Will learning more new concepts in programming help me get a better job?

Question

Hello,

Would learning more and more concepts in programming through google help me find a better job?

Thanks

Answer 1

Well, a good programmer will always strive to learn more. But,

• You should go about in a systematic fashion. What is it that you want to learn?
• If you're interested in finding a better job, you must ask your self: what kind of job? Which language?

Just running to google and punching in random phrases will not get you far. Dive into one or two subjects/languages thoroughly, read a book, and regularly visit sites like SO.

Answer 2

Being a better programmer would, and it's impossible without knowing more. But knowing more, mechanically, doesn't guarantee that either.

With that attitude you have all chances of learning random garbage, since the bullshit is free. Learn things that help you to understand how programming and conputer work, not just random "new concepts".

Answer 3

Part of becoming a better engineer is learning more things. Certainly reading about new concepts will help you in this. However, true experience and insight comes from application. Go read about things that interest you, but then write the code and build programs that use what you've learned. Continue doing this, and your employment situation will improve. It may take years, but if you truly love programming, this is a great course of action.

Of course, if you don't like programming, nothing is going to make your worklife better than finding something else to do.

Answer 4

Define a "better job". If you are working with a mainstream language (E.g., C++, Java, C#), then becoming an expert in that language will yield better financial rewards than starting another language from scratch, since experience has a pyramid shape.

That being said, it can pay off to learn new things within that technology. For example, Spring and Hibernate if you're in Java, LINQ if you're in .NET, BOOST if you're in C++, etc.

And you will have to actually use the things you learn before you can list them on your resume, as many places want X years of technology Y.

Answer 5

Learning more programming concepts/languages/etc will do nothing to directly get you a better job. Understanding concepts may help you become qualified for different (but not necessarily better) jobs, but won't just land you a different job.

It will, potentially make you a better developer.

Being a better developer, though, may open up certain opportunities for better employment in the future, but it is up to you to market yourself, apply, and convince the employer that you are the right person. It may also make you more effective and happier in your current job.

However, it all comes down to what is better to you...

Answer 6

It's hard to say, given that I don't know what you know today, what your current job is like, and what it is about it that you want to improve.

More knowlege is never a bad thing, but I personally think that it pays off having profound knowledge in fewer fields than the other way around. Just learning "more concepts" does not necessarily give anything if they don't have any natural connection to your current knowledge.

But then again, sometimes I find new angles on how to view things from completely unexpected sources.

Answer 7

I think it really depends on the skill level you are at right now and what the current job market wants. For example, if you have little programming experience, then yes of course. On the other extreme, if you are interested in web development jobs, you already know how databases work, you already know a web scripting language, than you can easily apply those concepts to other languages while you learn on the job.

Remember, it never hurts to learn more if you have the time.

Answer 8

i think if you know more, your interviewers will know, and your chance of getting a job is higher. so if you have more job offers on hand, at least you can choose which job you'd go for.

Answer 9

It depends on the kind of job you are looking. If you want to be a tech manager, learning more new concepts will help you understand the tech conversations better. If you are looking for programming jobs, then it is important to have the depth over breadth. So pick your language and scripts and become a master in it.

Answer 10

I don't think googling will get you any job. One gets jobs through contacts, experience, education, or pure luck.

Answer 11

This depends a lot on what you mean by some things:

Concepts - Does this mean learning things like the "Does P=NP?" problem or more practical things?

Better job - Quantified higher by what standard? Salary, working environment, or something else?

Last but not least, how are you going to be checked that you do know these concepts as sometimesm knowing a concept and using a concept can be quite different, e.g. I'd think a lot of people know about nutrition yet don't eat properly.

Answer 12

If

1. You learn more programming "concepts"
2. Programming "concepts" make you a better programmer
3. Being a better programmer helps you get a better job

Then it follows that learning more programming concepts will help you get a better job. Personally, I think 2 is true, but 3 is not necessarily true very often.

Answer 13

It should help you at least look better in an interview, which can in turn help you get the job you are interviewing for.

Answer 14

If you stop learning new concepts, you will get no jobs in the future.

I've been programming for 30+ years and I'm constantly learning new concepts.

Answer 15

Be aware that superficial knowledge can be worse than useless. If you do some quick googling, get a quick set of buzzwords on your resume and sit across the table across from me, we are going to have an awkward discussion when I ask you to tell me about it.

One of the worst lies that I ever heard in an interview was "I haven't worked with [that buzzword] in a while so I should take it off my resume." The interviewer response was "Well, it's on your resume now so tell me about what you were doing with it when you were working with it."

In short, you should never forget that one of the missions of an interview is to ensure that you never hire a bad person. Someone who lies on their resume is definitely someone that I don't want in my workplace.