How important is touch-typing to a programmer?

Jobs in computer science continue to be on the rise. Coding skills are now much sought after as employment opportunities shift to ever more digital spaces. These growing opportunities are bringing new attention to the power of the keyboard!

There are not many jobs left that don’t involve some sort of typing. The least technical of workplaces is still likely to employ some sort of typed communication or organization. Nowadays it would be hard to avoid typing entirely; it is simply too ingrained in the 21st Century workplace. The time spent on any digital task is going to be affected by your typing skill, and while it may not add up to much at the moment, that time can quickly stack up over weeks and months.

And employers know this. They are looking for hires who can boost efficiency, mastering touch typing can provide such an advantage.

Programmers are particularly aware of this workplace standard. For them, typing skills are a key component of work performance. While it is not likely a programmer will be tested on finger positioning during a job interview, the ability to touch-type on the job is wildly beneficial.

Comfort with the basic keyboard is a foundation for the more advanced keyboards typically used by programmers. Initially, touch typing requires the mastery of many keys before expanding to symbols. The foundational mastery of letters will serve any programmer well, supporting quick progression to incorporate the blend of letters and symbols required of programming languages and to write code.

Symbols are typically the hardest to commit to memory, given their irregular use compared to letters, numbers, and common punctuation. But with a strong basis in touch typing, a programmer is sure to apply those foundational skills in expanding muscle memory to integrate symbols.

Some programmers pick up typing as they go, but often, those who are self-taught find they eventually hit a wall. Whether their own technique is uncomfortable, inefficient, or prone to mistakes, they reach a point in which their typing skills are no longer improving. Those whose skill developed from a hunt and peck method will find their technique becomes unsustainable over time; the ergonomics are simply not conducive to long-term efficiency. Learning proper touch typing technique is so important - not only for effectiveness but for avoiding the physical strains that can so often accompany extended computer work.

And while the process to learn proper touch typing technique can be a long one, the time spent learning is nothing compared to the amount of time saved over a lifetime. For programmers, given the need for long hours of writing complex code, being able to consistently do so in the most efficient way possible is an invaluable asset. With the ever-growing competitive nature of this job market, any limit on efficiency will affect one’s competitiveness with other coders. An excellent familiarity of the keyboard with a foundation in proper technique is sure to give any programmer that competitive edge.

Proper touch typing technique ensures maximum efficiency and sustainability. It is for this reason that touch typing is so important - and should be as important to a programmer as to any other typist!

See how a premium keyboarding program can give teachers an effective and efficient tool in teaching the touch typing/keyboarding curriculum. Request for a free trial here: https://www.typesy.com/edu/

Contact us for more information about Typesy EDU Edition:

[email protected]
skype: rick.wilson2068
phone numbers:
(US) (408) 520-9803
(Australia) +61 2 6176 1104

See how a premium keyboarding program can give teachers an effective and efficient tool in teaching the touch typing/keyboarding curriculum. Request for a free trial here: https://www.typesy.com/edu/

Contact us for more information about Typesy EDU Edition:

[email protected]
skype: rick.wilson2068
phone numbers:
(US) (408) 520-9803
(Australia) +61 2 6176 1104