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I am sure you have been asked this question at least once by someone, especially if you are a mid-level or senior engineer.

Which language/framework should I learn first?

And the answer is always very straightforward.

Framework doesn’t matter…. Learn whatever you want.

And….. There is nothing wrong with this statement. Theoretically, frameworks don’t matter because everything changes so fast in the tech world.

Right?

Umm... I don’t think so. However, the statement is true, but in a real-life framework matters. They matter very much!

Let me explain why…

If you go to any job search platform like LinkedIn, Toptal, or any other for that matter, you will see that,

Companies are looking for people with specific skill sets.

The only exception is FAANG (or MAANG… whatever) companies. Because they can’t find people with the specific skillset as they usually use custom technologies.

But, in reality….

Only 4% of people work for Big tech Companies. (give or take)

What about the rest of us?

The story is different on the other side.

For all the other companies that are small startups or even mid-level, the tech stack really matters.

They can’t afford to hire people, teach them specific frameworks, and invest 2–3 months to get up to speed.

So what do they do?

They look for a specific skillset

If a company uses React, then it’s highly unlikely that they will search for front-end engineers having five years of Angular experience.

Most of the time, the framework's name is written in the Job description, and the resumes are sorted based on that.

Sure… A senior engineer with this much experience in Angular can quickly pick up React.

But let's say they find a React engineer, even slightly less qualified. Who do you think they will hire? I think you already know the answer.

Don’t get me wrong

I am not saying that the basics are not important. You should have a solid foundation for whatever you are learning.

But when the time comes to dive deep into a framework, please don’t say that framework doesn’t matter.

Framework does matter, and you should learn the most popular one if possible, especially if you are starting out.

Early in my career, I started with React. I imagine my career could be very different if I started with something else. And mostly for the worse.

Let me explain why.

The popular framework is easier to learn.

If you are starting out, then learning any new framework can be challenging.

If the framework is the most popular one, then probably most of the problems are already solved by someone.

You will get better resources and a clear path.

Companies are using this.

Startups and new companies usually pick up the most popular option regarding technology choice.

There are a lot of reasons.

• It’s easier to hire people.

• Better support.

• Better maintainability

So unless you are creating your own start-up, it will be easier for you to get a job when you are already familiar with the tech stack.

You are not preparing for FAANG.

Yes, the huge tech companies don’t care much about which framework you know or which language you are proficient in. But that’s because

• They use custom technologies that you can’t learn outside anyway.

• They have a lot of projects, and almost every language is being used, so it really doesn’t matter which language you know.

So, learning some random framework can be problematic for someone just starting in the industry.

The rise of freelancing

I have been involved with freelancing for a long time now, and the most important thing that employers ask for is specific skills.

Most of the time, that skill means familiarity with the most popular frameworks like React

Go to any freelance marketplace. I can assure you that getting a job in React is easier than in Angular. The number of jobs is much, much higher.

So What to Do?

I recommend learning the most popular language/framework if you are starting. You should look into the rising technologies even if you are already a mid-level engineer.

If you want to start with the front end, start with HTML, CSS, and Javascript. And probably learn React after that.

If you are starting with the backend, then learning NodeJS can give you the edge as you will learn the basics of backend development and the language Javascript, which is used everywhere.

Final Words

I just wanted to share my view on what a newcomer should learn. Obviously, once you get experienced, these things don’t matter anymore.

But when it comes to guiding juniors, we should emphasize learning a specific framework very well, getting a job, and then going from there.

Just a generic answer like **“It Depends” **doesn't help much.

Thanks for reading this far. I hope you have a wonderful day!

You can reach out to me via LinkedIn or Personal Website