Programming isn't Java
Or JavaScript or React
I started my first role as a Full-Time Software Engineer this week.
After 4 years of preparing for this moment, I’ve come to a powerful realization:
Learning a specific programming language doesn’t matter as much as we think it does.
Back when I was just starting out, I obsessed over which languages I needed to master.
→ Java?
→ JavaScript?
→ React?
→ C++?
At one point, I thought learning all of them would give me an edge.
(It didn’t.)
Here’s what actually made the difference:
🎯 Problem-solving skills.
That’s it.
My new role involves writing code for PLCs — Programmable Logic Controllers.
Something I had never touched. Never used. I didn’t even know they existed.
And yet... no rough transition. No imposter syndrome.
Why?
Because for the past 4 years, I wasn’t just learning languages.
I was learning how to think like a programmer.
I focused on:
→ Programming Fundamentals (Loop, if statements, variables, conditions)
→ Logical thinking
→ Effective debugging techniques
That’s what made me a Software Engineer.
Not memorizing syntax.
Not building a to-do app in 10 different frameworks.
Not knowing how to use every tool under the sun.
Think of it like this.
Once you start learning how to drive a car (a manual one).
You can pretty much drive any car.
You understand the core mechanics:
→ When to brake
→ How to control the clutch
→ How to read the road
Everything else like the make, model, or even whether it’s a Toyota or BMW
It just becomes a detail.
That’s the programming language.
Focusing on learning a language instead of the fundamentals is like:
→ Memorizing where all the buttons are in a specific car...
→ Without knowing how to actually drive.
Sure, you might know how to turn on the headlights or adjust the radio.
But put you in a different car?
Or ask you to drive in traffic? You’re stuck.
If you're just starting out, here’s my advice:
🚫 Stop chasing languages.
✅ Start chasing understanding.
Because technology will change.
Languages will come and go.
But the ability to solve problems?
That’s timeless.
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