Get Job at Javascript gets harder? You might need to learn the 'Enterprise' Stack.

Source: Dev.to

The job market reality check

Look, I get it. When you started learning to code, everyone told you “learn JavaScript, it’s everywhere.” They weren’t wrong, but they didn’t tell you this:

• While you’re competing with 500 other candidates for a single Node.js position at a startup, enterprise companies are struggling to find Java developers.
• Banks, fintechs, telcos… they all run on Java, pay well, and hire consistently.
• Companies like Stockbit, Gojek, BCA, Mandiri, Telkomsel are far from “small players.”

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“But npm is fine, it’s just a few security issues”

Remember left-pad? The package that broke half the internet when it was unpublished. Or the colors/faker incident where the maintainer sabotaged his own packages. Weekly npm audit warnings are often ignored, but supply‑chain attacks are real. Your node_modules folder can contain 800+ packages, yet you may only import a couple of dozen lines of code.

Java’s Maven Central is curated and stable—less “wild west,” less roulette each time you run a build.

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“Wait, Java? Isn’t that the language where you write 50 lines just to print Hello World?”

That perception belongs to pre‑2010 Java. Modern Java has tools that eliminate boilerplate:

Classic Java (the meme)

public class User {
    private String name;
    private String email;

    public User(String name, String email) {
        this.name = name;
        this.email = email;
    }

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }

    public void setName(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    public String getEmail() {
        return email;
    }

    public void setEmail(String email) {
        this.email = email;
    }
}

Modern Java with Lombok

import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
import lombok.Data;

@Data
@AllArgsConstructor
public class User {
    private String name;
    private String email;
}

Java Records (Java 14+)

public record User(String name, String email) {}

A single line replaces dozens of getters, setters, and constructors. No need for Lombok if you use records.

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What you actually need to learn

1. Java basics – You already know programming concepts; picking up Java syntax takes a week or two.
2. Spring Boot – Think of it as Express for Java, but with batteries included: authentication, database access, REST APIs, etc.
3. Docker – Containers are language‑agnostic; learning Docker is valuable no matter what stack you use.

That’s enough to get your foot in the door. Start with the Spring Initializr – it’s the Java equivalent of create-react-app.

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The bottom line

I’m not saying abandon JavaScript or Node.js if you enjoy them. But if you’re struggling to find a job, consider what the market actually wants right now: Java developers who can work with Spring Boot and stable, enterprise‑grade technology.

• Good pay
• Solid job security
• Once you get past the initial learning curve, it’s not that bad

While everyone else battles for a single startup role, giving the enterprise stack a try could land you a job—or at the very least, add a valuable skill to your toolbox.