What type of coding should I learn?

rpike wrote:

Given a economics/business background, I would hope on the data science bandwagon, and suggest Python and R (first python, then R)...assuming that econ background came with a solid math education?

Not a bad idea. Most people are using canned math, so it's not like you need to be a math genius. But, you need to know enough to know your answers are sound. Statistics might help too.

I think the BLS still publishes giant data sets. I've heard Amazon AWS has some big data sets too. A PostgresSQL database, some Python and you are good to go.

rpike wrote:

"1. HTML/CSS

2. JavaScript

3. jQuery

4. Python

5. Command line

6. Git

7. SQL"

I can't fault this list, but if you have no code experience and want to eventually code, then I'd start with an actual language. So I might push python to the top. You could also learn javascript first, but you are better off if you already know html/css first before javascript.

SQL (T-SQL at least) and JavaScript are both Turing complete, so technically….

But seriously you're right, Python is probably the best to start out of that list

To be fair to my boss he ended up hiring one guy in the UK, but I can guarantee the vast majority of bosses will go for quantity over quality

You're my hero man, This is the exact reason I'm considering a career change. Sonds almost too good to be true as it ticks all my boxes. My major worry is ageism. I feel by the time I'm competent enough to start applying for jobs I'll be 33 or so. Any other advice?

Los Soles wrote:

1. I run pretty much every day during my "lunch" break

2. Flexible schedule, so I leave around 3 a couple days a week and volunteer assistant coach – basically go run with the kids. (If I was hardcore, I could go to practice every day I guess, but that would be a lot of really early mornings...)

3. I regularly wander around the office, get snacks/tea, chat with friends in other departments, etc.

Basically, it doesn't bother me at all. I think I like it better than all the standing I did as a teacher.

drcode wrote:

My major worry is ageism. I feel by the time I'm competent enough to start applying for jobs I'll be 33 or so.

- One of the guys I work with is like 60, and he didn't get into dev work until he was like 45, and he loves it and does great.

- I've also worked with a couple of young hotshot recent CS grads that knew a lot more about the hippest coding jargon. They're gone now. Those guys can do the code, but they struggle with the whole 40-hours-a-week-not-on-reddit concept. Lots of employers know this, often from experience.

drcode wrote:

Any other advice?

One of the interesting back-and-forths on here has been about how important HTML/CSS and JavaScript are, vs, say, Python. And I'm not sure. One question is "software engineer" vs "web developer". With some jobs, it's probably not all that different, but sometimes it might be very different. I'm a web developer, and as a web developer, it makes sense to put HTML/CSS and JavaScript high on the list because those are always a part of it, whereas the backend might be Python, or PHP, or Ruby, or...

A couple of reasons I vote web developer:

1) Perhaps lower bar to get that first job. Everyone needs help with their website.

2) Tons of opportunity for creativity on the web

TrackBot! Is all the rage these days

Yeah, but the problem with web dev is everyone and anyone talks like they can do it, and anyone with a little money can find someone who might actually deliver at a very low price.

Web frontend work is risky this way.

nerds

whipper_snapper wrote:

I'm a graduating senior from a solid CS program with a signed offer for 125k salary 60k stock, and 15k signing bonus. Learn one of C/C++/C#/Python/Java/Go/Ruby/Javascript. Doesn't really matter which you go with. Pick up the cracking the coding interview book. Play around, do interesting projects and contribute to open source. Once you pick up a language or two the others become easier to learn. Learn one of the functional languages (Haskell, LISP/Scheme, OCaml).

HTML and CSS aren't really programming languages in the same sense as the rest of these. The hard part is in the logic.

Try and take as many internships as you can if you're able.

Outsourcing isn't really much of a concern to me, and the advent of AWS/Azure/GCP should make anyone currently doing pure ops or networking a little nervous.

Damn bruh where did you get that deal? I'm working in IT at a bank and it was 70k + 10k bonus... are you in Cali working at at big name?

specialize and master a language which isnt common. more demand. more pay.

avoid languages based on c - which is the majority - cause theyre very easy to learn and youll be competing for work with outsourced indians.

if youre economics was econometrics or something else with stats then follow that math path.

Los Soles wrote:

[quote]drcode wrote:

My job is totally unrelated though (teacher)

haha, I was a teacher a few years ago.

drcode wrote:

Basically, it doesn't bother me at all. I think I like it better than all the standing I did as a teacher.

Ironic, given that everyone I know is switching to a standing desk these days!

swaglord wrote:

Damn bruh where did you get that deal? I'm working in IT at a bank and it was 70k + 10k bonus... are you in Cali working at at big name?

Any of the typical tech cities that low 6-figures is your 70k. Hopefully you are in a flyover State.

I work in analytics/data science and there seems to be plenty of opportunity. When munging, I'm typically working in SQL and R. Myself and many of my peers were SAS users in the past, but the cost of licensing is crazy.

Good luck.

STEM majors learn UNIX/C/C++/Java/Python as a default. I have no idea what IT and Business teaches kids.

Los Soles wrote:

Basically, it doesn't bother me at all. I think I like it better than all the standing I did as a teacher.

standing... wrote:

Ironic, given that everyone I know is switching to a standing desk these days!

I don't know about ironic, but yeah, I've seen the standing desk trend. That's cool for whoever wants to go that route. As a runner, though, I don't like being on my feet all day if I'm putting in decent mileage.

I more-or-less agree with this, in that "Web Dev" is a really broad term, so it's sorta the wild west out there in terms of what jobs are available, who you're competing with for those jobs, and what you'd actually be doing once you get a job. Are we talking tweak the styling on this Wordpress page, or are we talking build new dynamic functionality – with AJAX and database calls and a beautiful, intuitive user interface – that provides real value to the company?

If I were 18 and pursuing a CS degree and wondering web dev vs software engineer, I'd definitely go software engineer: you're tracking to get a solid position with really good pay at 22. Get some experience, and then you can find the right niche for yourself (which could loop back around to being more on the "web dev" side of things if you like the creative/UX/styling/JavaScript world).

But that's not the OP's situation. It's tougher to break into the engineering world without an engineering degree. You gotta do a lot to convince an engineering boss that you belong. You gotta know the code, but you also gotta have more on your resume, and you gotta be able to speak engineering jargon.

If you START with web dev, you can gain real experience relatively quickly, and perhaps work yourself into "software engineering" over time if that's ultimately where you want to end up. After less than two years working full-time as a "Web Developer", I'm confident I could get a job as a "Software Engineer" soon if I wanted to. Now, I may have been lucky to find the job I did: big enough team that I had people to learn from, but small enough that I've had a significant role in a wide variety of projects.

I think this is an interesting angle. I can't speak to this; I have no idea how hard it is to break in.

Learin Tree wrote:

STEM majors learn UNIX/C/C++/Java/Python as a default. I have no idea what IT and Business teaches kids.

it teaches them to believe they are smarter than they really are. thread

Thanks - good advice but I'm not interested in this from a "make tons of $" point of view. I want to do something creative and build things. Altho econometrics seems interesting I am really leaning towards development.

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I really like the creative side of web dev and can start to make real strides now. I am also quite analytical but am thinking development combined with that side could be a good mix.