Learning to code isn't just for full-time developers; it can boost anyone's productivity at work — here's how

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ShutterstockWe’ve spent a lot of time telling you about the career-related benefits of learning Python, one of the web’s most versatile programming languages, but the truth is you don’t have to code for a living to get something out of it, or programming in general.

If you’ve ever been curious about learning to code, but haven’t really seen the practicality in doing so, Udemy's "Automate the Boring Stuff with Python Programming" course might be enough to sway you.

Spanning more than 9 hours and 50 video lessons, it aims to teach beginners not just the basics of Python, but how to use those basics to more easily power through your workday.

You’ll learn how to write simple Python programs that can, among other things, help you quickly move and delete files, navigate Excel, Word, and PDF docs, automatically send emails, and remotely control your mouse and keyboard. Think of it like picking up a series of “lifehacks” alongside your first coding lessons.

It’s worth noting that instructor Al Sweigart has a text version of the course, too, which you can use with the videos as needed. The course’s first 15 lessons are also available on YouTube, if you’d like to see what you’re getting into, though those only cover 2.5 of the classes’ 9.5-hour runtime. 

Sweigart normally offers the course for $50, but through January 11th it's only $10.

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python Programming, $10 (originally $50), available at Udemy. 

This article was originally published on 12/10/2015.