Python & the job market

[Skip Montanaro]

    kbass> I am starting to learn Python but I want to know how the job
    kbass> market looks for programming using Python. 

Better than a year ago.  I don't know what it is in overall numbers, but
it definitely seems to be growing.

    kbass> I really don't see many jobs (probably one or two) that require
    kbass> Python experience at all. 

Have you checked out

    http://www.python.org/Jobs.html

and the job sites it refers to?

    kbass> Most DBA and SA positions that I have seen require Perl and most
    kbass> development position require Java or C++ ...

This is not surprising.  These languages all have larger installed bases
than Python.

    kbass> ... so how can learning Python benefit my career if there are
    kbass> little to no chance that an employer will require the use of
    kbass> Python or consider using Python over other programming languages
    kbass> such as Java?

A fair number of us have figured out ways to do that.  Here are some
suggestions:

    * Get a job which is nominally not a programming position (say, sys
      admin).  For the little bits and pieces you wind up writing to do your
      job better use Python, then make them available to your fellow sys
      admins.

    * Infiltrate a job for which another programming language is "required".
      Then start looking here 

        http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/moinmoin/PythonAdvocacy

      for ways to convince your colleagues that Python might be a better
      choice for some things.

    * Hang out your shingle as an independent consultant.

    * Got some good ideas and some good skills?  Check out Mark
      Shuttleworth's bounties page:

        http://www.markshuttleworth.com/bounty.html

You have to be a bit more patient and creative, but it's definitely
possible.

Skip