I'm looking to get back into coding after a break and need some guidance on what skills to focus on. My background includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, and SQL, but I feel pretty rusty. With 2025 nearing, what are the most relevant languages and tools I should be looking into to update my skills?
7 Answers
Consider picking up Python or C#. These languages are great for AI development, which is becoming a big part of tech. You could also stay in the web domain with React or explore game development using engines like Godot. They’re user-friendly and have great learning resources available.
What tools are you currently using?
I recommend learning Ruby! It's a fantastic language.
React, Python, and Go are all solid choices.
If you have experience with PHP, learning Laravel could be beneficial. It's a powerful framework that can really extend your PHP knowledge.
I think I'm ready to move on from PHP now.
What are you looking to do now? Are you focused on web development still, or are you exploring other areas? If it's for a job, take a look at current job postings to see what skills they expect in 2026!
Apologies for not clarifying! I'm trying to land a software developer position here in the UK. My last job focused more on graphic design, which made me lose touch with coding.
Since you have a background in front-end, I’d definitely recommend learning React for modern web development. It's widely used and pairs well with JavaScript and TypeScript.
Totally agree! React, alongside JS and TS, is a solid combo for front-end work.
Isn't PHP and SQL part of backend though? Just wondering if you were a full-stack dev back then?
The basics you know are still relevant. The small JS frameworks can be a lot of drama without much payoff. You might also want to check out CSS libraries like Bootstrap or Tailwind to ease your styling process.
I totally get that 'dirty' feeling with frontend stuff. I'm eager to improve my skills! Thanks for your insights!