With the new year approaching, it becomes even more critical to look at new opportunities within the technology sector. With IT’s continuing fast development and employers seeking more talent with a diverse skillset — what better way to start 2022 than by learning a new coding language?
No matter your level of experience, staying current with coding languages will help you sustain and most likely excel in your career as a programmer. We’ve compiled the top 5 coding languages you should prioritise learning in 2022!
1. Ruby
Let’s kick off with Ruby, as it’s one of the most widely used coding languages globally. Its popularity can be attributed to its beginner-friendly nature, which is clear, understandable, and concise, allowing for multiple ways to solve one problem. We begin our students’ journey with Ruby at Makers because it allows them to focus on the problem at hand instead of getting bogged down in syntax and language details.
Ruby is a great language to start with if you want to get acquainted with the foundations of programming before you move on to more complex languages. It also enforces good programming habits, and will likely improve your skill-set as a programmer.
Makers graduate Simone talks about the benefits she received from using Ruby on the course in her Why Ruby? blog post,
“Having just spent the last week learning JavaScript, I feel like I have a far better appreciation of Ruby’s features and have been astounded by how quickly I was able to get to grips with JavaScript.”
Companies using Ruby in their tech stacks rank high with names like Netflix, Airbnb, Bloomberg, Github and many more.
2. JavaScript
According to Stackoverflow’s annual 2021 survey, JavaScript is presently the most commonly used programming language globally, currently in its ninth year in a row on the top spot. This isn’t too surprising as JavaScript facilitates most website interaction — it’s essentially the language of the web.
Software developers and front-end engineers with a flair for the visual or intuitive user experience thrive with JavaScript. However, JavaScript isn’t limited to front-ends. It can also power web applications, mobile applications, or even standalone API to integrate other services. A full-stack engineer becomes highly sought after when leveraging this language to increase organisational flexibility.
At Makers, we teach JavaScript for many reasons, mainly it’s taught because no other language can run in the browser. Because of this, it’s not possible to create modern websites without them. Many of our students choose to use Javascript to build their final projects.
Read more about why makers use Javascript here.
3. Python
For employers, Python is one of the most in-demand programming languages and has the highest level of support for data science and machine learning. It’s also a leading contender among software developers. Why? You could say that with Python, the career prospects are endless — you can build just about anything with this language.
As well as the front-end and the back-end of your website, Python can be used to develop artificial intelligence and develop both online and offline applications, from productivity tools to games — and most likely any other types of applications you can think of. In short, Python is the jack-of-all-trades of programming languages, and by mastering it, a programmer can potentially become an expert in all types of programming.
Another benefit of Python is that many startups are utilising it for their backend stack, providing many opportunities to developers. Check out this article detailing why start-ups choose to use Python.
4. Go(lang)
Many coding languages have emerged in recent years, challenging JavaScript and Python for dominance. Considering Go(lang) is being developed by tech giant Google, it’s no wonder the language has gained such a large following, ranking third most wanted in the UK according to StackOverflow’s 2021 annual report.
The Go(lang) language has a faster execution time than many other languages because it was designed for automation on a large scale, making it easier to write high-performance applications. Go has the benefit of being suitable for push notifications, is perfect for streaming, and is quick due to its compiled and simple nature. Consequently, many companies are now looking for developers familiar with Go — or those willing to learn it.
Among the significant tech companies using this comprehensive, fast, easy-to-learn, and powerful language are Facebook, Docker, Dropbox, Netflix, Uber, and many others. It’s fair to say that Go(lang) is one to watch!
5. Kotlin
As the leading language for Android development, Kotlin is a modern statically typed programming language used by over 60% of professional Android developers to improve productivity, developer satisfaction, and code quality.
Not only that, but this language is becoming more desirable among employers as job postings related to Kotlin skills have increased 1400% since 2017. Aside from Kotlin code being safer by design because of bug-prevention features, its code is more concise than other programming languages. This makes it easier to read and organise, allowing for re-use and maintainability.
Consequently, it’s no surprise that the language is used by Twitter, Reddit, Netflix, Uber, BMW, Coursera, Slack, and Trello, to name a few.
Gaining proficiency in Kotlin will guarantee you success in the Android development field. Find out more about Kotlin code here.
Final Thoughts
Technology never stands still, and as of 2022, the number of coding existing languages is more than 300 — making it difficult to prioritise learning one that will be as popular in a few years as it is today. As previously mentioned, we recommend for beginners that Ruby is a good place to start, and then move onto a language you feel the most challenged or excited by.
Makers Head of Coaching Alice says,
“The language you should learn in 2022 is the one that you have the resources and motivation to learn, and once you’ve learned to program, in any language, it will be easier to pick up a second language and even easier to pick up a third.”
If you’re interested in learning to code, why not check out our website and learn more about the Makers Coding Bootcamp.
Interested in learning more about coding over Christmas? Take a look at our article on 7 fun coding challenges you can do over the Christmas break.
