3 ms·
All three of these are valid strategies. The larger question is, what specifically do you wish to achieve? Assuming you're aiming for "pretty productive and ca
by sdrinf 13y ago
All three of these are valid strategies. The larger question is, what specifically do you wish to achieve?
Assuming you're aiming for "pretty productive and can get a well paid job with any of the languages you know", note that skill in programming is, but one dimension in the employability equation. A handful of others include: domain-specific knowledge (both technical, and those specific to the employer's industry), communication skills, ability to juggle tasks, and ability to sell. Strength, or lack in any one, or combination of these skills can be an overriding factor in your pursuit.
You'll often find on these boards, and in software circles people very noisy about language of choice. This has historical, sunken-cost-fallacy, and mid-carrier-crisis backgrounds; none of which are particularly productive to your goal. You'll also find many posts claiming shiny features achieved in one particular language. This has marketing background, and is also not conductive to employment.
In conclusion, given your stated goals, your question is a red herring -it serves to distract you from what you're trying to achieve. It is possible to be very good in multiple languages. You might even aspire, and reach this goal within 3-5 years. Whether the industry will need those skills, and whether you'll be employable in any of these, are separate questions entirely.
- Walkman 13y agoInteresting. I assumed that there is a linear relationship between the level of technical skills and employability. Would you say that if somebody has a lot of technical skills but lack of the others like communication skills would find a job harder than somebody with less programming knowledge but more of these 'other' skills?
- cja23 13y agoThere is not a linear relationship between technical skill level and "hire-ability". I would describe it as first a step function, i.e. there is a minimum level of technical skill to get an interview and be taken seriously. Then the function is a linear rise, but it quickly levels off to a flat line. Once hired, higher technical skill will correlate with higher job performance and success, but again only up to a point where the curve will flatten out again. Once you are in the linear portion of the technical skill curve, your hire-ability is much more strongly affected by the "softer skills": verbal & written communication, ability to think critically and express that thought, and the social skills to quickly assess your interviewers and establish a rapport with them. After you get hired, better technical skill certainly helps, but it does level off. Also, it is not indepedent of the soft skills: I've known individuals with ridiculously impressive technical knowledge and skills, but their utter lack of communication/social skills not only hurt them career-wise, but actually made their high technical skill a liability at times.