# Software Dev -- what new thing to learn? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-dev-what-new-thing-to-learn/657628 "2013-05-06T16:41:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-dev-what-new-thing-to-learn/657628/1 "2013-05-06T16:41:42Z")
I’m a fairly experienced back-end Java developer and am in the starting phases of looking around for a new job. I need to update my skill set and am trying to figure out what I can learn the fastest that would be the most marketable. I know there are lots of forums around with the same question (some of which are 10 years old). I don’t really care what’s the better language, framework or tool, I just want to be able to self-train fairly quickly on something marketable. Basically I see a lot of demand for Spring, Hibernate, Ruby, Groovy, Grails, etc. How can I decide? I started looking at the Spring website and there’s Roo as well. I don’t want to choose something that’s too narrowly focused. So I would welcome and trust your opinions. This is the Boston area, if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-dev-what-new-thing-to-learn/657628/2 "2013-05-06T17:09:33Z")
You’re going to want to look to web dev, that’s for sure. node.js is an up-and-comer. Angular.js is a JavaScript framework from Google. Also in the Boston area, and it seems the highest demands (based on my resume, which has NO Java) are for Python and C#/ASP.NET (yuck). ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-dev-what-new-thing-to-learn/657628/3 "2013-05-06T17:38:52Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > Basically I see a lot of demand for Spring, Hibernate, Ruby, Groovy, Grails, etc. How can I decide? I started looking at the Spring website and there’s Roo as well. I don’t want to choose something that’s too narrowly focused. Since you already know Java I’d suggest doing a Groovy on Grails project. It’s the Java version of the Ruby on Rails web app framework and it sits on top of Spring and Hibernate. You can do a pretty impressive first project in a weekend and check off many of the technologies you listed. Groovy uses the Java VM so you can reference any Java library from your Groovy code (and will probably start wishing “straight” Java had many of the features Groovy does). ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-dev-what-new-thing-to-learn/657628/4 "2013-05-06T17:44:27Z")
Salesforce Platform app development is pretty hot right now. Very Java like. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-dev-what-new-thing-to-learn/657628/5 "2013-05-06T23:13:40Z")
If you want to specialize, look at NoSQL and node.js. jQuery is well worth knowing if you do any front-end web stuff.