[Bon of Babble]

Thanks for that list — my son is studying software engineering (he’s a freshman) — and has started on Python, C#, C ++. I think Java starts up next year. I’ll ask him about PHP.

[SeekAndFind]

SOURCE:

http://www.zdnet.com/uk/it-skills-in-2013-whats-really-in-demand-7000009291/

EXCERPT:

... the top technical skills demanded by employers over the past year include classics such as Windows, SQL, .Net, C#, Java, Oracle, JavaScript and HTML.

More specifically, it identifies a number of areas where demand has been rising for more than two years. These include skills based around popular mobile operating systems such as Android and Apple iOS.

Expertise with CSS3 (used to control the style and layout of web pages) and HTML5 are also considered important.

Meanwhile, there is increasing demand for IT professionals with expertise of RESTful (Representational State Transfer), an architectural style that is used to design web services.

Skills around MongoDB, a scalable open-source NoSQL database, are also becoming more desirable.

Finally, E-skills said that PowerShell, which is used to write scripts that automate Windows tasks, are becoming increasingly popular, while Microsoft Certified IT Professionals are also in demand.

The high volume and most popular skills are still the mainstream development languages such as C#, ASP.Net and PHP,” John Lynes, director at IT recruitment company Ashdown Group, told ZDNet. He added that this demand is unlikely to change as the majority of companies have business applications that are dependent on these skills.

But there are also technologies that are rapidly being adopted that may cause an initial spike in demand for new skills, at least until they become mainstream, he said.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST...

[SeekAndFind]

Thanks for that list — my son is studying software engineering (he’s a freshman) — and has started on Python, C#, C ++. I think Java starts up next year. I’ll ask him about PHP.

The article above gives a note of caution.

It asks a question and answers it...

But there are a number of surprises:

• Even if we combine ASP.NET and C# figures, why is Microsoft’s technology stack so low?
• Why is Objective C demand almost double that of Android when iOS devices are less popular?
• Why is JavaScript relatively low given all the HTML5 hype?

Part of this can be explained if we look at the relative changes in demand from the beginning of 2012 to the end:

Language	Change
JavaScript	1.6%
Ruby	0.7%
Objective C	0.6%
Android (Java)	0.6%
C++	0.5%
C#	0.3%
Python	0.1%
SQL	-0.2%
C	-0.3%
ASP.NET	-0.5%
PHP	-0.7%
Java	-1.4%
ActionScript	-1.6%

JavaScript demand has increased faster than any other language. iOS and Android have also increased at an identical rate. PHP and Java jobs are decreasing in relation to trendier languages such as Ruby.

Before you make too many judgments, consider how this data is collated. Jobs Tractor searches Twitter for developer jobs so results may be skewed. For example, I suspect Twitter is used by more web start-ups than blue-chip corporations — this could partly explain the lower .NET figures.

In addition, there can be significant regional differences. Ruby skills are highly-prized in Australia but less well-known in the UK.

If you were expecting this article to recommend the most lucrative language of 2013 you’ll be disappointed. This is the only fact you need learn:

Never use job vacancy statistics as a reason for learning a language!

If demand for a particular technology is low, fewer developers are willing to learn it and the market adjusts accordingly. QBasic and COBOL developers may earn more than Objective C colleagues because their skills are increasingly rare!

Ultimately, pick technologies which interest you and never stop learning. Programming skills are always transferable and it’ll make you a better candidate when a suitable job eventually arises.

[Woodman]

Raw numbers don't tell the whole story. The language you master can have a big influence on what industries you might work in, and how much you may get paid.

Think about a country with a billion people who are just itching for those Java and PHP jobs. He will have to compete with them and their lower wage expectations.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Keep him stocked with 5 hr energy.

[Wayne07]

I'd say it depends what area you want to go into.

Mobile: Java and Objective C

Games: C++ and Lua

Web: Javascript, Python, Ruby

Boring Corporate job that will get outsourced: C#/.net (kidding) :)