For parents of high school students: five myths about technology that might have you thinking it's not a good for your child

Why the demand in this market will grow, who do humanities specialists work here, how to study and work remotely from the regions - and other nuances of IT for schoolchildren.

Some parents think: “The field of information technology is programming, so it’s only suitable for those who love mathematics, physics and computer science. And in general, soon everyone will take development courses and the demand will fall, as it once did for lawyers and economists. And it’s expensive.” And as a result, children’s interest in this area is not noticed or encouraged.

In fact, IT has great potential, and children's passion for gadgets, blogs and video games can sparkle with new colors if you understand how to turn it into a career path. Let's look at popular myths about this area so that you and your child can understand whether it's worth going there.

Myth 1 “It’s too late to go into technology - in ten years no one will need so many developers”

The dreams of futurists are coming true: robots take on a significant part of the work in production, unmanned vehicles are replacing drivers and couriers, self-service checkouts do not need cashiers. Even people in creative professions cannot relax - neural networks are already writing notes, scripts, music and even paintings. But this does not mean that there will be less work for people.

RANEPA researchers believe ,that by 2030, 20 million Russians will lose their jobs due to robots. But in return, new professions will appear: experts say, that due to robotization, the number of jobs may, on the contrary, double. To get them, it is advisable to retrain now.

The most in demand will be people who teach others to use new technologies and develop them independently: specialists in artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, big data processing and process automation.

Technologies are changing our way of life: simplifying it, speeding it up and making it more interesting. IT specialists are the authors of these changes, which is why they are so in demand. Here are some examples of how their work is changing the world.

Manufacturing and medicine are becoming more efficient and safer. Important changes are taking place in these areas, largely due to the launch of new equipment and software for it. In factories, the speed and volume of production are increasing, and the percentage of defects is decreasing. In medical institutions, more accurate diagnoses are made and complex operations are performed, information technology is helping to develop medicines and treatments - and literally extending people's lives.

Da Vinci robot - it is used for operations that require special precision. The surgeon controls it from a separate device (back right in the photo)

Commercial companies and states are expanding the range of digital services. IT specialists create applications that simplify usual operations: they help obtain financial services and register with government agencies. It is not necessary to go to a bank branch to pay housing and communal services or open a deposit in a bank - now this can be done in the application.

Technicians study the user experience and come up with ways to improve it. They collect a large amount of data and come up with algorithms that help them work with it. The result is new useful services. The usual mobile application of your bank is also the work of IT specialists.

Entertainment and education. Online cinemas, games and social networks have already become a full-fledged part of life. This is also the merit of IT specialists: they develop clear interfaces, complex recommendation systems and mechanics that make you want to return to applications again and again.

These technologies are suitable not only for recreation, but also, for example, for learning. IT specialists develop applications for learning foreign languages or come up with online simulators with which you can master programming. The fact that it is much easier today to acquire a new skill is also their merit.

And many other areas. Even non-technical people have to master technology to remain relevant. For example, starting from 2023, Russian notaries will exchange documents using blockchain, a technology for distributed information storage.

Technology is not just a trend. Demand for this area will not fall: according to the Russian government, the country lacks a million IT specialists (according to information for 2022).

Myth 2 “IT is only programming. My child is a humanitarian, he won’t succeed.”

Most IT specialists spend their working day at the computer. But firstly, this does not necessarily mean working with code. Secondly, there are positions where you mainly need to communicate with people and bring order to processes. In general terms, IT specialties can be divided into three groups:

• Those who are directly involved with the code: these are developers, analysts, DevOps engineers, and so on.
• Those who help make the product, but do not write the code. These are, for example, UI/UX designers and editors.
• Those who manage processes and people are project and product managers.

For those who work in the first group, knowledge of code is required. But specialists of the second and third groups can easily do without it. Here are some of the tasks they do:

• The designer thinks over the interface of the programs, that is, how they look. Draws screens, selects the location of buttons and other objects, prepares icons and illustrations.
• The editor writes the text that users will then see: names of menu items, error notifications, tips and other materials. It helps an application or website speak to the user in a clear language - no programming required.
• The project manager makes sure everything works. Monitors compliance with deadlines, solves current problems, communicates with other departments of the company, for example the PR service.
• The product manager determines how the system should develop. Studying user needs, looking for suitable solutions, choosing priorities for development.

Before the first line of code is written, managers, designers and editors do a huge amount of work: studying user experience, looking for optimal solutions. Then they draw prototypes and check whether it will be convenient for users to use them. And only after that do programmers begin to create the product itself.

Even developing a simple feature in an application usually requires thinking through complex logic, drawing several screens and preparing text for them

Humanities people who want to work in IT often go into project management. The principles of project or team management are the same in any production. Of course, you will have to understand the specifics, but you don’t need to know how to program.

Myth 3 “IT is only for large cities or wealthy families”

You can get a technical specialty not only in a city with special schools; this does not require significant investments. The state and large companies are investing in the development of the industry, and you can study remotely thanks to online courses. Various support programs make them available - sometimes even free.

In fact, you can study anywhere in Russia

The online education boom continues in Russia: according to the Netology study, 18 million Russians completed courses in 2021. Both experienced developers and beginners can study remotely: for example, here you can find dozens of courses and schools from Russian companies for students of different levels.

There are special free projects especially for schoolchildren: they contain lessons for beginners that will introduce them to AI technologies, the Python programming language, and the work of AI algorithms. And here is a whole course on machine learning that will help you understand the topic from scratch to the Olympiad level.

Having gained knowledge, you can try your hand at olympiads, competitions and hackathons: they are available online, and you can participate from any region. For example, in the Special Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, its winners will receive an advantage when entering a university, a cash certificate for training, or the opportunity to do an internship in a large company.

In addition to Olympiads, you can participate in special projects for schoolchildren. Here the guys conduct research or work on a project throughout the year, and at the end they present their results at the conference. Based on the results, you can receive benefits upon admission, but the main advantage is experience in real research activities, in some competitions under the guidance of a curator from the university.

For example: the Baltic scientific and engineering competition or «Scientists of the Future» from Moscow State University.

Another way to study not only theory, but also practice is hackathons. This is a hybrid of an Olympiad and a design competition, where participants need to make a prototype of a product, but in just a few days and in a team of like-minded people.

Here you can improve not only your knowledge of the subject, but also your “soft” skills - thanks to working in a team. In addition, cash prizes are often given for first places.

Stage of the second AI Academy hackathon

This does not require significant investment

The online projects listed above are free; you only need a laptop or computer and free time to complete them. Especially many free projects are created for schoolchildren: they are done not only by non-profit organizations, but also by large companies and universities, which thus look for talented children and offer them training or internships.

Participation in Olympiads and hackathons also does not require additional expenses. The first stages are usually held online, and for participation in the final in-person stages, the organizers compensate for travel and accommodation costs.

Myth 4 “My child is not interested in this”

If a schoolchild spends a lot of time on the computer, this does not mean that he wants to become an IT specialist - and vice versa. Above, we debunked the myth that IT is only programming. Therefore, in order to interest a child in a profession, you first need to let him know more about it.

Even if a student wants to become a doctor, accountant, lawyer, farmer, artist or musician, there is a place for high technology in almost any field. Developers or specialists in AI technologies, including machine learning, are needed in agriculture, manufacturing and medicine. With the development of the digital economy, lawyers who specialize in information technology and intellectual property law are needed. Digital artists sell paintings and videos, and musicians create works using new technologies. Almost any profession can be turned towards IT.

Try to find events and people related to the IT field. For example, help your child sign up for a master class on drawing cartoons, working with virtual reality, or training neural networks. Or offer to watch a short introductory lesson for beginners: for example, on the topic of machine learning. It does not take a lot of time. After that, find out what you didn’t like about the process and found it difficult, and what aroused your interest.

When you can’t figure out your child’s interests on your own, you can turn to professionals who help you choose a career path—tutors. They help the student understand where he wants to go and build a specific path into the profession.

Myth 5 “Studying technology is long and difficult. The child will be an unclaimed specialist for many years.”

It takes no longer to master the IT profession to the minimum competencies that will allow you to find your first job than to start in any other business. You can gain basic skills and then hone them on projects and solving more complex problems.

For example, training to become a testing engineer takes 2–4 months. Such a specialist uses automatic tools to look for errors in IT products - applications, websites or programs. A tester is one of the most popular “springboards” in IT for beginners with a salary of 60 thousand rubles. Then you can improve your programming skills or go into related specialties.

Of course, it is useful to have a higher education diploma. Without a good university, it is difficult to become the head of a team or department in a large company. But if there is no opportunity or desire to study for many years, then courses are a good alternative.

IT companies often do not care whether an employee has a higher education diploma. Practical skills and the ability to work in a team are more important. Taking into account the shortage of specialists, getting your first job after a short period of studying online courses is quite possible.

Even guys without significant experience can get their first job and start building a career today. Here are a couple of stories:

In addition, IT can be done as a hobby. Even if your child has chosen a different path, nothing prevents, if there is an interest, programming or making simple games or applications in his spare time. You can always take this matter more seriously

What to remember:

1. 1 IT specialists are not only programmers. These are many specialists who help develop medicine, logistics, manufacturing, the entertainment industry and other areas.
2. 2 Children who prefer the humanities can also find a place in the technology field. For example, managing projects, being researchers or designers.
3. 3 To enter the field, you don’t have to live in a major city or invest heavily in education. Many cities have educational clubs, universities issue online courses, corporations and special organizations also launch free educational programs for schoolchildren.
4. 4 Interest in the technology field can manifest itself in different ways. It doesn't necessarily mean cramming math books. Invite your child to sign up for a club or take a short online course - chances are that the student had no idea how interesting this could be.
5. 5 Becoming a highly qualified specialist will require years of training and practice. But to get acquainted with the field, get your first internship, or start doing your own project, small courses may be enough. Over a couple of years - for example, while studying in high school - you can try several areas and choose the one that you like.