Even if you do, it's a better investment to learn a general high level language with strong scripting capabilities, but that is also good at many things else.

Even if you do, it's a better investment to learn a general high level language with strong scripting capabilities, but that is also good at many things else. Sure, the days you'll need awk, you'll take 15 minutes instead of 2 writing your script. So what ? But the rest of the year, you'll have a more versatile toolbox at your disposal for automatic things, testing, prototype network processes, make quick web sites or API, and explore data sets. That being said, I can see the point of learning awk because, well, it's fun.