Learning code can lead to a successful career. But you can start to earn money while you are learning the basics. There are a few innovative programs that will allow you to get paid to learn coding. Let’s look at how these will work.
Institute of Code Sponsorship Program
The Institute of Code is known for teaching students around the world coding. Often, their courses will take two months and will teach practical skills. If you are looking for a way to enroll in this course for less, you might want to apply for a scholarship.
In this case, you will need to agree to put your skills to use in helping a small business build a website. In exchange, you will be given $1,000. Aside from the money, there a few reasons why this can be such a rewarding project. First, you’ll be able to help a small business that might otherwise have been unable to afford to hire someone to build their website for them. Also, you will be able to use this project to show your skills to prospective employers, increasing your prospects of getting a job.
Working With Quantatask
Quantatask is a popular freelancing website. Users will post jobs and freelancers will be able to complete them for payment. What makes this site unique is that they offer resources that will help you learn. For example, they offer courses. These have practical activities, helping you apply your skills. There are also forums that you can use to connect with other people who are trying to learn coding.
Once you have completed the course, you will need to complete a project. This is your chance to put your skills to the test in a real-world setting. This will give you a better understanding of the programming world. For example, you’ll need to learn how to debug without the guidance of the teacher. After you have finished the project, you’ll need to upload it. This will let Quantatask verify that you have completed the course and have the skill.
After you have been verified, you’ll be able to start applying for freelancing jobs. These will often be part-time jobs, which you can work on during your spare time. Plus, working with real clients will give you a chance to solidify your skills. As you get verified for more skills, the number of jobs you can apply for will grow. You can also use these projects in your portfolio when you are ready to start searching for full-time work.
Work With Local Businesses
Sometimes, you will want to try contacting local businesses. Usually, small organizations won’t need an expert coder. All they’ll want to do is create some basic apps. Often, it won’t take long to learn these skills. This will let you get paid while building a reputation for providing a quality service.
The best way to find businesses to work with is by approaching them directly. You won’t need a website. They will usually be able to refer you to another business if you do a good job.
Entering Competitions
If you are looking for a fun way to put your skills to the test and possibly earn a little money, you might want to consider entering a competition. There are plenty of sites that regularly host these events, giving you the chance to win big bucks. Just remember that you will be going up against people with more experience and training than you. Because of this, you might not win. But it can still be a good way to have some fun while testing your skills in a practical setting.
Create Your Own Apps
As you are learning new skills, you can put them to use by developing your own applications. This can seem like a daunting experience. But, as long as you have a basic skill set, it shouldn’t be too hard. There are plenty of developer tools that you can use to make the process a lot easier. Then, you can list your apps and start selling them. Not only will this be a good revenue stream while you are learning to code, but it will also look great on your resume.
Start a Blog
You don’t need to learn to code by yourself. You can decide to start a personal blog. Share your journey with the world. Talk about the victories you had and the mistakes you made. There are lots of other people who are learning coding. Seeing the steps you went through can be a great way of motivating them. Plus, you will be able to use this in the future, attracting interest from recruiters.
Try to Get an Internship
Coding skills are highly prized by organizations. Because of this, they might be willing to pay someone to undertake an internship. This will be an entry-level position. Usually, you’ll just need to demonstrate a willingness to learn. Often, this will mean pairing up with someone who has more experience than you. They will teach you about their job and how you can do this. By the end of the internship, you will have learned the basics of coding. This can allow you to transition to a full-time job with the organization.
Meet With Coding Groups
Finally, you might want to make sure that you are meeting up with coding groups in your local area. These can be a great way to get support and get your questions answered. These contacts can come in useful when you are looking for work. For example, they might be able to vouch for you during an interview. Plus, they will be able to point out opportunities. To find these groups, you can try searching online or asking friends and family. If there aren’t any, you can start your own.
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Search for a Coding Apprenticeship
If you’re not interested in working for a company or taking on an internship, you may want to look up an apprenticeship with a skilled computer programmer. Professional freelance coders or developers may be willing to take on an apprentice to help lighten their workload.
While the pay for these apprenticeship opportunities probably won’t be extremely high, they will help you gain first-hand professional experience in the field. You’ll also be able to put all the work you complete during your apprenticeship on your resume.
If you’re interested in a coding apprenticeship, you could look through job forums like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. You could also start Googling “coding apprenticeship” in your area. It’s usually not too difficult to find these apprenticeship opportunities with a quick online search.
Get Involved on Freelancer Websites
Those not interested in Quantatask may want to offer coding services on more generic freelance websites. It’s effortless to set up an account on well-known websites like Fiverr or Upwork and advertise coding services. You could also find plenty of gigs on these sites related to computer programming, website design, and other similar fields.
Filter through the dozens of tasks according to your comfort level. You don’t have to be a coding master to find a suitable project to apply for.
While the tasks on these freelance sites aren’t intended to be long-term positions, it’s always possible you could pick up a long-term client. At the very least, you’ll build more connections and resume-worthy experience when completing these freelance projects.
Another great feature of freelance work is that you get to set your schedule. You can take on as little or as much work as you feel comfortable. This makes it easy to earn extra money from your coding while pursuing higher studies.
Create A Video Course or a YouTube Channel
While creating a coding blog is a fantastic option, not everyone is interested in writing. And, let’s face it, many people scrolling the Web are more interested in video-based content. So, if you’re not camera-shy, consider posting videos about coding on a site like YouTube.
Take a few moments to watch a few successful computer programmers on video-streaming sites to see what’s popular in the community. You should also research basic video editing skills and invest in a high-quality microphone and camera for greater odds of success.
The more views and subscribers you attract, the more ad revenue you could bring in from posting your coding videos. If you get a moderate online following, you may even get the opportunity to sponsor companies in the tech field.
Please also remember that there are platforms like Teachable where you can monetize courses related to coding concepts. As you master the basics of coding, you may want to consider putting together a professional course on a site like Teachable and offering it to prospective students.
Ask Your Current Employer for Paid Coding Training
Now that the world has become digitized, more companies need skilled computer programmers and developers on their teams. Even if you don’t feel your business is closely involved with coding, there may be opportunities to take advantage of computer science courses. There are many stories of employees successfully asking their boss for sponsored training in coding.
Consider speaking with your supervisor and expressing your interest in coding. You could also bring up ways that having an in-office programmer who knows your business could be an asset to the team.
There are no guarantees every company will sponsor coding courses, but it’s worth pursuing if you feel your current employer might see the benefit in offering you this opportunity.
Test Your Skills In Bug Bounty Programs
A common way companies (and governments!) test the security of their websites is by hosting bug bounty programs. As the name suggests, these offerings require you to find vulnerabilities (aka “bugs”) in a website’s code. With one Google search, you could find plenty of high-profile bug bounty opportunities for organizations of all sizes.
While this may not be the easiest way to earn money as a new developer, you could make significant cash for detecting and reporting a company’s code errors. Familiarize yourself with bug bounty programs, and keep tabs on any current offers. If a business is offering a bug bounty program, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find by searching the company’s name plus “bug bounty.”
Start Building on the Blockchain
Blockchain technology is most closely associated with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but it has applications in a wide range of sectors. As more people learn the advantages of decentralized systems, more investment is pouring into this emerging tech field.
If you want to be on the cutting edge of coding, invest some time into researching aspects of blockchain and Web3 design. There are also plenty of ways to experiment with monetizing your skills on multiple blockchains.
Indeed, one of the fun aspects of blockchain technology is that it’s permissionless. As long as you have the coding know-how, you could start building decentralized applications (dApps), play-to-earn games, or your own blockchain projects in the Web3 ecosystem. Sites like OpenSea, Rarible, and LooksRare also make it easy to mint and sell NFTs. Plus, some blockchains like Cosmos and Enjin have their own SDKs to help new developers join their networks.
Whether you’re interested in decentralized finance (DeFi), GameFi, or the metaverse, there are plenty of exciting and potentially lucrative avenues to consider in the blockchain space.
Consider Becoming a Coding Mentor
While Ivy League professors may have “better” credentials, that doesn’t mean you’re disqualified from offering mentorship services. In fact, there are many beginner coders who may feel less intimidated about learning fundamentals from a more advanced student.
As long as you feel comfortable explaining computer programming basics, you could assist fresh students on mentorship websites. For example, Codementor offers an easy way to connect coding mentors with students suitable for their skill level. If you enjoy the benefits of one-on-one teaching, using a mentorship platform may be a great way to earn money.
Look Into “Pay Later” Bootcamps
Bootcamps are a great way to supercharge your coding skills. These intense courses cram a ton of info on coding into a short timeframe, which allows you to focus your attention on “developing” your developer mindset.
Traditionally, you need to pay upfront to participate in a coding bootcamp. However, a few new bootcamps pay you to participate in their courses. For example, Modern Labor is a unique coding bootcamp that pays students a stipend while training to become a full-stack developer.
However, there is a catch to these prepaid coding bootcamps. If you get a job after passing this course, you’ll usually pay a fee during your first few years of employment. For example, Modern Labor charges 15 percent of your yearly salary for two years post-graduation.
While this situation may not be ideal for everyone, it’s a potential way to earn money while learning to code. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of whether these paid programs are worth the later charges.
Conclusion
Learning to code can take a while. But this doesn’t mean that you will need to put your life on hold. There are lots of ways to learn this skill while getting paid. Plus, when you have become an expert you will be able to make a lot of money from a full-time role in this in-demand profession.
So, start learning to code today to unlock this exciting career pathway. To polish your coding skills while you try to get paid for it, complete courses on services like Codecademy (which we reviewed in-depth), edX, Udacity or Coursera to speed up your progress towards making a living from being a coder.
Notably, learning to code used to require having a PC or a Mac, now you can learn coding with an app on your smartphone.