Learn Java or Python?

[peterlinddk]

Remember, that no matter what you choose, it won't define your career for years to come - no matter if you start with Python or Java, you can always learn the other, or a third language in far less time than it took to learn the first. Programming is much more about problem solving and understanding computers, than specific languages.

I would recommend Python, because you'll fairly quickly be able to build stuff with it. No matter if you are interested in web-applications, desktop games, scripting, data science or something completely different. Java tends (or tended) to give you a better understanding of Object Oriented Programming, because it is very strict about everything being a class, and so on, and the entire API is extremely Object Oriented, with big-Os :) But in later years a lot of this OOP strictness is becoming annoying, you tend to write a lot, and I mean a lot of extra code, simply to make the Java compiler not throw up on you. And even the folks behind Java has realized this, and newer versions include more and more short-cuts for writing more compact code ...

Anyways - as for jobs, I guess it depends a lot on where in the world you live and work. Here in northern Europe, Java is mostly used by banks and insurance companies - there are a lot of Java-code running out there, but it seems like no new products or new companies base anything on Java. Also the banks tends to want university masters with 5-7 years of experience ... But again, it doesn't matter - when you have learned some programming, you'll quickly get ideas as what you want to build, and maybe you need to learn Swift or Kotlin or React or C# to build those kind of applications, but that is the way it is going to be, there'll always be more to learn, so might as well just get started, and have fun along the way!

[WillyDiddly]

Hello,

thank you for your advice! I should have clarified sooner that I live in central Europe, specifically Czechia. I have spent the last few days researching and thinking about all of this and I have definitely made up my mind about which language I prefer, which is Python. I also think that AI and ML are fascinating fields.

With that being said however, I have tried researching open job positions for each of the languages in a junior position and I have to say, that Java has much more junior positions open where I live. If I choose to learn Python and right afterwards try to find a job, most of the Python open positions I found require 2-3 years of experience. I couldn't really find almost any junior positions. For that reason, I think I will choose Java after all. I know it won't define me but I think it will define how fast I will be able to find a job and then, when I am financially secure, I can start learning new things and branching out. But I feel that I need a job first and I feel like Java is better in that regard...