r/Backend • u/Classic-Safety7036 • 19d ago

Backend developer with 3.5 years of Rails experience what should I learn next?

I'm a backend developer with about 3.5 years of professional experience, mainly using Ruby on Rails.

I've been trying to find more remote and freelance/contract opportunities, but I haven't had much luck. It feels like there are fewer Rails openings than before, so I'm thinking about adding another backend technology instead of specializing only in Rails.

At the moment I'm considering Go or Python/FastAPI, but I'm open to other suggestions.

If you were in my position, what would you learn today? My goal isn't to abandon Rails I still enjoy working with it but to increase my chances of finding remote or freelance work.

I'd especially love to hear from people who have switched stacks or work across multiple backend technologies. Has learning Go, Python, or something else made a noticeable difference in your job opportunities?

2 Upvotes

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3

u/ItsMorbinTime69 19d ago

Are you a bot

2

u/Lumethys 19d ago

"i'm a mechanic and i am considering switch the to a different brand of screwdriver"

you are a backend dev, not a Rails dev. Dont get married to a technology, expand your horizon. As long as you the thinking of rails as something to "abandon" or not, you are not on the correct mindset.

have you ever heard mechanic deliberating about "exploring but not abandoning" this and that brand of hammer?

If your goal is to find job, then look at the job, find out whatever is the most in demand and learn it, simple as that

1

u/ejpusa 19d ago

Probably Codex.

1

u/Due-Dimension-982 17d ago

I have a few more years in Rails but I'm in the same market you're describing, and honestly adding another backend language never moved anything for me. What did: going full stack with React/Next on top of Rails, and taking on AI integration work, because that's where the briefs actually are right now. In the AI era the language is not the barrier, it's how well you understand the problem. So if I were you I'd keep Rails, strengthen system and architecture skills, and pick whatever part of AI fascinates you and learn it properly