Career Growth in Perl Programming

Perl is a high-level, dynamic programming language, developed by Larry Wall in the year 1987. The language has a lot in common with other programming languages such as C, and is generally noted for its easy functionality and simplicity. Wall originally named ‘Perl’ as “Pearl”. Perl is especially designed for processing text. It stands for Practical Extraction and Report Language.

If you are looking for a programming language that is easy to pick up, easy to use and easy to continue using over a long spell of time, perl programming is what you are looking for. Perl developer jobs are available in top companies around the world due to the immense simplicity of the programming language. As a result, perl jobs are highly respected and are available in abundance.

Perl programming is used widely in system administration, website development, networking and graphics programming, among others. Since these are all important modules of a business’ functioning, it is crucial for people looking for perl developer jobs to be thoroughly aware of the various intricacies of the language. For example, a candidate looking to land a perl programming job needs to have complete understanding of aspects like contexts, perldocs, creating, managing and using modules, installing CPAN modules, and analysis tools. But even this is not enough. If a candidate is looking to grow in the area of perl programming, it is equally important to have knowledge of languages like JavaScript or C. For example, perl programming is sufficient for website development or system administration. However, knowledge of SQL or structured query language is required to handle back-end tasks.

When perl first came out, the language took the information technology world by storm due to its simplicity and adaptability. Moreover, coupled with its similarities to other dynamic programming languages, perl emerged the star. Consequently, till very recently, searching for perl developer jobs seemed like a normal step for almost any IT programmer. However, this trend has seen a shift of sorts over the last couple of years. Perl seems to have lost some of its erstwhile popularity, giving centre stage to newer, lither languages. IT gurus feel that while many tools and projects still use the language, perl might be on its way to a steady decline. But they maintain the language is not going anywhere. Thus, before being denounced to an archaic status, the language is still used and perl developer jobs are still available.

Candidates interested in perl developer jobs will be happy to know the career opportunities within the field. While perl programming is language that is very easy to use, it still requires important skills. As a result, perl programmers enjoy salaries that are higher than programmers fluent in other languages. This apart, perl programmers also work the typical office day, as opposed to other programmers, who sometimes have to pull nights to get their jobs done. In other words, there are a number of perks that one gets thrown open to while being an expert with perl.

If you are looking to learn all about the Perl family of languages, you could check out www.perl.org. This showcases white papers, features, application programming, documentation and its community with an entire style guide for Perl. When it comes to getting fresh Perl news, Perl weekly (perlweekly.com) provides hand-picked news and articles about Perl. This newsletter provides an update about all the recent happenings in the world of Perl programming, and can be read online or through a mail subscription. If you are interested in the development of Perl programs on Windows, this is a great learning resource.

If you are on the look-out for perl developer jobs, do check out CareerBuilder.co.in for the latest vacancies in this area.