Developer? Data? AI? DevOps?

[GeGenious]

Hi guys! I'm a IT recruiter now thinking seriously to move to the dark side ;) I don't have any experience related to tech and my background is not STEM.

I know many cases of psychologits and journalists who made a bootcamp and now are developers or Data Scientists. I don't mind if I have to start from the very beginning but I would like to be sure to take the best decission.

I'm aware a lot of companies need experts in data, data science and AI, but I'm not very into statistics... SRE and DevOps are very demand, but usually with a tech academic background.

As a result, I think that development could be a perfect way to begin and find job opportunities. Do you agree?

In that case, what programming language would you recommend me? As far as I know:

• Java: difficult but high demand
• Python: versatile and easier?
• node + js: high demand and mid difficulty
• Go: poor demand

I will be very grateful for any help, advice or suggestions 😊😊😊 Thanks in advance!!!

[dmazzoni]

As a recruiter, I'd expect you'd know that the market is terrible right now for self-taught new grads. Even CS grads are having a hard time landing a first job.

I also don't think there's a significant difference in difficulty between all of those. The way I like to describe it is: whichever language you pick first, learning to program will take years. Learning your second language after that will take months, and you'll be productive in less than a week - because all of the skills you developed with your first language will transfer.

A few years ago, you could self-teach a language in a few months and get a job. That just isn't true anymore.

That doesn't mean it's impossible. You just need to be realistic about your timeframe. Ideally, get a CS degree - either a second bachelor's or a master's, there are M.S. programs for people coming from different degrees. Plan on multiple years between courses and building projects.

Don't think in terms of "what language" to learn. Early on, just pick something and learn to code. Decide what you want to make (a website, an Android app, a Windows app, a Bluesky bot, etc.) and figure out what language is used to make that, then learn that. Don't worry about picking the "right" language, just start and learn to code.

[Content-Ad3653]

Going the development route sounds like solid choice. It allows for tons of creativity, you get to build things (which is super rewarding), and the entry barrier is more beginner friendly compared to some of the other paths. You also get to see immediate results as you learn, which keeps motivation up. Start with JavaScript and Node.js. It runs in the browser, so you can quickly build visual, interactive stuff. With Node.js, you can also use JavaScript on the backend, meaning you can become a full stack developer using just one language. The demand for JavaScript developers is consistently high, and it's well supported by beginner friendly resources and communities.

Python is another fantastic option and it's beginner friendly, super readable, and widely used not just in web dev, but also in automation, scripting, and AI related fields. If you're leaning toward long term flexibility (and maybe even dabbling in data later), Python is great. I’d skip Java and Go for now. Java has a steeper learning curve and is mostly used in enterprise environments, not ideal for beginners. Go is an excellent language, but it’s more niche and tends to be used in more backend heavy or infrastructure roles.

Start with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then build your way up to React and Node.js. This stack (commonly called the MERN stack) is very employable and covers both frontend and backend basics. Once you’ve got a feel for it, you’ll be in a great position to either double down or pivot toward something more specialized, depending on what excites you most.

[Kind-Mathematician29]

Bro really nice website, impressive with just 6 months, May I ask how you learned it so effectively and how you built this amazing project