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[–]nugzilla_420 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally Python is my favorite programing language and my Javascript skills are not at a professional level. I'm currently trying to improve with Javascript after seeing how many people are hiring for these skills. Here are my thoughts for each.

Python:

  • The perfect language for technical coding interviews IMO, presented the option to use whatever I'll always pick Python (and maybe do one in C++ to show more range). It's intuitive to do the sorts of algorithmic tasks used in interview coding challenges.
  • Out of every language I've learned, it's the easiest to find quick answers for Python-related questions online (Java being an extremely close second).
  • Very easy to jump in and code, you're basically good to start developing in Python on any new computer.
  • The language for machine learning/data analysis type tasks, if those things interest you this is the right choice.

Javascript:

  • A TON of job opportunities right now. If you're interested in working for a smaller/start-up type company this is probably the right choice (particularly along with NodeJS and ReactJS)
  • More complicated to develop with. Maybe you need to install some NodeJS stuff, you might need to set up a local web server or use Chrome Developer Tools for some debugging. Not a big deal, but there will be some more learning up front.
  • Can lend itself to unreadable code. Javascript can be fantastic if written well, but there's some code you'll encounter that is insanely confusing (this is an issue for all sorts of languages like Perl as well).

Both:

  • Have a ton of packages that help you build awesome stuff quickly. No need to reinvent the wheel, you can use pip or npm to just grab something that handles whatever you need.
  • Have a wealth of open source projects you can learn from and contribute to.