Coding skills are among the most in demand skills today (I would argue there is a shortage of tech skills in the market). But what if along the way you find coding isn’t for you?
Remember, good programmers are people who can break down problems into smaller portions that can be represented in symbolic form (code) in order for machines to understand them.
But even if you don’t write code, as long as you can help others solve problems you are an attractive candidate for a lot of companies.
And having some programming knowledge can help make you a more attractive candidate in a wide range of non-programming careers.
Whether you’re looking for coding careers or looking for a role where your coding skills will give you an advantage over other candidates, here are the most in demand jobs that are easier to get if you can code.
10 Non-Coding Jobs That Are Easier To Get If You Can Code
Technical Writer
If you’re good at writing and also have some coding skills, being a technical writer is one of the easiest ways to get your foot in the door of a big tech company like Google and Facebook.
Technical writing is one of the most lucrative opportunities for writers – technical writers take home even more than copywriters.
But as the name suggests, this field is technical in nature and thus requires some technical skills.
The work of technical writers is to explain how technical products and services work and how to use them without using technical jargon.
They create documentations, instruction manuals, knowledge bases, and tutorials.
Having coding skills helps technical writers present their material with more clarity.
Project Manager
As long as you have the necessary qualifications, knowing how to code can be the edge you need to get picked as a project manager in your dream company.
A day in your life as a project manager will involve interacting with all kinds of departments, from the product innovation team to the marketing department and the management team.
It’s a multi-tasking role that requires a mix of technical, business, and marketing skills. Your technical skills will come handy when interacting with the product engineering team and assigning tasks, and also while using agile software to stay on top of projects.
Other skills you will need to thrive as a project manager include logical thinking and problem solving skills, analytical skills, organizational skills, and people skills.
Product Manager/Owner
In today’s world, being a product manager or owner means working with and managing teams of developers.
You need a basic understanding of coding in order to interact with and effectively communicate with the software developers in your team.
Having some knowledge of programming also helps product managers understand the limitations of a product development process so they can set realistic deadlines.
Troubleshooting also becomes easier when the manager has some technical knowledge. For these reasons, hiring managers prefer candidates with some coding skills.
User experience (UX) Designer
A UX designer’s job is to ensure a friendly and enjoyable user experience.
While it’s easy to visualize what a seamless user experience should be like, technical skills are essential in order to bring that vision to life.
Coding skills such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML come handy when conducting A/B tests and creating interactive mockups.
Other than this, UX designers work closely with product design and engineering teams, and knowledge of coding is essential to explain the features to add clearly.
Digital marketing Analyst
You can easily become a digital marketing analyst when you have some coding skills.
This role involves collecting, analyzing, and presenting data collected from digital sources such as the company’s website and analytic tools like Google Analytics and Kissmetrics.
With programming skills like JavaScript and Python, you will be able to present the data in a visual manner that other people can understand easily.
Your technical skills will also help you build predictive models that show how to effectively reach a wider audience and convert more leads into customers.
Graphic Designer
As a graphic designer, knowing the basics of front-end web development will make you a competitive candidate and ensure you will thrive in the role.
Coding skills such as HTML and CSS will help you structure pages and enhance graphics so you can create the best presentation that will attract and engage the target audience.
Sales Engineer
As more and more companies build software products and services, the demand for sales engineers is poised to go up.
Most software engineers don’t want anything to do with sales and most salespeople will run away from any role that involves sitting in a cubicle all day.
If you can marry these two skills, you will be eligible for one of the most exciting opportunities in sales.
Think the challenge of selling in a thriving industry with an attractive base salary and unlimited coission potential to look forward to.
And like most programming jobs, technology sales allows one the flexibility to work from anywhere.
But a sales engineer needs more than an outgoing personality and a knack for sales if they are to succeed in selling hardware and software solutions.
Understanding coding will enable you to speak the language of your target customers and help you communicate the benefits of the product effectively.
Technical Recruiter
You can also opt to make use of your coding skills in a technical recruiting role.
As technology advances, the demand for programmers, R&D teams, software developers, back end developers, and more technical talent is increasing.
This means that technical recruiters are in high demand. Technical recruiters are engaged by companies to find the best candidates for technical roles.
When companies are looking for a recruiter for their technical talent, they want someone who can understand what they are looking for. Someone who can identify the best fit for the roles they are trying to fill.
Having coding skills will give you more credibility as a technical recruiter.
You will also be able to understand what each candidate brings to the table, which will help you pick the best talent and build a successful track record.
Business Analyst
Coding is an analytical skill that can help you thrive in any analytical role.
An educational and professional background in business or design coupled with coding skills makes you the ideal candidate for a business analyst role.
Your job will be to ensure that all teams understand requirements and limitations. Some business analyst roles also require analysts to participate in testing and quality control.
Your knowledge of coding will help you communicate effectively with the technical team and also prove valuable when testing products.
Technical Support
One of the easiest jobs you can get at a software company when your coding skills are only at the entry level is a technical support role.
You will be using your technical skills to assist customers by answering their questions and helping them troubleshoot and fix issues.
You will need a lot of patience and a thick skin to succeed in this role as you will be dealing with frustrated customers who might shout at you or even insult you.
On the positive side, you will gain a lot of experience which will come in handy as you advance in your software development career.
Having a little coding skills can open doors to a wide range of job opportunities
As you can see, there are plenty of lucrative non-programming jobs you can get with knowing just a little coding skills. And you don’t need a computer science degree or years of experience to get the above jobs.
If one of these jobs is your dream career, acquiring some coding skills will make you stand out from the other candidates and land your dream job easily.
Or maybe you’ve been learning to code only to realize along the way being a programmer isn’t for you, your coding skills can help you land one of these in-demand roles.
You just have to identify your interest and take stock of your qualifications to decide where you will thrive.
Mike is the creator of Go With Code and a coder at heart 🙂