Getting started with software development can be difficult given that there are many programming languages to choose from. Which one is the best one? Which language is popular in the job market? I’ll go over the 3 programming languages you should learn to become a software developer in 2022.
Javascript
I used to hate Javascript. Debugging was difficult and relied almost exclusively on the browser’s developer tools to debug. However I soon realized that 97.9% of websites use Javascript. Meaning that learning Javascript was absolutely critical in getting a job as a software developer.
Javascript is one of the most popular programming languages in the world and continues to have high demand among tech companies.
Javascript opens the door to learn many other frameworks as well. For instance if you want to be a front end developer, you can get started coding on the client-side using Angular. If you like back end development, Node.js is specifically designed to be coded on the server side.
Javascript expands beyond web development as well. You can develop mobile and desktop applications using React.js and React Native. You can even get involved with machine learning as well with the many Javascript libraries.
Simply put, proficiency in Javascript is a MUST if you plan on getting into any software development/engineering career.
C#
I’m a bit biased here because C# is where I started to learn object-oriented programming and has helped me land job offers even as I was just starting out. C# is more modern than Java and C++ and does a lot of the heavy lifting that you normally have to do with later languages (resource managing and pointers). Remember you’re learning to program to develop software, not to allocate memory in your code.
Perhaps it may not apply to your area, but C# is highly popular in tech companies in southern California. Many companies use Microsoft technologies in their infrastructure. Since Microsoft has been around for so long, you become a prime candidate for companies that use both legacy and and newer technology.
C# is now open-sourced and is easy to learn, making it a great first object-oriented programming language. C# is also cross-platform so you can start coding on Mac OSX and Linux operating system.
Python
I personally did not learn python, but it’s so common that I have to add it to this list. Even universities are teaching Python when in the past Java was the dominant language.
The first thing you’ll notice is that Python is very is to read, write and learn which is very attractive to new programmers. Python’s syntax is intuitive because functions aren’t wrapped in curly braces, but indented, like so:
def my_function():
print("Hello from a function")Furthermore, Python is in high demand for 2022 with increasing popularity in Machine Learning. Libraries such as TensorFlow (developed by Google) and Keras are easy to pick up with a strong supporting community. On top of that, Python developers make well above six figures with an average salary of $115,199 per year according to Indeed. If you’re starting to learn how to program, Python is certainly not a bad choice.
BONUS: SQL
I felt that knowing SQL was so crucial for me to landing my first software development job that I had to include it in this list as well. Naturally as I was so committed to Microsoft .NET Framework, I chose MSSQL as my database accessing language. If you choose MySQL or PostgreSQL, that’s fine too! The important concept to understand is how to query tables by joining them together through a common column, known as the primary key.
I took many online courses on SQL, but learning on my own by querying an example database was what truly helped me grasp the concept of relational databases. Microsoft Sql Server has an example database called AdventureWorks with sample employee data. MySQL has its own sample database as well.
Whatever language you choose, just get started! Watching tutorials and taking online courses aren’t worth your time if you’re not putting your skills to work. Start small by creating a, for example, simple version of Twitter. Try to accomplish the following tasks:
- Display a post
- Display multiple posts
- Edit a post
- Delete a post
Once you begin working on these features, you’ll ask yourself other questions and begin to add even smaller features. You’ll begin to dive into the rabbit hole where you are constantly learning. Creating your own web application using the languages of your choice is best way to accelerate your career in software development.
-Bao