For most beginners in Nepal, learn Node.js first. JavaScript shows up in Kathmandu job posts for all three stacks, and SQL matters more than whichever framework you pick.

That is our answer, and we should say up front that Saarathi Academy in Old Baneshwor, Kathmandu teaches Node.js in its Backend Engineering course. So check the reasons below yourself. We also say when Django or Laravel is the better first pick.

Why do Laravel jobs in Kathmandu still ask for JavaScript?

Many Kathmandu companies use PHP and Laravel. That is true, and our own course page says so. But look at what those jobs ask for.

A Tekkon Nepal post on merojob for a Full Stack Developer (PHP/Laravel) listed PHP, MySQL, Laravel, Vue.js and CSS. Its requirements also named JavaScript and jQuery. Vue.js is a JavaScript framework.

Laravel itself needs JavaScript tools. The Laravel installation guide says you should install Node and npm, or Bun, to build your app's frontend files.…