I want to be a junior Java programmer

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If I'm Going to be a junior Java programmer and favored qualifications say SQL and Javascript (and of coarse Java): what part of Javascript should I be the most familiar with? I'm assuming that these jobs entail working with database and web development people and I need to be somewhat familiar with the other languages so I can work along side them and put our respective pieces together. My JavaScript skills are shaky, but I don t think every single part of Javascript know-how is vital to making it at work. For example, I doubt I ll need to be familiar with code that changes colors on the webpage, makes sliders, basically everything that changes and aesthetics of the pages: I would think more data input related functions: but what would that involve if that's the case?

Not sure if you're getting your technologies mixed up, but java and javascript only share the same first four letters of their name. javascript is used in client-side scripting (it runs in the browser) and is generally used to manipulate the elements on the page, and also as a means to call web services etc to get data from a server and show it in the browser. java will run on the server and is generally used to interact with server-side things like databases, and it will generate the html that is passed to the client (that html might contain javascript). I won't get into nodejs as that blurs the lines.

There is rarely much work as a "javascript developer". Either the designer will know javascript and can do all that themselves (this is called a "front-end developer"), or the person doing the server-side stuff will also know javascript too. It's generally a cross-over language that either the designer or the back-end developer does along side their "proper" job. There isn't really any call for someone who does just javascript. So you should look to know both java and javascript.

As already mentioned, rather than re-inventing the wheel you should get familiar with jQuery as it simplifies many tasks, both the visual (changing how the page looks) and the technical such as calling back-end services.

You might also want to look into going over to the Microsoft set of technologies so that would be asp.net.

Thanks, i know what i am talking about.

The reason i suggested going with JS is because there is less demand for java coders who produce clunky (and expensive) applications that only runs offline (also Oracle recently killed the Java-plugin for browsers so that road is dead). There are more demand for developers who knows Javascript, especially with the new types of stuff like jQuery that can do alot of cool things by running in the browser. Also there are very good libraries like D3 (pure javascript) that use inline SVG and even WebGL to produce really useful user interfaces.

No one needs a web monkey who can write "a bit of javascript" anymore. Javascript has grown from being a simple popup nuisance to an advanced development environment.