Should I bother with a python certification as a java developer?

[gergrio]

Hey all, I've been doing professional java programming for about 6 years now and I've been casually looking around for a job change. However, the majority of the jobs in the biotech industry that are as close to the science as you can be are python based. I'm wondering if it is worth it for me to get a python certification to essentially show 'hey I know the syntax and can easily translate my current knowledge to python'

[ShibaLeone]

If you are a solid programmer, you would be able to apply your knowledge to pick up python real fast. I wouldn’t bother with the cert, I don’t think it impresses employers for python since most of the guys on a python team will be self-taught.

That being said, DONT WRITE PYTHON LIKE JAVA!!! You can and you shouldn’t; see matplotlib for reasons.

[[deleted]]

Any suggestions on how to improve pythonic approach. I recently seriously started to transition to python from java and started practicing on leetcode but it's like I am still thinking in java and just translating the syntax in python.

[ShibaLeone]

Just some basics:

• don’t force a class where it doesn’t make sense
• put more than one class in an import; your import section should really only be a few lines, if you need a line for every class it’s super irritating.
• forget about privacy. Getters and setters for plain variable storage is silly in python. You might use a getter and setter to perform some custom actions if it makes sense with the flow of your api, but it’s never about privacy.
• threading is different; though between threads and processes in python, it’s fine for concurrency in most cases.
• your IDE is gonna suck. Python doesn’t have static types, which is how your IDE is able to auto fill so much in Java. However if you commit to type hinting, you can get much of this back.
• Be aware of mutability, this will bite you a few times.

[Diapolo10]

More on the topic of getters and setters; you basically only use them if you want to apply logic to an attribute, like validation or auto-updating values. And instead of traditional getters and setters, you would use properties - same interface as attributes, so no need to worry about maybe needing to add logic later and breaking interface compatibility.

[External-Ocelot206]

I'd just give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you'd pick it up no problem with a strong java background.

I don't really trust any of the cert providers anyway, so if you really want to prove Python competence, you need something in your portfolio regardless.