> My college adviser (part-time grad school) even INSISTED that I learn Java because I wouldn't get anywhere without it.
To be fair that statement isn't without merit.
I just went through a slew of interviews for new college grad positions this fall. I refused to apply for Java or .NET positions preferring Python / C / C++. This easily eliminated >90% of companies at the career fair.
Fortunately, I was still able to interview at the big 3 (Google, Amazon, MS) and a slew of Bay Area companies.
Amazon's onsite interview was a bit frustrating. All four interviewers ignored my resume and assumed Java expertise, asking the occasional question with Java terminology. When I answered the question reframed in Python / C++ terminology the conversation usually died off.