National coding week is here, so what better way to celebrate than taking a look at some top tips and great coding experiences that people have been involved in.
The ‘National Coding Week’ organisation was founded in 2014 and is led by volunteers. The organisation was started by Richard Rolfe in a bid to help build people competency and confidence during the difficult first stages of starting in the digital industry.
Spanning more than one individual week, National Coding Week focuses upon the power of events such as meetups and bootcamps. These events give newbies to the coding world a chance to meet like-minded people, learn new things and get more information on how to navigate their journey.
A key part is to encourage volunteers at all levels to host their own meetup and broaden the network of new coders across the UK.
Here is a glance at last years statistics from articles such as The Weekly, the BBC and even USA News and the Telegraph.
This year’s sponsors for National Coding Week include: JT Group Limited who have over 120 years’ experience in telecommunications and are dedicated to delivering world-class services.
Meet some Volunteers
Here’s Claire – founder of GeeksUpNorth and CodeUP Founder. National Coding Week is an initiative that speaks right to the heart of the CodeUp – organisation and everything we stand for. Founded in 2014 with the aim to provide free and friendly adult coding tuition to adults in Manchester, we now run in 13 locations across the UK, from North Wales to Leeds and Lancaster to Stoke on Trent.
Claire’s top tips:
- If you already run a meet up then organise an event especially for National Coding Week and reach out to new members
- Alternatively use National Coding Week to share, showcase or celebrate what your members are doing
- You might even want to start a new meet up using National Coding Week as an inspiration! organisations such as CodeUp has grown from a small idea to a big community – you can join your local branch or even start your own. Check out the Organiser Manual on our website for more information.
Pauline Narvis takes a look at some of the top tips to get you set up in the tech industry. Here is a brief preview of what she discusses…
1. Start and complete an online course 💻
FreeCodeCamp, Codecademy and udemy are just a few examples of courses to get you started. You can track your progress and interact and ask any questions you may have.
2. Join a coding bootcamp 🥊
Every day all over the UK there is a different bootcamp fit for a different person with a different skill set. So why not get looking now?
For example: Code First:Girls, who are always welcoming anyone through their door to help them learn.
3. Attend tech / coding events 🌟
Meet-ups are a recommended thing even after visiting a fair few ourselves. It helps you to understand the community and get involved.
Hackathons are a very popular meeting that can last 24 hours, you are given a scenario and you have to solve it through the means of code.
4. Get involved with an online coding community 🕸
Being involved in the coding community is a great bonus as you can discuss your journey, any problems you have faced and any questions you wish to ask.
You can also have a sense of fulfilment when you help someone who is a new starting in the coding world.
5. Try smart Trial and Error🤔
You won’t always be right first time, but with trial and error and help from friends and colleagues you will get there in the end.
By Leah Cottham
