When trying to decide which is the right coding bootcamp for you, it’s important to look into the programming languages that are covered in the courses offered. With so many programming languages out there, this can vary quite a bit and you want to make sure you’re investing your time and money into something worthwhile. You’ll see names like Ruby on Rails, Python, Java, JavaScript, and then be faced with the task of investigating each of them and deciding which one you should learn.
Putting What is the best programming language to learn? into Google is a good start, but the ‘best’ according to whom? A better search might be What’s the most popular programming language? As this will bring up results based on the popularity of languages amongst those who actually use them, the developers, but also give you an idea of what the most demanded programming language is by employers.
After all, we’re going to assume that your main objective in learning how to code is to get a job as a programmer. Are we right?
Though there are many ways to compare programming languages, we believe examining the demand for such languages by employers is the smartest and most logical way to decide which to learn as it keeps your main objective at the forefront of your learning.
So which is both, popular and demanded, amongst developers and employers?
Java, of course!
TIOBE is a great indicator of the best language to learn as it calculates its classification by analysing data from Google, Yahoo !, Bing, Wikipedia, Amazon, Baidu, and YouTube, and then combines variables such as the number of professional developers around the world, training courses, and third-party data to determine positions.
Java, a back-end programming language, has continuously been cited as the most popular, only dipping briefly over the span of 15 years. Here is a current overview of the top programming languages:
Source: TIOBE Index
If we take a look at HackerRank’s detailed 2018 Developer Skills Report, we can see that JavaScript and Java tie for the most in-demand programming languages by employers:
Source: 2018 Developer Skills Report
“It’s evident that both Java and JavaScript are nearly identical in terms of usage across development teams either already using or planning to use cloud-native architecture,” says Cloud Foundry Foundation CTO, Chip Childers in the 2018 Developer Language Report. “The data shows these two languages are the preferred choices for companies developing cloud-native applications.”
The difference between Java and JavaScript is that the first is a back-end language and the latter used in front-end development (though Node.js, a JavaScript runtime, can be used on the back-end) and finding a programmer who knows JavaScript is much easier than one who knows Java.
Demand per back-end programming language
If you do a job search on Indeed for programmers and developers in the cities we have coding bootcamps, you can see that Java is the most in-demand back-end programming language by far, making up an average of 67.24% of the open positions.
So why are we the only coding bootcamp offering courses in Java?
If you take a look on SwitchUp, you’ll see that Ubiqum Code Academy is the only coding bootcamp operating in Barcelona, and online, to offer immersive 5-month-long web development courses in Java. However, with so many more open vacancies for this highly popular programming language, one would imagine all coding bootcamps to be offering it. So why aren’t they?
Time ⏰
Java is a complex language to teach and not something you can do in five or nine weeks if you are an absolute beginner in programming. The fact that our Web Development with Java course spans over five intensive months means that students are able to gradually build upon their knowledge, constantly putting into practice everything they learn. As our Career Programs are for absolute beginners, to rush through “the basics” and not give students enough time to feel fully confident using technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, i.e. the foundation for learning Java, would be a big mistake. After all, you don’t build a house without making sure you’re on solid ground first.
Methodology
The way in which you learn is key, and being told how to do something through lectures or theory-heavy teaching materials is not the way in which we should be learning as the material covered is quickly forgotten. A practical, ‘learn by doing’ methodology such as our own, on the other hand, is conducive to deep, long-lasting learning and equips the learner with the skills to continue learning in an autonomous, proficient way.
At many coding academies, students code, yes, but only after a structured lecture according to a predefined syllabus. Not at Ubiqum. Our program is 100% student-centred, meaning that students are able to progress through the content at their own pace, refactoring their code until it meets the acceptance criteria. It may take longer for some students than others, but our programs are designed to adapt to a variety of skills and abilities with the one common trait being that all of our students depart the program with the core skills of a modern developer.
Being a modern developer means knowing how to program in Java, but it also means possessing the mental models to face and overcome complex problems, and by mental models we mean the thinking tools that you use to understand life, make decisions, and solve problems. Based on learning sciences, our Java Program is so much more than a course in web development or simply learning how to code, many of our students have found the experience to be life-changing.