Programming.

   http://learnpythonthehardway.org Don't start with C / Java, it will be slower and they will teach you badly. For a second language - yes.

   I'm not a programmer, but I once became interested and read that C # is good for beginners. There are also books on the Internet that you can download for free.

   I will recommend you to start with C or Java :) And with an international certificate I don't know if it will do you any good;) Professional programmer for 7 years (before that hobbyist for another 3-4 years)

   I recommend Java for beginners. The language is relatively new (about 20 years) and in terms of syntax it is cleared of unnecessary technical details, which are important, but for beginners they are quite burdensome. For example, to write a 10-line program in C or C, you must first have a pretty good idea of ​​how a low-level computer works, you have to take care of manually allocating and freeing memory, and what not. With Java, you can focus first on the principles of programming, and more precisely on object-oriented programming, to grasp the idea, and only then to understand deeply how, how and why. Then it will be much easier for you to understand why in C and C some things are as they are. The other advantage of Java is that it is one of the most widely used programming languages ​​at the moment, and knowing it will not leave you hungry. We are looking for people with all languages, but for Java and C / C # the market is the largest. C # is very similar to Java, it is generally Microsoft's competitor to Java. It is useful to know because it is also sought after, but as a syntax it is closer to C and therefore not as convenient for learning purposes. There are other interesting languages, for example Pascal was created specifically as a learning language, and only later began to be used for real programming. The bad thing about it is that it was created 40 years ago and it does not contain some of the concepts used in programming today, so it's a bit like driving a driving course in Zaporozhets. Unlike number 1, I do not recommend you to start with Python or another scripting language (there are many Ruby, Scala, Groovy, PHP, Perl, ...). With them you will get a working program a little faster, but at the cost of that, that a lot of things are happening "behind the scenes", and you will have no idea about it. Most scripting languages ​​are dynamically typed, and if you start with one, then it will be very difficult for you to get used to strict typing in Java and C # and understand why "1" "2" is "12" and not 3, and why not you can write if (x) {...} if x is a number or String for example. Scripting languages ​​are useful, especially for web programming (if you intend to do one), but to get into the subject, I advise you to start with A and B, not the middle of the alphabet.

   C is the best set language.

   I am a girl and I am also very interested, but I was told that since I am a girl I have no chance in this profession: (Is it true?

   Number 6, you have a chance, of course! It is true that in this industry women are strongly in the minority (unfortunately ...), but I know quite good programmers. Besides, not everything in the IT sector is programming, there are enough things you can do without whipping code, but you should at least have programmed and have an idea of ​​how things work. If nothing else, you will be the subject of increased male interest, and from men with good incomes :-) Regarding the certificate I forgot to mention - I'm not sure what kind of certificate the author means, in general there are certification programs for almost everything and for every programming language . Java is probably the OCPJP (Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer), which is the one-time SCJP (Sun Certified Java Programmer). It makes sense to make such certificates, if you are going abroad, they are really recognized and viewed there. In BG no one fucks him for a certificate, the important thing is what you can do. You have to make a good account of whether it is worth it, because the fee for taking the certification exam is in the range of 500-1000 euros, regardless of whether you take the exam or not.

   :)) Apparently everyone recommends what they started for beginners! Well, since I started with Applesoft Basic and Assembler for 6502, what - should I explode?

   I am firmly in favor of C # and I completely agree with the comment of 4. Up to 6 - Well, let me tell you - in our company lately there are no girls for interns, because they are better prepared. But if you decide to believe those who told you that - yes, you have no chance. The question is not about gender, but about desire and thinking.

   Number 8, it's not true, I started with QBasic, then switched to Turbo Pascal and stayed on it for 2-3 years, then briefly Borland C plus plus (I'll write it so that the dumb site keeps the plus signs, unknown why), then somewhere in 1997/98. Java came out en masse and I switched to it. Which I do not regret to this day. Pascal is a good language, but I wouldn't recommend it to any rookie these days, because it will then write Java and C # procedural code. The first step in programming is not to write code, but to analyze the problem and think in the "right" way. From number 4

   To the uncle from №8. Uncle, the first language I wrote in was GW Basic, I went through Visual Basic, then C, my first professional job was with PHP, then I went through C #, C and now I write in Java. I do not recommend the basics at all. I definitely do not recommend what I wrote first and C, Java or C # (.NET) To №4 well done dude :)

   From the author Thanks to everyone who read and commented on the topic. Especially comment number 4 is extremely comprehensive. I am currently unemployed and have a lot of free time, which I intend to use to improve my skills, and not to waste on restaurants and parks with 2 liters in hand. I graduated in engineering and logical thinking is there. I studied Pascal and am familiar with the basics of programming below. I want to turn programming into a hobby that brings me additional income. I stopped at Java precisely because of the certificate indicated by number 10 (4) and if things do not improve in Bulgaria in a few years I will be exported abroad.

   Author, if you are familiar with Pascal and other procedural languages, then in order to switch to Java, the first thing you need to understand is the concept of object-oriented thinking and (then) programming. You may already be familiar, I don't know, but a lot of people coming from procedural languages ​​have a hard time "switching." The result is that they write a procedurally oriented Java code, which is possible, but it's like driving a Ferrari on cobblestones - it works, but that's not its purpose. Regarding   abroad, especially in this industry is not worth leaving, for programmers at least there is enough work  and the salary is more than decent. Abroad, of course, you will take more money as an absolute value, but you will not live much better. We leave aside other factors such as language, social environment, friends, etc. Also, if you are good,  you have more opportunities for career and development, while outside it is very difficult for someone to let a foreigner into a responsible (managerial) position. I do not dissuade you, I tell you the facts from personal experience and impressions. For the certificate, I tell you again, this is not an argument for choosing one language instead of another, there are certificates for all languages, and for C #, and whatever else you can think of. Especially for OCPJP, keep in mind that the exam is difficult, you must really understand all the details of Java to take it. It is desirable to have AT LEAST 2-3 years of practice with Java before taking the test. This is also from personal experience, a few months ago I took the certificate. There are sample tests on the Internet, look there and only after you start passing over 80-90% of the questions on the sample test, it makes sense to take a certificate exam. I wish you success! From number 4/7/10,