A lot depends on what platforms you want to work on. Java is good if you are doing webapps and want to continue doing so. C# is kinda the same, but limits you to IIS. C++ is more for guts development. You're going to be tied kinda primarily to Visual C++, cause that's the one I've seen more job offers for. That's going to be more if you want to develop against the Win32 API.

Personally, I'd learn Java (to put bread on the table), then learn something like hardcore C and start hacking away at your favorite open-source project. Having opensource projects to my name has gotten me 2 jobs my last two jobs and two other job offers. (This during the "IT downturn" with a "dying language".)

---

---

• Are you posting in the right place? Check out Where do I post X? to know for sure.
• Posts may use any of the Perl Monks Approved HTML tags. Currently these include the following:

  <code> <a> <b> <big> <blockquote> <br /> <dd> <dl> <dt> <em> <font> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <hr /> <i> <li> <nbsp> <ol> <p> <small> <strike> <strong> <sub> <sup> <table> <td> <th> <tr> <tt> <u> <ul>

• Snippets of code should be wrapped in <code> tags not <pre> tags. In fact, <pre> tags should generally be avoided. If they must be used, extreme care should be taken to ensure that their contents do not have long lines (<70 chars), in order to prevent horizontal scrolling (and possible janitor intervention).
• Want more info? How to link or How to display code and escape characters are good places to start.