Ask HN: Absolute noob here, what programming language to learn to land job with?

Either of those skills will serve you well. PHP was easier to learn for me, & I suspect same for most folks.

I wouldn't say any programming language is particularly easy to learn. Your best bet is to start out with one language and stick with it. PHP and Java are both solid choices with plenty of great books, tutorials, and videos available to help you learn. I would also throw in JavaScript as a popular language that will open the door to a lot of potential web development jobs.

One of the best things you can do as you start learning a language is to find some project that you want to build and start working on it. Having a clear goal to work toward can help the learning process. Then, you can post the code for that project on GitHub, which many companies will look at when considering you for a job.

Good luck!

I'm not a Python programmer, but I was also looking in to this and Python always seemed to me like the biggest bang for your buck. It's used in so many different fields, is simple to get started with, and there are plenty of Python jobs. At least there is here in Australia (not sure where you live).

I would learn Java first. It's very easy to learn very poor programing habits with PHP. Yes, it's easier to learn but longterm it will be harder to move forward. Especially since developers need to continually learn new stuff.

I would learn C first since so many languages are based on C and the move on to Java. You'll want to take shortcuts ,don't. It's best you define a structure on how you will learn new stuff from the start.

Here's something to think about.

I've learned that you need to set a schedule and get out of the house to get things done.

So, here's the actions to take:

1) Decide what you want to learn.

2) Make a plan on how you will achieve it.

  2a)Find a learning source

  2b) Define a project that you will create. It does not have to be unique.

Unless you have something in mind just copy something or someone.

  2c) Set a deadline. It should be relatively short. 1 to 1.5 months. Don't try to learn everything. 

But make it a challenge.

3) Find a place where you will study. Not at home and it should have limited internet access.

4) Set a schedule. Maybe, every day from 6 to 7

5) Set 1 day for study and the next day for action and review and work time on your project.

6) Follow thru

The big key is that you need to get out of the house and you need to keep a schedule. It's very hard to stay disciplined at home.

I'd suggest you make a spreadsheet with as many job postings on programming that are near you as you can find (this shouldn't take longer than an afternoon), and learn the most listed language if all you want is to get an entry-level job

if you want to get better and better, you should keep learning other languages (1 every 1 or 2 years should be good enough), knowing 1 language in every paradigm will get you to think about what is possible in other languages, and satisfaction of knowing something new :P

I personally would recommend Python + C to get something high level that can get you to be productive fast, and something that makes you understand that goes into making that at a lower level (without going as low as Assembly), and I think both are good options because they're pretty much here to stay (you might hear some say that you should focus on more modern stuff than C, but there's a pretty good reason it's still here, it works, and it is fast)

and then learning stuff that'll feel weird, LISP, and Prolog, (if you go with this suggestion, when you "finish", you should be 4~6 years in, so try to learn other stuff along the way, like SQL, shell scripting, fundamentals of files and processes, networking (how it works, not necessarily implementing it), software architecture, etc. but focus on what is interesting and useful to you)

Python with a bias toward data visualization. Working with CSV's (Jupyter notebook, Pandos). Java for software engineering.

What country are you in? I would check your job listings and see what is in demand. Do you know anyone who is a developer. Finding a job usually comes through your network. So see if anyone knows a developer or works at a company that might hire you.

I would lean toward Rails(ruby) or Laravel (PHP).

Those are frameworks. Laravel might even be more in demand now and easier to get in to.

If you're just getting started learn some HTML and CSS. Head First HTML and CSS is a good book.

Next they have a Head First PHP and MySQL book that is good.

Once you completed those start building some simple apps on your own. Sign up for a basic hosting account and learn about setting up a domain, pointing the A record to the server, etc. FTP the files up.

After that signup for Laracasts.com, there are great tutorials, sign up for a Github account, start going through the courses on Laracasts.

I would recommend using a macbook if possible, or start saving up for one or see if someone can pass a used one along to you, it just makes the tutorials easier. When I've tried to use windows in the past it's possible but seems like you run in to windows only issues that take hours to resolve on a regular basis.

For hosting at this point go through the laracast tutorial on Forge, it's a server setup/deployment tool, it makes setting up droplets on Digital Ocean for Laravel super easy. If you're just learning you could sign up for a trial and just learn how to spin up the server, you could still ssh in to the droplet and deploy with the command line after you cancel your forge subscription.

So going through these steps you should have a pretty good handle on setting up websites and starting to develop web applications. You'll probably still need someone to recommend you that knows you and works at a company.

Good luck.

When I have had to filter a pile of fresh collage graduate resumes to pick 2 candidates to call for a phone interview, I did not check for which specific programming language they knew. In my experience, most people pick up 80% or more of their programming skills at their first job.

What always caught my attention when giving through these projects was any project they had worked on. The actual project didn't matter so much. But almost always, how well they were able to understand what they worked on directly translated to their ability to present it in simple and concise few sentences.

Putting these pieces together - my advice is to go find something you want to build and build it. You'll figure out the best language, the libraries to use and all the good stuff on the context of figuring out how to build what you want to build.

The only real skills I strongly recommend you learn:

- git

- Makefile

- shell scripting

Bonus if you can run Linux on your primary computer. You'll learn a lot from just using a Linux box for daily use.

Go build something for fun. Write a text adventure game. Write a Sudoku solver. Write a reddit bot to count how many times someone said "wubalubadubdub" per day.

At some point, you'll have to transition from fun projects to projects that will look good on a resume. Keep that in mind and don't get lost in the woods and forget that you are on a mission.

Happy coding!

Identify companies you want/can potentially work for. Find out their skill requirements. Contact them directly - it is worth a shot.

Generally though, and in my neck of the woods - Java is very widely used. So is .Net (mostly C#), Python and JavaScript.

If I had to start again like you, I would go hard on Python first. It is relatively easier, and there is also the great potential to build your own apps with it. Potential employers are easily impressed with personal projects.

I would suggest Python first. 1 there are a lot people hiring python eng right? At least according to what I saw on s/o developer survey. Anyways, I think that it's a lot easier to become a productive python developer than a java developer. Python's syntax is simpler, and it's so much easier to tap into all the libraries through pip than any kind of gradle build or IDE setup, especially for a beginner. I think this is important for any new programmer, to learn the fundamentals, yes, but also learn how to use libraries and quickly build new projects which is what may end up getting you a job anyways right?

Focus on the area your interested in, if your going to try and teach yourself, then being interested in a topic is worth a LOT more then the hot language / framework as your going to be easier to master if your interested in what your doing.

If you have an artistic side, then front end web might be interesting, learn Javascript and either Angular or React. Entry bar is fairly low, and if your a visual person you can quickly see the results of your learning. There are always marketing agencies and similar that need web work done.

If your more analytical and less artistic, pick a language that works in the domain you want to work in such as:

* Swift for iOS or mac development.

* Java / Kotlin for Android

* C# for Windows Apps

* Shell scripting / Powershell / Python for System Automation

There are a heap of languages that work well with back end web development (PHP / Ruby / Python are popular).

After several failed attempts to start learning programming, I'm in a similar situation.

I want to be able to build useful stuff on the web, so that seems to point to learning Javascript: you can program the backend and frontend of your app in a single language. However, I did not like learning JS at all.

I've now started learning python (which I like more than JS), thinking I could probably use Flask or Django to build the things I want to build. But once it comes to building the frontend it seems I will inevitably fall back to having to learn at least some JS, which takes me back around to "why not just learn JS only".

The above is kinda rambling, but I guess I'm just looking for advice as well.

Python.

Whatever languages you choose, the chances are, you probably won't use that language 10 years later unless you're maintaining the 10 years old software. So learn anything you think its interesting.

Grow a beard and learn COBOL.

More seriously: there are bunch of niches in the market. The fact that there are hundreds of open positions for X can also mean that for every job you will compete with a herd of ppl who learned X badly in a week.

There's a lot of good ones mentioned here. But I learned PHP in half a day, coming from a C background. JavaScript took several weeks, mostly because I had to unlearn C syntax. Java took a month, on the job, but it wasn't too bad. So I'd actually recommend against spending time on PHP, unless it's something like Laravel.

Personally I’d go with JavaScript, easy to learn ( lots of online courses ) and if you learn something like react / angular you will be pretty well sought after.

Source: I’ve been a web dev / CTO for the past 15 years and this is what I really need right now.

Your likely going to be working on webapps and not desktop apps though.

imho.

* java - it's very heavily used in enterprise and somehow becomes "the new cobol" - jobs may be often a bit boring, but they pay :)

* kotlin - mobile/android development and integrates well with java

* python - used everywhere from scripting, webapps, ml to hpc; lots of good libraries around ... even if they are often just wrappers around fortran/c code a la scipy/numpy

* c - yes, c ... because its the "workhorse" of system/embedded programming; simple and you get full control over your system

* javascript - because its everywhere nowadays ;)

* why not php!? personally i used php since php3 (!) and still use it for quick projects / the occasional webpage where a static site-gen is not enough, but i avoid jobs using/announcing php, because those projects are often utterly crap ...

cheers v.

ps.: don't forget to learn the language-specific tooling ...

Typescript, the only really future proof language

Java

I'd suggest https://lambdaschool.com/ or https://www.freecodecamp.org/ These platforms not only provide programming training but also culture and broader context. Knowing language X or framework Y isn't everything, that's why in interviews people ask questions like "what happens when you open a website". There's value in studying the "stuff that kept you up countless nights at college but you will never use at work" because it changes the way you think and helps you fit better.

Rust

golang might get you where you need to go as well. It's not a perfect language either but it seems to be less of a foot gun than python and golang is absolutely a better applications language.

I would look at several things

1. junior positions available (you already did that)

2. local community/meetups available (bonus points if you have friends that could tutor you)

3. other paths to tech companies (i.e. have seen people starting as manual testers/doc-writers/L1 support, transfering later down the line to more technical positions, but not every org supports it)

Despite the bad rap it has gotten in its early days, PHP is fine and if you can learn it, you will be fine. Laravel and Symphone frameworks are used to-date and there still is a vibrant cottage-industry around wordpress-plugins.

Similarily, I know people that only know C# or only know Java and they get by just fine.

On the other hand, once you learn your third language and maybe expand to some more niche languages (i.e. I remember when I finally learned SQL, or dabbled in Clojure for a work project) you will realize it is not about the language.

I am not an expert at any of the languages (and somebody payed me to produce code in at least 8 of them) but I can manage and the pay is good :)

Not saying you should be jack-of-all trades, master of none, but if you are anxious about choosing your first language, I don't think it is as big of a deal in retrospect, as it might seem to you ;)

free code camp https://www.freecodecamp.org/

has a pretty good web dev course. Not sure what kind of jobs are around you but i'm sure a number of them are web dev. Personally I think python would be a good first language on top of that, but if you think the market likes php and java, I'd pick java out of those two (I like C# better than java but I learned it because that's what is popular where I am)