The number one compliant I hear from hiring managers is that there is a lack of talent with sound communication skills. Working on communication skills would be my most emphasized skill.There are a lot of choices in programming languages and some people may try to convince you that low or no code is the future. Even if you believe that case it’s entirely unrealistic to image a scenario where programmers aren’t a high demand skill. I would recommend having a lot of conversations with people who are programmers with at least several years of experience. Make sure to investigate the most in demand languages but also realize that sometimes specialization be can powerful. Examples of this would be Salesforce;Find opportunities to join meet ups to learn more. Listen to what people talk about. Another great resource is Gartner, they do a lot research around software which can help one really understand competitive positioning.It’s also important to gather insights on different opportunities in programming, even though there is a great deal of potential crossover. It’s important to focus on one language and then build from there. As you evolve your experience you become more valuable.LinkedIn is a great place to network and do discovery. There are a lot of online sites that provide free or low-cost training and then there are more expensive options. Either way it is important to do the research.I would also recommend finding a mentor to help you sort through all of the choices and to help you focus.By: Tripp Parker