Being an HR professional in an IT company or being a tech recruiter go hand in hand with great responsibility, and with an even greater deal of things to learn. We communicate with developers daily, and we often get to hear about various tools, frameworks, and kits they use. It is only natural to look those terms up and learn (at least) their essential meaning.
According to Wikipedia – there are 700 programming languages out there. Each one of these languages has its purpose and something that makes it unique. No one can possibly be familiar with all those programming languages, but anyone can find fun and amusing facts to read about, or to learn some elementary operations and information.
Even though it is our birthright to think of pandas as warm, fuzzy teddy bears, it wouldn’t kill us to acknowledge there’s a Python tool-kit with the same name.
The global urge to stay at home is probably the best time to start (or continue) learning. After a long day of obsessively checking out social media, treat yourself with an hour or two of expanding your skillset.
The most popular programming languages in 2020
Many absolute beginners ask the same question – Which programming language should I learn first? This choice should be individualized according to one’s interests and plans.
However, if we look into the recent surveys, we’ll notice that Java, Python, and JavaScript are still among the most popular programming languages in 2020. The honorable mentions go to Golang and Kotlin.
Even if you’re not an aspiring engineer, there’s no harm in being more capable of understanding them.
Why learn about Java
Java will always be a popular programming language due to its broad usage. It is extremely flexible and can run on any machine. Java has been chronically favoured for over two decades and it is responding very well to all the changes, variations and slowdowns. This programming language is also well-liked thanks to its powerful development tools, such as Eclipse, Netbeans, etc. Many open-source libraries guarantee that software developers can and should use Java everywhere. And those knowledgeable Java developers have much to say in favor of Java’s documentation support. These are only some of the reasons why Java is in demand.
Figure out some more reasons to learn about it or sign up for a beginners course. Even if your career objectives have very little to do with switching from HR to Java development, don’t miss the opportunity to vastly improve your current theoretical knowledge.
Why learn about Python
Accomplished Java developers swear that learning Java isn’t difficult at all. However, the majority of beginners will agree that Python is way easier than Java. Python has an English-like syntax which makes it pretty comprehensible right from the start. Like Java, Python can cover many applications, games, web services or data-gathering challenges. This makes Python a very productive programming language. Python developers can focus on web development, Data Science, Automation Testing and DevOps, or building AI systems. Sounds good? Check out these courses.
Even though you won’t give up your recruitment career overnight to develop new AI features, make sure to utilize your free time to learn how to distinguish Python programming language from Python for scripting.
Why learn about JavaScript
As for JavaScript – it shares a common denominator with Python and Java, which is its wide range of use. It is the right career choice due to the massive demand for JavaScript. On the other hand – it is a beginner-friendly programming language. It doesn’t take very long to learn the basics. There is a huge community of programmers you can turn to for advice or help. The number of sources you can find helpful when using JavaScript is also very high.
If you’re still not keen on programming, the least you can do is to read more about popular JavaScript frameworks – what makes them popular and why are some of them more suitable for large-scale projects, while others serve better for small applications.
What are Esoteric programming languages and why you should know about them
The Esoteric programming languages are usually said to be made to make a point. They are challenging the norms of the classic and accepted language design. They defy the rules, and it’s particularly difficult to categorize them. One of the ways to (try to) classify these languages is by their usefulness or the lack of it.
Esoteric languages can have an objective value or be unusable. Some of them are artistic. Some are made as a joke (and an elaborate one). Some are there as proof of something.
Reading about esoteric languages is pretty abstract, and it can get confusing rather than useful, but isn’t it awesome to know about them?
One of the weirdest programming languages on the list must be Roadrunner. It is named after a Wile E. Coyote’s nemesis. Anyone familiar with the Looney Toones must have the “meep meep” sound engraved on their Hippocampus. So, shoot your shot at guessing what would “Hello world” look like when being written in Roadrunner.
If you’re tired of the trip down memory lane and spoiling your childhood cartoon heroes for good, here’s another esoteric programming language you must hear about – Shakespeare. If you missed out on reading Romeo and Juliet in school (or even worse – if you saw the horrid Di Caprio movie that resembles nothing like the original script) – here’s a unique and quite weird way to feel the gaps. One peek at the variable’s names in this programming language, and you’ll be hooked on reading more about this topic.
What else is on the menu?
WordPress can be a perfect learning opportunity for (primarily or partially) non-tech people such as recruiters and HR professionals. Take your time and explore its plugins. Knowing about the WordPress platform can help you perform many tasks. You can even make your website without writing a single line of code.
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On the other hand, knowing more about WordPress is tremendously important if you want to start your blog, for example.
Don’t scroll down your Instagram feed for the rest of the day; start googling the advantages of learning WordPress.
Are you thorough, detail-oriented, and neat? Are you secretly hoping your super-powers would emerge from your ability to point out the mistakes? If so, you’ll love reading about QA (quality assurance). We all know that there’s a difference between QA Manual Testing and Automation Testing. But there’s still much more to it.
If you’re interested in Automation Testing, it would still be better if you started by learning more about Manual Testing. There are many methods for testing websites and applications this way. You can start your journey by finding out about the differences between Black Box Test and White Box Testing – and everything in between. Gray Box Testing is a mixture of the previous two methods. The most amusing method is ad hoc testing, also known as Monkey testing. If you find this subject interesting, you can pass the time by finding websites you can visually test on your own.
Automation Testing is more demanding than Manual Testing, and it requires in-depth knowledge of software tools.
Selenium is still the most popular automation tool. One can write test scripts in several different languages – Java, Groovy, Python, C#, PHP, Ruby, or Perl due to its flexibility.
Soap UI, Ranorex, Katalon Studio, and Postman are also among the most frequently used automation tools in 2020.
Programming books for beginners
… And for everyone who feels that it’s time to read about tech stuff. Taking a sneak peek at programming literature won’t do you any harm, even if you firmly decide never to write a code line. Some of the books teach you how to think like a programmer and to understand what kind of mindset is just right to build a successful career in IT.
- The self-thought programmer – This is a book for self-thought programmers written by a self-thought programmer. It contains all kinds of insights and instructions, including some tips that help programmers prepare for their interviews.
- The Pragmatic Programmer – This one is a surprisingly non-tech book. Its most important message to the readers is that they must learn programming in a way they find suitable and understandable.
- HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites – This book is the best choice for an absolute beginner. It is also helpful for non-tech staff, as they can pick up on the basis. However, if you don’t feel like reading it (even though it’s filled with visual representation and it’s very beginner-friendly), you can find some really good crash courses on YouTube for free.
