What to consider when selecting a programming language

As you have seen, there is a range of programming languages developers might want to learn. If you’re just starting out, it can feel very overwhelming to work out which language you should start with. There are three questions you should ask when considering which language you would like to learn.

What kind of development do you want to do?

There are different types of developers that work across different sectors (you’ll find out more about these later in the course). Often the choice of which language you want to learn will be decided by which types of development you want to specialise in. For example, if you want to become a data scientist then you will find Python and R much more useful than Java or C.

What are local companies currently looking for?

If you intend to find a job in your local area, it’s important to find out what local companies are looking for as this may be different from other places. While you might be just starting out and not confident in programming yet, it is still very useful to know what languages are in demand in your local area!

How confident are you with programming?

Some programming languages are more difficult to learn, especially if you have not done very much programming before. Starting your programming journey with high-level languages like Python or Java is a wise choice. These languages are easier to grasp because they resemble spoken languages like English and usually have simpler syntax. Lower-level languages like C, which are less similar to English, are often considered more challenging to learn.

Explore entry-level development job opportunities

Have a look at some local job adverts for entry-level development jobs. A job website such as Indeed is usually a good place to start. You can try some different search terms but ‘developer’ is a good start and from there you might want to personalise your search more to any specific areas you are interested in.

Explore

Try looking on a job website such as Indeed.

Find three different roles which sound interesting to you.

Have a look at the sort of skills and languages they are asking for.

In the comments below, share one or two of your findings.