Aspiring for a Programming Job in 2024? Mastering a Language is Helpful, but Only One is Paramount

Over recent months, we've undertaken an in-depth exploration into the popularity trends of various programming languages.

Yet, how do we gauge popularity? Is it the sheer volume of GitHub endeavors? Perhaps it’s the flood of discussions on programming boards or is it all about polls? What genuinely measures a language’s popularity?

Today, we will pinpoint the main factor that truly matters: The availability of jobs.

Methodology of Research

The approach was relatively uncomplicated. My investigation involved scrutinizing popular employment platforms for specific programming languages. This analysis encapsulates the demand for these languages as of early November 2024.

Some job portals don’t provide a tally of outcomes, so they were omitted. I focused on three platforms offering good job listing counts based on entered language terms.

Understanding what these search findings reveal is essential. For example, a search for SQL might return any role mentioning SQL, including Python roles requiring SQL knowledge, or basic admin jobs.

Hence, I’m not suggesting these platforms reflect SQL programmer slots precisely. Instead, their results underscore how significant hiring professionals consider SQL to qualify for numerous job roles. This insight applies to all languages covered herein.

While some question SQL's classification as a full language, it's frequently demanded in job qualifications. Regardless of classification debates, SQL proficiency is advisable for job seekers.

Popular languages posed challenges due to generic names. Adding terms like 'developer' helped signal searches for language skills, potentially overlooking some posts. However, languages with such names aren’t among desperately sought-after competencies.

Understanding Job Listings

The job postings each have unique contexts. Some postings might be from firms collecting resumes preemptively for upcoming vacancies. Others might remain even after positions fill, and some might be scams.

Remain cautious, particularly with companies seeking upfront payments ahead of paycheck issuance. ZDNET has advice to navigate these.

Here, we discuss the broad landscape of language-specific job postings.

What does this mean for programming aspirations? For newcomers, it offers direction on which languages to prioritize learning. For seasoned professionals, it might indicate where existing skills meet demand or suggest additional languages to master.

Review the comprehensive data (like the main chart earlier mentioned) as a guide to which languages hold sway.

Ensure prowess in these languages to feature them on your CV, enhancing your chances in securing positions needing these proficiencies.

Job Market Influence by Platform

Not all job platforms are created equal—LinkedIn showcases far more job opportunities than Dice or Indeed.

Initially, smaller platforms were scaled to LinkedIn's volume, but this skewed representation for some niche languages. Thus, a total count was used instead, giving LinkedIn its deserved significance due to its actual market impact.

For instance, LinkedIn positions SQL at the top, contrary to Indeed ranking it lower. Charts compare these platforms’ takes on language popularity.

Here is what LinkedIn indicates:

Here is Indeed's take.

Dice's perspective follows.

Languages That Matter

The main message is that Python is a must-know language.

Proficiency in the languages classified within the "opportunity zone"—such as Python, SQL, HTML, Java, C++, and JavaScript—delivers solid positioning in your job quest.

Even though demand isn't immense, languages like Swift, C#, PHP, TypeScript, and Go hold viable prospects.

Those focusing on "declining demand" languages like shell scripting, Ruby, Kotlin, C, R, Rust, Lua, or Dart should list them on their CVs, but avoid investing time unless a job requires these.

How do you see language demand evolution? Which do you code and prefer? Share your thoughts in the comments.