rewarding and will teach teens and young adults skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.  

Finding Inspiration 

When teens are asked about their career prospects, most will “settle” for something between an astronaut and a professional athlete. While educators should never dampen big dreams, it’s worth inspiring those students who may want to pursue a career in STEM, too. Some of the world’s most inspirational coders, engineers, and software developers include: 

• Sir Tim Berners-Lee: The inventor of the World Wide Web has completely changed life on earth. He also worked at CERN — the European home of nuclear research. 

• Bill Gates: As well as founding Microsoft, Gates wrote code up to the late 80s. 

• Ada Lovelace: An English mathematician born in 1815, Lovelace pioneered the computer and is widely recognized as the first computer programmer. 

These innovative, inspirational software developers and business leaders can help teens understand the value of software development in modern life. As an educator or parent, you can further enhance coding engagement by foregrounding software development's utility in solving emergent problems like climate change. For example, some of the most exciting career possibilities in software engineering include: 

• Data analyst; 

• PV system designer; 

• Software developer for tools like geographic information systems and modeling systems;

• Architects. 

Even if teens don’t work directly with code, understanding the basics of software development will empower them to enter management roles and make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change. Doing so can be professionally rewarding and help them reach their potential. 

Career Opportunities 

Software developers are in high demand for a good reason — it takes serious critical thinking skills to code the tools and technology of the future, and companies of all sizes increasingly rely on programmers to ensure their systems are working correctly. 

Teens with a strong sense of civic duty can explore paths like software development in healthcare. There are many IT careers in healthcare as more institutions are trying to create cohesion between their traditional systems and emergent technology like the IoT. Talented software developers can serve hospitals and improve the patient experience by blending their understanding of JS and Python with a robust understanding of HIPPA and regulatory compliance. 

Entryways into software development can be varied, too. Students who gain basic coding skills can pursue a number of career paths including quality assurance, testing, database administration, web development, and system analytics. This means that teens with a keen eye for essential STEM skills will be able to find a new role and can apply their hard-earned skills to a multitude of emerging problems. 

Conclusion 

Teens who pursue careers in software development will become critical thinkers with foundational STEM skills that will serve them well for life. Software developers are in high demand today, too, as almost every business requires coders, testers, and change implementors. You can get the ball rolling today by offering gamified lesson plans that form foundational skills and provide complex, engaging challenges to teens.