Click here to Skip to main content
15,867,453 members
Please Sign up or sign in to vote.
0.00/5 (No votes)
I'd like to ask pros out for their opinion, as to what language to choose
to begin my professional development career.
I'm confused! It's somewhat weird but true!
I must also tell them that I do have a background in C, Java, COBOL,
Perl, and Python...
What makes me feel this way is the fact that I am currently unsure as to
what extent I should be able to utilize my skills in
mentioned languages and how to do it...
I'm a starter please help me out!
Posted
Updated 8-Oct-11 22:16pm
v2

Career language choices usually involve what jobs are out there in the market place.

The best advise is to learn as much as you can and see where that takes you, and which language you prefer and is easier for you.

What is important is not the language itself but the logical problem solving mentality.
 
Share this answer
 
Comments
Espen Harlinn 16-Oct-11 7:50am    
Good points :)
Mehdi Gholam 16-Oct-11 7:57am    
Thanks, Espen.
Abhinav S 16-Oct-11 8:11am    
Your views are similar to mine. 5.
What do you mean with "a background in C, Java, COBOL, Perl and Python"? That does not sound like you are a starter. Anyway, it's a nice point to start. Pick up any of those languages. Isn't Java the most popular programming language in the world and aren't Java programmers paid the best as well (that's what I've read)? And with a C background you could perhaps move to C++ or C# (.NET). .NET is a good place to start I think. It has a lot of low-level stuff (like memory management) abstracted away, so it is easier than for example C++.
But as Mehdi also said you should look for what jobs are out there. If you can get a job as .NET programmer you shouldn't start learning Java ;)
 
Share this answer
 
Comments
Mehdi Gholam 9-Oct-11 5:31am    
My 5!
Sander Rossel 9-Oct-11 5:34am    
My thanks! I was just adding to your answer though :)
Espen Harlinn 16-Oct-11 7:51am    
Good points :)
Sander Rossel 16-Oct-11 7:52am    
Thanks :)
If you have a background in COBOL – recruiters for insurance companies have been looking for you for a while – if you can translate COBOL to java and/or c#, and that seems likely, they’ll probably be even happier to have a chat with you ...

Best regards
Espen Harlinn
 
Share this answer
 
Comments
Mehdi Gholam 16-Oct-11 7:58am    
As much as we wish, we can't get rid of cobol! 5!
Espen Harlinn 16-Oct-11 8:06am    
True enough :)
Abhinav S 16-Oct-11 8:10am    
Yes valid points 5.
It would depend a lot on the area where you are located and what opportunities you have around you.

Java would probably be the right choice in terms of number of opportunities.
However, if you can carve a niche for yourself in C and Cobol, you are likely to get paid more as there is less skill set available for these languages (note that opportunities will be less also).

If you dont want to go for the opportunities factor, pick up a language that your really like and feel most comfortable in.
 
Share this answer
 
Comments
Espen Harlinn 16-Oct-11 8:09am    
Good points :)
Abhinav S 16-Oct-11 8:09am    
Thank you Espen.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)



CodeProject, 20 Bay Street, 11th Floor Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5J 2N8 +1 (416) 849-8900