Top 5 Programming Language to Learn in 2020 for Job, Career, and Future

Hello guys, If you are thinking about which programming languages to learn in 2020 to get a job in a startup or doing some freelance work online as a developer, then you have come to the right place. In this article, I am going to list down some of the best programming languages for freelancers and programmers looking to get a Software developer job in startups. I have compiled this list by my own experience as a freelancer and also about reading many stories and recommendations of freelancers. These are also some of the best programming languages to get a job in startups where a quick turnaround is expected, and eventually on companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.

If you follow me, then you will be surprised to see that Java is not included in this list. Being a die-hard Java fan and having done more than 10 years of programming in Java, it was hard, but the ugly truth is that Java is not for freelancers and startups.

Java is best if you want to get a job in big organizations like wall street banks - Barclays, Citi, JPMorgan, etc. and insurance companies like AIG, but it's not suitable for startups and freelancers, where a quick turn around is needed. Instead, languages like PHP, Ruby, and Python are more suitable for startups and freelancing gigs.

I might get a lot of flake by including PHP in this list as it's not become a trend to bash PHP, but you will be surprised to know that more than 50% of websites on the internet runs on PHP.

Most of the freelance development jobs are for developing websites, managing websites that are using Wordpress, developing mobile applications, and then building utilities for different needs. For most of these, a good knowledge of PHP is required, and that's why PHP is included in this list.

Similarly, in startups, you will be asked to develop a website or mobile apps overnight or on the weekend. Programming languages like Python and Swift are suitable for such needs instead of Java. So, if you want to get a job in startups and eventually big product companies like Google and Facebook, learn languages like Python, Ruby, and Swift.

5 Best Programming Languages for Jobs as Freelancers and Startups

Without wasting any more of your time, here is my list of best programming languages for freelancers and people looking to get a job in startups.

1. Python

Python is the king of a programming language at this moment. There is nothing you cannot do using Python. You can write web apps, create machine learning models, automate the tedious task, and can even scrap the web using Python.

The biggest strength of Python is the several modules or packages which are freely available. You don't need to write a lot of code, just search for the right package or library and include them in your project.

When it comes to web development, Python has two remarkable frameworks, Django and Flask. Django is an extensive, full-featured framework, whereas Flask is more minimalistic. It gives you what you need, but you make the rest of the decisions.

Similarly, you have fantastic libraries like Pandas, SciKit-learn, and TensorFlow for machine learning, and the best thing you can write a lot of scripts using Python, which is great for freelancers. For example, you can write a Python script that can scrap all freelance websites and email you all the gigs you are interested in based upon your preferences.

In short, you should learn Python in 2020 if you want to do freelancing or interested in getting a job at a startup, and if you need a resource to learn Python in 2020, check out The Complete Python bootcamp course on Udemy, my favorite class to learn Python online.

2. PHP

A lot of people bash PHP, and it's very unfortunate because of it a great language, and almost half of the web is powered by PHP. It's simple, and you can quickly deploy PHP scripts just about anywhere. Many freelancing jobs are about creating websites using Wordpress, which is built using PHP.

If you know PHP, you can do all those gigs. PHP is seriously great for freelancers that need to get things quickly. It may not be the best choice for a large organization, but if you're freelancing and building personal projects or looking to get a job in startups, PHP can be a great choice.

If you want to learn PHP in 2020  and looking for some excellent resources, I suggest to check out this PHP for Beginners - Become a PHP Master course on Udemy. This course will teach you everything you need to become a professional PHP developer with quizzes, projects, and practical exercises.

3. Ruby

This is another excellent programming language for people doing freelancing or doing startups for the same reason as PHP, it helps you to get stuff done quickly. If you know Ruby on Rails, you can whip up a full-featured website with a database in just a day or two, which would have taken a week or so in Java.

Ruby is also prevalent in startups. In fact, many successful startups are built using Ruby and Rails like Twitter, Shopify, Github, Groupon, and your own Airbnb.

That's why if you are working on your own startups or looking to get a job on startup, it makes a lot of sense to learn Ruby in 2020, and if you need a resource, this Ruby on Rails MasterClass by Rob Percival and Mashrur Hossain is probably the best place to start with.

4. Swift

Today's world is the world of smartphones, and if you are not on your customer's phone, you are losing a lot of money, and that's why every company, both big and small are investing in their mobile apps.

All the startups need their mobile apps at the time of their website launch, and if you are interested in getting a job as a mobile developer in startups, Swift can be a great choice. Swift is the apple programming language for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

You can build iPhone and iPad apps using Swift. It's both safe by design and robust. It can also help you in your freelancing gig as there are a lot of jobs for developing and enhancing iOS apps on freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork.

And the last thing, iOS developers make a lot more money than Android developers. If you want to learn Swift in 2020 and need a resource, I suggest you check out this iOS 13 and Swift 5 Masterclass course by Angela Yu, one of the best instructors to learn Swift online.

5. JavaScript

I started this article with the king of programming language and finishing it with the queen of the web, yes, I am talking about JavaScript. The last decade was a decade of JavaScript, and it became the first programming language to develop full-stack web applications.

When you do freelancing, you don't have the luxury to get different people for developing frontend and backend; instead, you need to do all, and that's where JavaScript can help. The same is true with startups where you need to shoulder all the responsibility.

JavaScript allowed you to create both frontends and backend of your application, and that can be a tremendous differentiating factor while developing your project or hiring for startups. If you want to learn JavaScript in 2020 and need an excellent resource, I suggest you join The Complete JavaScript Course 2020: Build Real Projects  by Jonas Schmedtmann on Udemy.

It's my favorite course and offers project-based learning where you learn by developing a project of your own, the best way to learn.

That's all about the best programming languages for freelancing and building personal projects. As I said, not every programming language is suitable for everything. Sometimes, its OK to accept that Java is not the right choice for writing a simple web application and choose PHP instead. If you are looking to get a job in a startup or thinking of doing paid gigs as a freelancer, learning these five programming languages can be a game-changer.

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Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like this article and find these programming languages useful for freelancing and getting a job in a startup, then please share it with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.

P. S. - If you want to become a Java Developer in 2020 then I also highly recommend you check out The 2020 Java Developer RoadMap which will guide you on what you can learn to become an expert Java programmer. It contains essential frameworks, libraries, and tools a professional Java developer should know.