MULHOLLAND: Colleges must require coding classes to make students competitive to future employers
Column: Cup of Joe
Colleges should teach entry-level coding, programming and data analytics as a part of the core curriculum. High schools probably should as well, but colleges should have been offering these courses for years.
As I am anxiously looking forward to (hopefully) graduating in the spring, my job search has solidified my view that college students, at a minimum, should learn basic coding and/or programming skills. Right now, I do not even know what basic coding is. But what I do know is that many computer-oriented jobs want you to know these skills.
LinkedIn has granted me a month free trial of premium membership. Besides its outrageously high price of $30 per month, I would thoroughly recommend it. It shows me the top 10 skills other applicants listed on their resume when they applied for that job and tells you how many of those skills you have listed.
And all too often, when I find a job that I think I can sell myself to, I look at the top skills and see things like JavaScript or Tableau or Python or C++. From my rudimentary understanding of those programming languages, they are used for programming and data analysis. I do not know much more about them.
I feel like I should have learned their fundamentals or something similar as part of my college education. If they are valuable to employers and essential to a changing job market, then schools should ensure that students understand the basics of these programs.
I am a transfer student and am not entirely sure how it works at Rutgers, but my old school made us take a computer literacy class to get a degree. We learned the basic Microsoft Office programs. It was not particularly difficult, and it was not meant to be.
But it helped a lot in understanding those programs. Having even a basic college-level knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint is valuable in the job market. Having that same base-level knowledge in data analytics and coding would be even more helpful and, in all likelihood, become the new baseline of computer literacy for employers.
Employers will screen resumes, and if you do not have the skills they want, your application will never be viewed. When I apply for jobs, I emphasize that my courses give me diverse skills. I can research, manage projects and read and write critically.
Those are valuable and are some of the top skills I see others put on LinkedIn. I also list my skills in entry-level computer ability. I know Excel, Word and PowerPoint reasonably well. Those are also some of the top skills I see listed. What I cannot do, at any level whatsoever, is code or program. Many of the fastest-growing and better-paying jobs want someone who can.
I chose to major in history and minor in public policy. I certainly do not regret it. I thoroughly enjoy the courses and honestly say I have learned more than I ever thought possible. Still, like other humanities, social sciences or liberal arts majors will attest to, people will still scoff when they hear your major.
They do not get why you are not doing STEM like they are. The simple answer is that I do not like that stuff and that you are rather rude for asking. Many people who pick non-STEM majors have specific passions and career goals in those fields.
History majors can pursue all sorts of things besides being history teachers, which everyone seems to expect of us. Many go into business, market or policy research or an array of other non-profit or government roles.
It is increasingly difficult for non-STEM majors to get involved in the growing fields of data or business analytics. Again, many humanities majors do not have an interest in those fields. But it is also important to note that many of them do not know their end goal. Nearly half do not know what their major will be at the start and go undeclared. As many as 75 percent of students end up switching their majors at some point.
We should be sure that everyone is, at a minimum, getting the basic skills necessary to be a part of a modern workforce, which involves knowing a little more about computers. Most college students take out loans and graduate with debt — tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
Better paying jobs will help them pay that back debt quicker and with less strain. The types of jobs that require knowledge about coding or programming pay more, and there are plenty of those jobs to go around and many more are being created.
This idea is not a new one — many high schools and universities are already beginning to talk about adapting new computer literacy requirements. I think it would be a good idea for all schools to adopt new requirements as soon as possible.
Believe me, I do not really want to learn to code either. I would much rather do things I enjoy, like read and write. Still, it is a valuable skill and would offer a higher degree of opportunity in the job market today. More opportunity means a higher earning potential, which is generally a good thing.
Joseph Mulholland is a School of Arts and Sciences senior majoring in history and minoring in public policy. His column, "Cup of Joe," runs on alternate Wednesdays.
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