Member Avatar for Sonny101

Hi All,

I have reached the stage in my studies that I must choose an elective and I would really like your opinion on what to do as I am not 100% sure although I am leaning towards Java.

So I have a choice between SCJP & SCJD or MCTS: WEB APPLICATION &
MCTS: WINDOWS APPLICATION.

So far from what I have done in course I like Java better, My goal later is to do more web programming and some people have told me to go with MCTS but I have seen that a lot of people here in NZ are doing MCTS more so than Java so possibly Java would land me better pay.

So while my aspirations are towards web development what would you suggest?

Thank you all.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Tellalca

Dani AI

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Short answer: both paths can work—pick the one that gives you real projects you can finish and show on a CV. As pointed out, the Microsoft stack used to be Windows-only, but the modern .NET platform (and ASP.NET Core for web apps) is cross-platform and a solid choice for enterprise web backends. ASP.NET Core / .NET.

Java remains a backbone for many enterprise systems and cloud-native Java (Jakarta EE, Spring) is actively maintained; Java and C# are both widely used in industry today, so either skillset is marketable. See the 2024 developer ecosystem data and the Jakarta EE community updates for context. Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024 · Jakarta EE survey/news.

A practical certification note: the older Microsoft MCTS/MCPD tracks are now legacy and Microsoft has shifted to role-based credentials—don’t pick a course because of a historical exam name; pick it for the skills you’ll learn. Microsoft certification legacy info.

Concrete guidance for choosing:

  • Pick the .NET elective if local employers are hiring .NET devs and you want faster entry into Windows/Azure shops.
  • Pick the Java elective if you want language fundamentals, portability, and a stronger bridge into Java backends (and later mobile work if you learn modern Android tooling). Note Android is now Kotlin-first, so plan to learn Kotlin if you go mobile. Android Kotlin-first.

Final priorities: build 1–2 full-stack projects (small REST API + simple JS front end), deploy them, and list them on your resume. The concrete projects and demonstrated ability matter far more than a single certification.

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Member Avatar for jon.kiparsky

the .NET platform is popular in business, but it's limited to the Windows environment, obviously. Java is still in demand, but it's not the hot thing any more. For web stuff, honestly, I don't think either is your first choice these days. People seem to be developing in Python (although that might be getting old as well) and Ruby and stuff of that sort. PHP is still a popular one for just getting stuff up on the web - the senior guy at my office is mostly a PHP guy, who knows enough about other bits to make them work with his PHP.

Between the two, I'd say Java is more generally applicable and inclines more to open code, and you also have the advantage of Android applicability if you decide to do mobile dev. On the other hand, I could make a case for the C#/.NET course, in that you're not likely to stumble into those, and if you're good at languages you'll be able to work out a lot of Java on your own based on C#, which is mostly ripped straight out of the JLS. Since C#/.NET is something you're only going to use if you're paid to, you might want to get it now and get it on the resume, then do Java later, which will be more useful to you (and you can develop some applications in it and put it on your resume anyway...)

Member Avatar for Tellalca

Go Java and Php

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