Have you changed languages much?

Elessar

Just wondering if it's normal enough to change development language or even IT skill set much in a career.

I work a lot with SQL & PL/SQL but I always envisaged getting into Java development down the line. I am the point now of considering it, but I know it's better to stick to one toolset and get really good at it, careerwise. Has anyone any experience of moving languages in a career, would it be a bad thing? I'm still fairly junior so it's not as if I have decades of experience in SQL behind me, but maybe I'm better sticking to what I know and growing in it.

Manach

In answer to OP's question, several times. These were in part driven by learning/using whatever toolset was assigned to complete the job and other times by my own reckoning of what would be a good language to catch the next IT wave. A key part of the deciding comes done to one's own personality: Fox or Hedgehog and how to translate this in to good career in the industry.

Captain Commie

I've changed direction in IT career a couple of times since I got started full time in 2007. Went from call centre based support to IT admin role and now working as a web application dev. Since starting dev i've worked with PHP and some html/css/js thrown in to the mix, however in November i'm gonna be starting the online mentorship with Code Institute which will be mostly using python for the back end.

As far as dev, I've been in my role since October last year, sill relatively junior, but it's important in this day and age to be a bit of a polyglot.

L.Jenkins

In terms of my own career path, I began in retail. Since, I've gone on to PC maintenance and repair until I got a foot in the door, Networking and Systems Admin to Development.

I did work with the Java stack + Oracle and DB2 in IBM on eCommerce Applications. Now I develop with C#, ASP.NET, Python, Perl, C/C++, while engaging in some form of Admin with RHEL, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle.

So I think it would be pretty typical of someone in IT to change roles or up skill one way or another. It's not a bad thing either as long as your CV reflects some form of consistency along the way. For example, working your way to a Development Path, then up dating skills in one or two stacks as opposed to hoping about from one language or role to the next.

I will say the DBs and SQL in all their forms are 'ALWAYS' a good thing to have for nearly all, if not every Development position.

Creamy Goodness

started in PHP and front-end stuff, now onto Objective-C/Swift, so glad I did too.

a fat guy

I've mainly stuck with Java-based technologies, but yeah, you'll have to skill up every now and then to further your own learning. I plan on expanding form Java to Android. After that, I'll likely move on to Ruby/Rails, as I already know a bit about them and would like to know more. After that, who knows... I've heard that Rust is up-and-coming, so might want to dig my teeth into it if I have any spare time.

The handy thing about it is that once you've mastered a particularly in-depth language from the ground up (Java, Ruby, C++), you'll find it easier to learn others, since a lot of the concepts will carry over. Good old software development!

amen

Yes several times. Started with pl/1 and (jcl), then c then some c++, then vb, then classic asp and currently c# with jquery and knockout with asp.net mvr.

In terms od db technologies it started on db2 then informed followed by a little oracle and a lot of SQL server


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