Don't Learn Python in 2024

Devslopes

6 Mar 202406:46

Summary

TLDRThe video script cautions against falling into the 'Python trap' for beginners learning to code. While Python is popular and versatile, the language alone may not lead to the desired career path. The speaker emphasizes the importance of aligning language choices with specific career goals, such as web development, iOS/Android development, or data science. For aspiring front-end web developers, the recommended path is HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React, as these languages align with current job market demands. The video advises beginners to have a clear career goal in mind and learn the relevant languages, rather than learning Python solely because it's considered beginner-friendly. The objective is to expedite progress towards one's desired future in tech, avoiding wasted time on languages that may not directly contribute to that goal.

Takeaways

🚫 The speaker warns against falling into the 'Python trap' where beginners learn Python just because it's popular and easy, without considering their long-term career goals.
🎯 The main emphasis is on choosing a programming language based on the specific career path or field you want to pursue, rather than just learning a language because it's easy or popular.
👨‍💻 For those aiming to get a job quickly, front-end web development is presented as the easiest entry point, with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React being the recommended languages to learn.
🐍 While Python is acknowledged as a valuable and versatile language, it's not recommended as the first language for beginners unless their goal is data science or back-end development.
🌐 For fields like iOS or Android app development, the speaker suggests learning the specific languages and frameworks required (Swift for iOS, Java/Kotlin for Android), rather than Python.
🔑 The key takeaway is to have a clear career goal in mind, research the languages and skills required for that field, and then focus your learning efforts accordingly.
⏳ Learning languages that don't align with your desired career path can be a waste of time and demotivating in the long run.
🧭 The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a well-defined roadmap or plan to guide your learning journey and get you closer to your career goals.
🎓 For more advanced or specialized fields like data science, the speaker suggests that formal education (e.g., a college degree) may be necessary in addition to learning the relevant programming languages.
🔁 The video encourages a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability, as the job market and technological landscape are constantly evolving.

Q & A

Why does the speaker caution against falling into the 'python trap' for beginners?
-The speaker cautions against falling into the 'python trap' because while Python is a popular and easy language for beginners, it might not be the best choice if your goal is to get a job quickly. Python is primarily used for data science and backend development, which may not be suitable for entry-level positions.
What alternative language does the speaker recommend for beginners interested in web development?
-The speaker recommends JavaScript as an alternative language for beginners interested in web development, as it is just as easy as Python but more directly aligned with the skills needed for front-end web development roles.
What is the key message the speaker wants to convey?
-The key message the speaker wants to convey is that when learning to code, it is crucial to have a clear career path in mind and choose the programming languages that align with that path, rather than simply learning a language because it is easy or popular.
According to the speaker, what is the easiest path to getting a tech job quickly?
-According to the speaker, the easiest path to getting a tech job quickly is front-end web development, as it is a relatively easy field to learn, does not require a college degree, and the languages involved (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) are not overly complex.
What advice does the speaker give for advanced programmers regarding learning Python?
-For advanced programmers, the speaker suggests that learning Python can be a great addition to their skill set, as it is a versatile language used in many fields.
What languages does the speaker recommend for iOS app development?
-The speaker recommends learning Swift and the iOS framework for those interested in iOS app development, as Python would not be a suitable language for this field.
How does the speaker describe the job market for Python developers?
-The speaker acknowledges that while Python is a popular and versatile language used in many fields, it is often used in conjunction with other languages, rather than as a primary language for specific job roles.
What potential drawback does the speaker mention about learning a language just because it's easy?
-The speaker warns that learning a language just because it's easy can lead to learning things that might not be useful or help you achieve your career goals, potentially causing you to lose motivation and setting you back.
What advice does the speaker give regarding choosing programming languages to learn?
-The speaker advises having a clear goal in mind for your future career and the field that interests you the most, and then choosing to learn the languages that align with that goal, rather than learning languages aimlessly.
What is the main point the speaker wants to convey through this video?
-The main point the speaker wants to convey is that when starting out in programming, it's important to avoid the 'python trap' and instead focus on learning languages that will directly help you achieve your desired career path, rather than just learning a language because it's easy or popular.

Outlines

00:00

🚫 The Python Trap and Choosing the Right Path

The video cautions against falling into the 'Python trap' where beginners choose Python as their first programming language solely because it is easy and popular. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of selecting a language that aligns with one's desired career path. Python may not be the best choice for entry-level jobs like backend development or data science, which often require more advanced skills or education. The video suggests considering languages like JavaScript for web development or Swift/Java for mobile app development, as these are more directly aligned with specific career paths and increase the chances of landing an entry-level job in those fields.

05:00

🎯 Finding Your Path and Learning Relevant Languages

The video reinforces the idea that when starting to learn programming, it is crucial to have a clear goal and career path in mind. Rather than learning a language simply because it is popular or easy, one should research and identify the languages and skills most relevant to their desired field. The video uses the example of web development, where learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React would be more beneficial than learning Python initially. It emphasizes that learning languages irrelevant to one's goals can be demotivating and set back progress towards finding a job in the desired field. The key is to align language choices with the specific career path one wants to pursue.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Python Trap

The 'Python Trap' refers to the tendency for beginners to choose Python as their first programming language simply because it is perceived as an easy language to learn, without considering whether Python aligns with their long-term career goals. The video cautions against falling into this trap, as it may lead learners down a path that does not directly facilitate their desired career prospects.

💡Versatility

The video highlights Python's versatility, referring to its widespread use across various fields and industries. However, it argues that while Python's versatility contributes to its popularity, the language itself may not be sufficient for securing certain types of jobs, especially for entry-level positions or specific career paths.

💡Career Path

A central theme of the video is the importance of choosing a programming language based on the desired career path. It emphasizes the need for learners to identify their long-term goals and select languages that align with those goals, rather than solely focusing on the perceived ease of a language. The video suggests that languages like JavaScript may be better suited for popular career paths like web development.

💡Job Market

The video emphasizes the significance of understanding the job market and the skills that employers are seeking. It recommends researching the languages and frameworks that are in high demand for specific roles or industries, and prioritizing the learning of those languages over others that may not directly contribute to securing a job in the desired field.

💡Front-end Web Development

The video presents front-end web development as a potential career path with a relatively low barrier to entry for beginners. It suggests that learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, rather than Python, would be more beneficial for those seeking to pursue a career in front-end web development, as these languages are directly relevant and in high demand for this field.

💡Roadmap

The concept of a 'roadmap' is highlighted in the video, referring to a structured plan or path that learners should follow to achieve their desired career goals. The video advises learners to develop a clear roadmap based on their career aspirations and to prioritize learning the languages and technologies that align with that roadmap, rather than pursuing languages solely based on perceived ease or popularity.

💡Motivation

The video warns that learning languages or technologies that do not contribute to one's desired career path can lead to a loss of motivation. It suggests that when learners feel disconnected from their ultimate goals, they may become discouraged and lose interest in the field altogether. Thus, maintaining motivation is tied to pursuing a focused and goal-oriented learning path.

💡Barrier of Entry

The video discusses the concept of a 'barrier of entry,' referring to the level of difficulty or prerequisites required to enter a particular field or career path. It suggests that front-end web development has a relatively low barrier of entry compared to other fields, making it a potentially attractive option for beginners seeking to enter the tech job market quickly.

💡Tool Belt

The video uses the metaphor of a 'tool belt' to describe the value of learning multiple programming languages for experienced developers. It acknowledges that for advanced programmers, learning Python can be a valuable addition to their 'tool belt' or skillset, as it expands their capabilities and versatility in addressing a diverse range of programming challenges.

💡Trivialize

The video cautions against trivializing or underestimating the importance of making informed choices when selecting programming languages to learn. It suggests that learners should avoid dismissing the long-term implications of their language choices, as trivializing these decisions may lead them down paths that do not align with their desired career goals or aspirations.

Highlights

A lot of people when they're just starting out learning how to code they fall into what I like to call the python trap and that's basically this they see python as an easy language for beginners, and they decided to choose it as their first language.

Python is a very versatile language it's used in a lot of things, it's used in a lot of different fields, but the language itself won't get you to where you need to be for example the biggest jobs for python itself would be in something like data science or backend development.

If you choose to Learn Python just because it's an easy language there are tons of easy languages out there and those other languages might leverage you in a position more in line with why you want to learn how to code.

You don't just want to focus on the languages themselves you want a set in stone road map that you can follow to get you where you want to be and the more you learn about road maps and paths, the more you learn that python might not be the best option for someone starting out in programming.

Would you rather learn a language just because it's easy to give you an entry in a tech field or would you rather learn a language that is just as easy but it can also leverage you to get you where you want to be?

JavaScript is a language we recommend for beginners, because it has the same amount of ease as Python and you're more on track to get a job with a language like JavaScript than would python.

JavaScript is a language that you can use in itself to help you leverage you into a job.

If you wanted to become an iOS Developer you could see how python wouldn't be a great fit because iOS development doesn't work with languages like python it works with Swift and you have to learn the iOS framework same thing goes with Android development Java and Kotlin.

I'm not discouraging python as a language python is very valuable python is using like I said a lot of different things but python by itself isn't what you need to help get you the job.

Without a doubt, the easiest barrier of entry into the tech job market would be front-end web development and that's because it's a pretty relatively easy field to learn, it's not something you have to go to school for and it's not something where the languages are too complex like you're not having to learn things like C++ or C.

As someone just learning how to code and wanting to get a job fast frontend development would be the route to go down and the languages you would need for that of course HTML and CSS these are your base blogs and then instead of learning python you would want to learn JavaScript because if you look at what is revolves in the technical space when it comes to web development JavaScript is King and python is a subset to that, it's used and it's used a lot it's used everywhere but it's used as a tool not as a primary source.

Don't spend one second learning things that won't get you where you want to be as quick as possible.

If you're an advanced programmer and you're like man I want to Learn Python then of course go fiddle with python go learn it because it's going to be a great addition to your tool belt but if you're someone just starting out and you've fallen into this python trap where you think Python's the best programming language because it's easy for beginnner and it's one of the most popular coding languages, understand that this trap can set you back from where you want to be in the future.

What path do you want to go down and what languages will help get you that path?

Before you go dive in and learn a language like Python, and and before we go even further I would say this about any language if you wanted to learn web development I wouldn't tell you to go out and learn Swift all that this comes down to is what path do you want to go down and what languages will help get you that path.