In this post, we feature a comprehensive article on 5 Job Fields that Value Java Coding Skills. It’s often said that Java is a dying language because its worldwide usage has been steadily dropping in recent years. However, a decrease in usage does not necessarily equate to a loss in value for Java programmers. There are still quite a few industries that actively seek out Java-fluent coders.
In fact, the tech giant Facebook has estimated
that there will be at least one million programming jobs left unfulfilled by 2020,
despite the gradual decrease in relative popularity of the Java language. Many
of those jobs can be found in any of the following five job fields.
1. Software Development
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the job growth rate for software developers in
2017 was 21%, or “much faster than average,” demonstrating a massive increase
in demand for labor relative to the growth of other industries.
Software development firms frequently employ
java for a variety of functions ranging from crafting a better user experience
to handling heavy data analytics. But perhaps the most important reason for
software developers to know Java is the fact that Java has been used in a massive number of programs and
applications since its invention several decades ago.
The historical popularity of Java in the world
of software development, along with the fact that knowing more than one
programming language can increase your odds of landing a job as a software
developer, has made programmers the world over pick up this language despite
the overall decline in it’s inter-industry popularity.
2. Gaming
Python is rapidly gaining on Java in terms of
popularity in game-development, in part because of the fact that Python is
easier for first-time coders to learn; however, the truth is that many games
today are still powered by Java.
In fact, even a large number of wildly
successful, modern games employ Java to some extent. For example, all of the server code for Clash of Clans is written in
Java. Considering the fact that SuperCell, the company that owns
Clash of Clans, is a multi-billion-dollar company, the drive for Java knowledge
in the gaming industry is rather self-explanatory.
Even when it comes to creating coding
games for kids, developers still look to Java for purposes ranging
from server maintenance to cross-platform compatibility, making Java a great
language to know in the world of gaming.
3. Web Development
When people think of web development, they
tend to think of JavaScript because of the fact that JavaScript is one of the
most common programming languages used for that purpose. However, Java–without
the Script–is also a widely sought-after programming language in the world of
web development, granted to a lesser extent.
This is largely due to the scalability
inherent to the Java language. That scalability is what led Twitter to ditch Ruby in favor of Java.
Simply put, Java exceeds the scalability levels of Ruby by leagues and bounds,
making it a far more useful programming language for companies that are looking
to pursue exponential growth.
4. App Development
Even mobile app development groups demonstrate
a heavy reliance on Java. For instance, the Android apps are officially intended to be created from
the Java language, but the use of Java in Android isn’t just about
being the official language of the app marketplace.
Large portions of the common Android operating
system are written in Java. That alone has made Java one of the most
important–even if not the most popular in terms of today’s usage
rates–programming languages available to any programmer in the field of app
development.
That said, thanks to Apple’s XCode software,
Swift is rapidly gaining ground amongst newcomers to the world of code.
5. Science and Research
A general rule of thumb is that, if you’re in
a lab, you’re probably using Java. That’s because Java is the standard programming languages of scientific
applications in part because of tradition and in part because of the
high-volume, data-analytics functions that Java renders so easy.
Unfortunately, the question of whether or not
Java is going to maintain its status as the industry standard in the world of
research has become a subject of some contention in recent years, with many
labs switching over to Python in order to present new researchers with a
programming language that is much easier for first-timers to learn.
That debate has also carried over to the
educational realm, with many professionals debating whether to emphasize Java
or Python when teaching coding for kids. Given current and historical
usage statistics, however, the most efficient course of action seems to be
teaching STEM students both Java and Python, in order to maximize future
research prospects.
6. Java Coding Skills – Conclusion
Each of these five job fields are among the top
of the list when it comes to the importance of Java programming skills, but
that doesn’t mean that they are the only job fields with employers looking for
Java programmers.
All-in-all, having a firm understanding of
Java and its various applications in addition to your secondary programming
language of choice (which, let’s face it, should probably be Python) can make
you a powerful double-threat in the world of technology.
Nice Article
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