Is Rust a career dead-end?
Ajay Kumar
Experienced Software Test Engineer | Web-Based Automation Testing | Agile | Selenium | API Automation | Quality Assurance | Test Automation Frameworks | Rust Is Beautiful ??
TL;DR: After spending a year diving deep into Rust, I've grown to love the language. Before that, Python was my go-to. This isn't a critique of Rust—far from it. If you look at tech trends and surveys like Stack Overflow's, Rust consistently tops the charts as the most loved programming language among developers. This hype is real, and it's happening now, giving me a unique perspective on the current market. Keep in mind, what I’m sharing is based on my personal experience and is more anecdotal than factual.
In this post, I’m not here to argue which programming language is the best, most popular, or the one you should learn. Instead, I want to focus on one of the most overrated aspects in tech—where the real money is actually going.
To do this, I'll need to compare Rust with other programming languages. I’ll use Java for this comparison, as I have professional experience with it.
Why I chose Rust as my secondary language?
Rust has been around for more than 1.5 decades, steadily evolving into a language known for its performance, safety, and reliability. I chose Rust as my secondary language because it offers a unique combination of low-level control and high-level expressiveness, making it ideal for systems programming and performance-critical applications. Its strong focus on memory safety without needing a garbage collector is particularly appealing for developing efficient and error-free code.
Additionally, Rust’s growing popularity and active community make it a valuable skill in today’s tech landscape. As someone with experience in other languages, I found Rust’s modern tooling, robust compiler, and excellent documentation made the learning curve manageable and rewarding. It’s a language that not only enhances my skill set but also prepares me for future opportunities in systems programming, web assembly, and beyond.
Rust job market
I’ve observed that Rust job opportunities are still quite limited. Many available positions often seek candidates with 'Java (or other programing language) experience and an interest in Rust.' These roles usually don't heavily use Rust yet but are 'considering' it for future projects. Typically, these positions involve small to medium-sized greenfield projects within established companies. This means I’m competing not just with other Rust developers but also with candidates who have relevant experience in other areas and a demonstrated 'interest' in Rust, often through side projects.
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There’s also a rare category of jobs where early-stage startups are thinking about using Rust to build their entire product. These companies are looking for 'unicorns'—engineers with nearly a decade of Rust experience—who can take the lead and bootstrap the whole operation. If they find such a candidate, they might go with Rust; otherwise, they often default to Java, where experienced developers are more readily available.
Java job market
A stark contrast exists between Rust roles and those in other languages, such as Java. For non-entry-level positions, companies often stipulate a minimum number of years of experience (YOE) that is typically inflexible. Unlike initial Rust positions, these roles seldom recognize Rust expertise as pertinent. Java remains the backbone for numerous large-scale endeavors that demand a substantial engineering workforce. Moreover, it continues to be the go-to language for a myriad of smaller and medium-sized projects, including startups.
However, the interest wanes when it's disclosed that only a portion of my professional experience is with Java. This predicament raises the question: "Is pursuing Rust a career dead-end?" The scarcity of senior-level Rust positions is evident, and the opportunities that do exist are sparse. Conversely, senior Java roles seem unattainable due to my limited YOE. Reflecting on this, transitioning from a Java role to one in Rust appears to be a smoother path than vice versa.
Sharing this narrative, I'm curious to discover if others in the field have encountered similar career trajectories or if my experiences are unique. Engaging in this dialogue could shed light on the broader industry trends and individual career development within the programming community.
If you have any additional thoughts or insights on this topic, please feel free to share them in the comments.
Advanced software architect with 20+ years of success developing software
3 周As a rust developer who has taught a small team how to write idiomatic rust code, the skill is not hard to learn but requires a paradigm shift toward understanding things like ownership and reference counting. Rewriting code usually means redesign as the memory model is often not an ideal one for rust. However, this is not a dead end skill. Even if you switch back to some other language, you'll find yourself writing code differently, usually in a cleaner way.
Software Engineer @ Akamai Technologies
1 个月The common consensus is that Rust is almost exclusively hiring within the senior engineering realm. There are very few entry level positions, a decent amount or mid-level, but mostly senior level positions looking for Rust engineers. I'm wondering if it's because your experience professionally is not in more intensive memory managed languages like C/C++ when it comes to trying for a Rust position? This is one thing I've heard from numerous people. The places looking for Rust are often low level. Looking for very specialized roles like kernel development or embedded systems. There are of course other positions but it's more likely to be directly infrastructure or hardware roles. Another role seems to be refactoring from C/C++ into Rust. These aren't typically positions obtained by people without some level of experience and competency.