I don't think the experience requirements are exactly where you're imagining, but I think it's still there. I've been doing database backed web development for

I don't think the experience requirements are exactly where you're imagining, but I think it's still there. I've been doing database backed web development for quite a while now, and I've had jobs doing that in C, TCL, perl, java, C#, python, Delphi and ruby. But they were all chiefly database backed web development, so basically the same thing, despite being completely different languages. I expect I would have significant trouble getting hired to do a different specialization, like parts of a videogame engine (say c or C++ or python or lua). So as long as database backed websites are in demand I'm probably ok, but if those disappeared tomorrow I could become a statistic - if everything becomes apps, I'll manage, but that round of interviewing won't be as easy as the last few rounds of interviewing were and I'll probably have to take some personal time developing a demo to talk about. I've seen two friends with mainframe experience end up having lots of trouble finding new jobs - they could certainly program, but had nothing they could point to that seemed relevant to the web dev jobs. And a friend who works on videogame engines is trying to make a switch to websites and it's looking hard to make that switch. So, I don't think it's strictly along language lines, but I do think employers are hesitant to sub in one type of programmer for another. I'm not convinced they are wrong - there's lots of specialized knowledge to pick up along the way that mostly seems to be taught by screwing up a project at some point, and it's safer to hire somebody who has already screwed it up elsewhere once.