Is knowing the Python programming language valuable?

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Out of curiosity, is knowing Python a valuable skill for IT? I know you it's helpful to know programming languages, but I want to know if Python is of any value.

Yes, certainly. It can be hard to predict what languages you might need in the future and most coders pick up a few along the way. Working in certain fields or for a certain employer sometimes dictates the choice. But Python is a reasonable choice to get up to speed with all of the key concepts of coding relatively painlessly. Those concepts will translate across languages to a large extent, and are by far the most important knowledge that a coder needs. Learning additional languages gets much easier once you've got your head around the first one.

There are other similar options, but Python is well supported, the tools you need cost nothing, and there are plenty of online resources available whatever your level of knowledge. And a scripting language like Python will always come in handy as a tool for automating boring tasks or as a quick way to prototype something. There's nothing to be lost by learning it unless you have a pressing need to learn some other language.

I program professionally for a large company in Python right now. It drives the backend of many large popular websites and apps, and it's especially popular in the field of data science. It's not quite as pervasive as Ruby in the web startup world or Java in the enterprise world, and so Python isn't guaranteed to get you a job if it's the only language you know. It's a good one, though (my favorite, to be honest), and there are definitely jobs in it out there.

For machine learning and data analysis and related work, yes.

It's an awesome language for quick, effective programmes for personal use. I use it all the time.