"What Language Should I Learn Next?" Misses the Point — And Other Truths for the Next Generation of Engineers
Stop asking limiting questions about languages and job interviews
June 2, 2025
"Which programming language should I learn next?"
If I had a Euro for every time someone asked me this, I'd have retired to a beach somewhere drinking whiskey sours instead of writing this post.
Even if you don’t want to admit it, you already know in your heart of hearts that there's no magical next programming language that's going to solve all your problems. It's kinda like asking "which power drill should I upgrade to?" without knowing if you're a picture framer or a tiny home builder.
Anyway, the real concerns you should be having are way more interesting:
What kind of digital experience do I want to create next?
What’s my next job? Do I want to join a scrappy startup or a corporate giant?
Which skill do I add to my arsenal to keep growing?
Want to make iPhone apps that make people's lives easier? Swift's your friend. Stuck at a company that's been Java-ing since the early 2000s? It’s probably time to embrace the verbosity. Dreaming of world domination? JavaScript is basically the Swiss Army knife of programming languages, so it’s only logical to join the JavaScript cult.
It's not sexy advice, but it's honest advice. And that's way more valuable.
Your Certificate Collection Is Not Impressive (Sorry Not Sorry)
When I'm looking at resumes, I genuinely don't care about your collection of online certificates. It's like showing me your participation trophies. Sure, it’s nice, but tell me what you can actually do.
You know what makes me sit up and pay attention? Projects. Real, messy, beautiful projects that I can actually play with.
Build a terrible clone of Instagram that only works on Tuesdays. Create a Reddit reader that crashes every third scroll (we've all been there). Try and fail to make a restaurant app with inoperative filters like every other food delivery app ever. Build a command-line tool that does something weird but useful.
Go ahead and build a prayer generator if that's what gets you excited! The point isn't perfection, it's passion.
Your GitHub should tell a story about who you are as a developer. It should be messy and experimental and full of "oh, that's interesting" moments. Because that's what real development looks like.
What Actually Matters in Job Interviews
What's more important, knowing the difference between a heap and a stack, or writing code that doesn't make your teammates cry?
If you guessed the second one, congratulations! You understand how the real world works.
When I'm interviewing developers, I'm not trying to stump them with computer science trivia. I want to know:
Can you write code that a human can actually read?
If I download your project, will it run without me needing a PhD in stress management?
Do your commit messages tell a story, or do they look like you smashed your keyboard?
Did you bother to document anything, or am I supposed to read your mind?
Here's a secret that'll save your career: when you don't know something, just say "I don't know, but I'd love to learn about that."
That combination of honesty and curiosity is gold. That's what gets you remembered long after the interview ends.
Your Career Is Just a Series of Calculated Risks (So, Make Them Good Ones)
Every job you take, every side project you start, every weekend you spend learning something new, it's all a bet on yourself.
Think of skill-building like investing in stocks, except the stock is you, and you have way more control over the outcome.
That expensive bootcamp? That online course? That conference ticket? Don't ask "Is this too expensive?" Ask "What's this going to give me back?" If the answer is "a lot more than I'm putting in," find a way to make it happen.
And here's the most important part: don't wait for permission. Don't wait for the perfect moment. Don't wait for someone to tap you on the shoulder and say "You're ready now."
Start building. Start writing. Start breaking things and fixing them and sharing your disasters and victories with the world.
Because that's what real engineers do, they make stuff, they mess up, they learn, they make better stuff.
What Really Matters
Behind every production system is a developer who shipped it despite incomplete requirements, shifting priorities, and that one edge case they knew would bite them later. The difference? They shipped anyway. Your half-baked idea is more valuable than someone else's perfectly documented vaporware. Your first project was probably terrible, but you made it anyway. Your second project was probably slightly less terrible. Hopefully, by your tenth project, you actually started to impress yourself. That's how this whole thing works.
Here's the truth that connects everything we've discussed, from understanding your motivations to building sustainable habits to navigating the overwhelming landscape of choices: it's okay to admit you're not good at this yet, maybe you suck at it. Make your peace with that reality instead of letting anxiety about your current skill level paralyze you. This understanding and perspective shift is the first step toward actually getting better. Learning to code is a long process of mind and soul refinement, much like learning to play an instrument or studying martial arts, disciplines that demand patience, consistent practice, and acceptance of incremental progress. The question isn't whether you'll struggle (you will), but whether you're truly excited by the potential skill you could obtain. If yes, double down and embrace the messy journey. If not, pivot early and find what actually ignites that spark. Either way, your move.