Top Five in Demand Coding Skills
As technology continues to advance, coding and programming skills are becoming increasingly valuable. Having the right skills can give you an edge when looking for employment and it’s important to know what employers are looking for. With so many different coding languages and frameworks available it can be difficult and overwhelming to navigate. Whether you’re looking to upskill and stay ahead of the curve in the tech sector, or learning new skills to change your career paths, there are a lot of options available. Let’s look at five of the most in-demand coding skills that employers are looking for.
Java
What is it?
Arguably the most popular programming language, Java is a multi-platform, object-oriented, and network-centric programming language. And it is also used as a computing platform. Java is one of the fastest, most secure and reliable programming languages preferred by several organisations for their projects. Java is also considered to be simple, readable and well-established, and underpins many of the online services we use every day.
Why we love it
Java is one of the easiest coding languages to learn and use and is behind some of the world’s most successful websites such as Amazon, AliExpress and LinkedIn. It also makes a great starting point to learn other coding languages.
What is it used for?
Video games
Web-based programs
Scientific computing
Big Data analytics
Android apps
Desktop applications
JavaScript
What is it?
JavaScript (unrelated to Java) is a programming language commonly used by web developers to create more dynamic interactions when developing applications, servers, web pages, and games. JavaScript is the animating force behind the internet and makes interactivity possible allowing for the ability to add pop-ups, quizzes, forms, and more to websites. JavaScript is considered an absolute must have skill for web developers and a good skill to have for web designers to give a competitive advantage to your skillset.
Why we love it
JavaScript is considered quite easy to learn and simple to master and being one of the internet’s primary languages (with an estimated 95% of websites using JavaScript), there is huge room for career development with JavaScript developers in high demand. JavaScript is used by top companies including Google, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Netflix and Uber and is a great tool for anyone looking at learning a new coding language.
What is it used for?
Creating interactive websites
Building apps for mobile and web
Developing engaging games
Python
What is it?
Python is a general-purpose programming language that can be used to create a variety of programs and doesn't specialise to any specific problems. Python is often used to build websites and software, conduct data analysis, and to automate tasks.
Why we love it
Python is versatile in its application and is extremely beginner-friendly and has been consistently considered as one of the most popular programming languages among developers for years. Python is the programming language behind the websites for NASA, Reddit, and Google.
What is it used for?
Data analysis
Web development
Automation
Software testing and prototypes
C#
What is it?
Pronounced ‘See Sharp’, C# is an object-oriented programming language that can be used to perform a wide range of tasks and objectives that span over a variety of career options. Created by Microsoft and originally designed to rival Java, C# was intended to be a simple, modern and general-purpose programming language.
Why we love it
C# contains a range of features, explicitly introduced to the language to improve productivity and make common tasks easy to do. C# is also considered incredibly user-friendly and flexible to the changing needs of the digiscape.
What is it used for?
Mobile apps
Desktop apps
Cloud-based services
Website development
Enterprise software
Games
SQL
What is it?
While not considered a traditional programming language by some in the tech world, Structured Query Language (SQL) is a special purpose language used largely for managing data stored in relational database management systems. SQL queries are used to retrieve information from databases so if you plan on working with large amounts of data then learning SQL will come in very handy.
Why we love it
With data being one of the most valuable commodities in the world, being able to define, control, manipulate and understand that data is a valuable skill to have. SQL can do all these things. It is also a universal language that is transferrable to other disciplines and languages. SQL is used within major companies such as Adobe Systems Inc., Dell Technologies, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Microsoft.
What is it used for?
Data management and administration
Data analysis
Marketing
Backend development for apps and websites
Accounting
Final thoughts
These five skills are representative of just a snapshot of what is currently demand in the IT employment market today- but we think they’re certainly some of the most important skills and base coding languages to get your started. If you want to stay competitive in your field, it pays to invest your time into developing and mastering these core skills but also don’t forget to stay on top of emerging trends. If you’re still not sure what the right skills are for you to look at developing, we recommend looking into the tech stack used by companies you aspire to work for and start your education from there.