Should I Learn Python? Is Programming Career for Me?

Is learning Python and starting a career in programming the path for you? In this article, I’ll help you answer that question. Discover with me the "how" and "why" of coding for beginners!

Everyone says that you should “learn to code”. And why not? It’s a career with tons of job openings, opportunities for advancement, and it pays well. But will you find it interesting? Can you think like a programmer? And where do you even start?

In this article, I’ll help you figure out if this job is for you (while making a strong case for learning Python). Then, if you want to get started, I suggest our Python Basics: Part 1 course. This interactive course features 95 exercises and takes around 10 hours to complete, giving you a proper introduction to the world of code and kickstarting your new career!

What Type of Programmer Could You Become?

To be a programmer means (in broad terms) creating and maintaining computer software. While this would have seemed relatively straightforward in the days when computers were glorified calculators, what does it mean in an age where everything – from video games to nuclear power plants – depends on software?

To help you understand your options, we will explore several specializations within computer programming.

The Theoretician

Are you a scientist? Do you spend your days pondering statistical data or elaborate mathematical proofs? If so, you may be a theoretician. A career in programming will allow you to combine your theoretical knowledge and finesse with brute computing power, putting your knowledge to real-world use.

Learning Python is an excellent way for you to begin your new computing career. Using the vast array of scientific libraries available with Python, you’ll be able to collate massive amounts of data for statistical analysis, run complex simulations, test out mathematical ideas, or accelerate your work with machines in the lab.

The powerful simplicity of Python’s syntax will free you from any low-level worries, allowing you to treat the computer as an extension of your mind.

The Appmaker

You shouldn’t get discouraged if you’re actually not that big on math. Have you always wanted to create the next big thing? Do app ideas come naturally to you? If so, a Python programming career is definitely right for you.

Using the knowledge that starts with our Python Basics course, you’ll be able to create nearly any app that comes to mind. Python’s elegance will allow you to simply bring your thoughts to life, creating powerful apps that remain easy to maintain and upgrade whenever you think of that next great feature.

You’ll be surprised as to how quickly you can get from writing your first line of code to creating actual real-world products.

The Tinkerer

The fruits of programming don’t have to be big. Perhaps you’re more interested in creating small tools that get the job done. If you frequently find yourself wishing you knew how to automate some repetitive task, then learning Python is yet again the way to go.

As a powerful scripting language, Python won’t waste your time with extensive setup or bloated syntax – you’ll be able to write your scripts in just a few beautiful lines. It will feel a lot more like gently telling your computer what it needs to do rather than trying to twist your thoughts into an ugly mess so that the computer understands its job.

The AI Developer

Are you fascinated by Artificial Intelligence? Are you amazed by automatically generated works of art or by holding a realistic conversation with a computer? Learning Python is definitely the best way to kickstart your career in developing Artificial Intelligence.

Nearly every interesting AI project you find on the Internet, whether it generates an image from a text prompt or composes a new song all by itself, is based on Python. Python has many machine learning libraries and a massive amount of community support. Thanks to these, you too can create unbelievably intelligent apps – even if you don’t understand the underlying math!

The Web Developer

It could be that you don’t care for scripts and apps. Maybe you just want to create a beautiful and functional website for your business or organization. Maybe you want to get paid doing this for somebody else. Either way, Python has got you covered.

Python is primarily used in back-end web development, which means that it’s responsible for the behind-the-scenes logic of your website. This includes things like pulling data from databases, handling password authentication, and overall web management.

Whether you want to be a dedicated back-end developer in larger teams or create whole websites all by yourself, Python is an industry-proven way to kickstart your web development career.

Somebody Else

The above list is not exhaustive. There are many careers where Python comes in useful. Every industry, almost without exception, is in some way powered by computers; learning to code will aid you in working with computers. As such, pretty much anybody, young or old, will be well-served by learning programming.

If you can train yourself to think like a programmer – being able to mentally isolate entities and logically understand their essence – you’ll find uses for computing that you would have never considered before. You’ll also develop a whole new way of looking at the world, helping you even in pursuits unrelated to computers.

If this sounds intriguing, stick with the Python Basics track and perhaps you can begin looking at the world in a whole new way.

Why Learn Python?

Let’s say you’re convinced that you want to begin a career in programming. But what should you start learning? There are many programming languages out there – C++, C#, Java, Python, Ruby, PHP, and the list goes on. Why would you, out of all these choices, pick Python?

It’s easy to learn. Out of all the widely-used programming languages, Python has a reputation for being the easiest to work with. Its syntax reads a lot like human speech, and its style guide ensures that it’s easy on the human eye – vital for beginners who fear massive walls of unruly code.

It’s powerful. The fact that Python is easy to learn doesn’t make it any less powerful: industry titans like Facebook and Google regularly use Python in nearly all their products. In fact, its simple syntax, lack of bloat, and easy extensibility allow you to avoid trivial details. This means more time to spend on high-level concepts that are actually relevant to your work, thus giving you greater results for less effort.

It’s popular. Python’s excellent combination of simplicity and power has led to its widespread adoption by everyone from students to megacorporations. Not only is there a huge demand for Python developers, but there’s also massive potential for career advancement. Learning such a powerful language means that you can always keep getting better, and its popularity means that there’s a big community to help you on your journey.

How to Start Programming with Python

If you’ve decided that programming is for you and Python is the language you want to learn, then you probably want to dive right in. So how do you start? Here at LearnPython.com, we offer all the resources you’ll need – even if you’ve never written a single line of code in your life.

Our Python Basics track contains three courses to help you get your feet wet, introducing even the complete beginner to the basic concepts of coding. Our more extensive Learn Programming with Python track serves as a proper entry to real-life development in five courses.

Once you’re feeling more confident, our Python Basics: Practice course lets you test the skills you’ve acquired with interactive exercises.

Aside from the tracks and courses, we offer plenty of blog posts to help you get started learning Python and tips and tricks to help you on your way. Programming is a popular career path, and there are many resources on the Internet related to coding for beginners. Whether you prefer developing your theoretical knowledge through books, learning visually through YouTube videos, immersing yourself in a good podcast, or testing out your newfound knowledge, the Internet has got you covered.

Don’t be afraid to explore! Get started with us and soon you’ll be writing your first “Hello World”!