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A global survey of 25,431 developers finds that professional developers and the next generation of student developers are heading in different directions in terms of which programming language they prefer to learn.
Nearly three-quarters of experienced developers (73%) want to know more about the Go programming language, while 88% of student developers cited Rust as the programming language they are most focused on, according to a survey conducted by HackerEarth, an online community through which organizations can contract and manage development teams. Python, Java, and C++ are the most widely known programming languages, the survey finds.
The survey also finds there is a similar dichotomy when it comes to frameworks as well. The majority of students (88%) are interested in learning Padrino, while experienced developers (55%) are more interested in React. Overall, the most widely employed frameworks today by both professional and student developers are the Node.js and AngularJS platforms based on JavaScript, the survey finds.
The divergence of interest probably reflects the types of projects that experienced developers are working on next, said Alfred Alexander, vice president of marketing for HackerEarth.
Editor’s note: Curious about which programming languages are trending in 2021? Read our article: The Best Programming Languages to Learn in 2021.
In contrast, student developers are more focused on the programming language that is most likely to have the biggest impact on their ability to launch a career, added Alexander.
The most widely used platforms employed by developers to acquire new skills are YouTube and StackOverflow, noted Alexander.
The survey also finds that most developers (68%) are least happy working at large enterprises compared to a startup company. In addition to working in an environment that is less structured, Alexander noted modern startup companies have a greater appreciation for the difference software makes to the business. Developers working for enterprise IT organizations are often also required to work on legacy platforms that require them to write code using older programming languages, noted Alexander.
Finally, the survey also suggests that developers are starting to experience “Zoom fatigue.” Just under a quarter of respondents (22%) said too many online meetings are having an impact on their productivity. Many managers are still coming to terms with how to manage a team of developers that are largely working from home. “Too many of what were 10-minute meetings in the office have become 20 to 30 online meetings,” said Alexander.
Managers also tend to be less comfortable using tools such as Slack to check in with developers as an alternative to a video conference meeting, noted Alexander.
Organizations of all sizes have never been more dependent on software. Many of them are starting to align their business processes around the rate at which software is being developed and deployed. New capabilities are being slipstreamed into digital processes that organizations are relying on to engage not just end customers but also suppliers and partners. The challenge organizations are encountering is there are not enough professional developers available to drive all the digital business transformation initiatives that organizations want to launch.
Developers, of course, are enjoying the financial benefits of the current imbalance between supply and demand. It’s not clear to what degree low-code and nocode tools might one day increase developer productivity to the point where that imbalance is less pronounced. In the meantime, however, developers will be able to continue to define their own terms when it comes to not just how much they are paid but also the working conditions they are willing to tolerate.
