Is it worth getting more into C++ in 2024? Lots of interesting jobs in finance require it but it seems almost impossible to get hired without prior experience (with C++ and in finance).
I switched from Python to C++ because Cython, Numba, etc. just weren't cutting it for my CPU-intensive research needs (program synthesis), and I've never looked back.
The obvious comparison is Rust. There are way more C++ jobs out there than Rust jobs. And even if I'm hiring for a team developing something in Rust, I'd generally prefer candidates with similar C++ experience and a basic understanding of Rust over candidates with a strong knowledge of Rust and no domain experience. Modern C++ and Rust aren't _that_ dissimilar, and a lot of ideas and techniques carry over from C++ to Rust.
Even if the DoD recommends that contractors stop using C++ and tech / finance are moving away from it, I'd say we're still years away from the point where Rust catches up to C++ in terms of job opportunities. If your main goal is employment in a certain industry, you'll probably have an easier time getting your foot in the door with C++ than Rust. Both paths are viable but the Rust path would be much harder IMO.
Of course if you really need that non-memory safe stuff - which all your existing code does - then you can't take advantage of it. However you can migrate your C++ to modern C++ and add those features to your code. This is probably easier than migrating to something like Rust (Rust cannot work with C++ unless you stick with the C subset from what I can tell) since you can work in small chunks at a time in at least some situations.
That's certainly a choice you can make, and modern C++ is generally a pretty good experience to work with. I would hope that there's not a ton of active C++ projects which are still mostly using the pre-2011 standard, but who knows.
It goes without saying that if you don't like the kinds of applications where C++ excels then it may not be a good career choice because it is not a general purpose language in practice.
> C and Rust both have significant limitations in this domain
Rust? Please provide concrete examples. I don't believe it.
My myopic view of the world has seen the general trend from C to C++ for realtime embedded applications. For example: in the Automotive Industry all the interesting automotive features are written in C++.