Software Development - oh the pain...

GoneShootin

I've been developing PHP with MySQL for the past 2 to 3 years, and whenever I scan the jobs market it seems to be PHP lite and Microsoft [insert language here] heavy.

So if someone was interesting in trying to break into the dark-side, how would one go about it? How do you take commercial development experience in one language and try to apply it to another enough to get noticed above the graduates that have knowledge in the "latest languages".

The continuous up-skilling challenge continues!

Or, am I more employable by focusing on my Management skills and to hell with software development.....

Note - I'm quite happy where I am and lucky to have gainful employment, but you know yerself....

cronos

GoneShootin wrote: »

I've been developing PHP with MySQL for the past 2 to 3 years, and whenever I scan the jobs market it seems to be PHP lite and Microsoft [insert language here] heavy.

So if someone was interesting in trying to break into the dark-side, how would one go about it? How do you take commercial development experience in one language and try to apply it to another enough to get noticed above the graduates that have knowledge in the "latest languages".

The continuous up-skilling challenge continues!

Or, am I more employable by focusing on my Management skills and to hell with software development.....

Note - I'm quite happy where I am and lucky to have gainful employment, but you know yerself....

Its time to become a business analyst. Its a better job in my eyes. Or you could do certifications in the dark side of the force. Then you can say you are as good at Microsoft stuff as you are at C#. Or you can contribute to some open source project type stuff.

Black Swan

Maybe time to go for that next level qualification? For example, the university nearby offers a master degree in managing IT relationships between overseas B2B, especially outsourcing. Just an idea.

Ginger

GoneShootin wrote: »

I've been developing PHP with MySQL for the past 2 to 3 years, and whenever I scan the jobs market it seems to be PHP lite and Microsoft [insert language here] heavy.

So if someone was interesting in trying to break into the dark-side, how would one go about it? How do you take commercial development experience in one language and try to apply it to another enough to get noticed above the graduates that have knowledge in the "latest languages".

The continuous up-skilling challenge continues!

Or, am I more employable by focusing on my Management skills and to hell with software development.....

Note - I'm quite happy where I am and lucky to have gainful employment, but you know yerself....

With 2 or 3 years experience in dev, you are starting to get to the level where it wont matter what language they put in front of you, you will be ok with it.

If you were going for a development job in .NET based languages, I would say just aim for some of the conversion type jobs where its a particular system going to .NET.

I know from experience where I came from ASP and then skilled up to .NET, its the way I went about it. Thankfully PHP/ASP to ASP.NET aint that much of a challenge if you understand event driven stuff. Just head onto the web, there are plenty of tutorials and you will find yourself flying through it.

Myself I am in development for about 10 years and at this stage I dont mind what language I work in.

Or you could do certifications in the dark side of the force. Then you can say you are as good at Microsoft stuff as you are at C#

Certifications are worthless without experience really. And I think you need to reread your statement re C# as it is an MS language

cronos

Ginger wrote: »

Certifications are worthless without experience really. And I think you need to reread your statement re C# as it is an MS language

O ya I know C# is microsoft I meant to say PHP and to be fair it is a good language.

seamus

The only problem I suspect you'll have as a PHP dev (which depends on how you've developed in PHP) is the switch from interpreted scripting language to compiled OO language.

There seems to be plenty of stuff around though on learning one of the .NET family of languages (not to mention the free decent IDEs that are finally available). I've been doing bit parts of PHP for the last 3 years, but have only really been seriously developing in it for the last 18 months.
I got to know Java very well in college, but without having done it since I've lost it more-or-less and I've had difficulty getting started with ASP, mainly because I've tried to start small projects in ASP, but gotten lazy and switched to PHP

I imagine it's only a matter or applying yourself and sticking with it on a small project or three for a few months and then you'll be flying along. Which is what I hope to do with JSP because I miss Java

GoneShootin

seamus wrote: »

The only problem I suspect you'll have as a PHP dev (which depends on how you've developed in PHP) is the switch from interpreted scripting language to compiled OO language.

....

I got to know Java very well in college, but without having done it since I've lost it more-or-less and I've had difficulty getting started with ASP, mainly because I've tried to start small projects in ASP, but gotten lazy and switched to PHP

Pretty much sums everything up for me aswell. It's difficult to get into the whole OO idea with PHP in a commercial sense unless the place that you are working at the moment are actively involved in doing things that way. If you're the only developer trying to do OO in the department then you're goosed.

Did Java in college, but I've only fond memories of any real development work.

It's funny sometimes how things work out. I spent 2 years in College to have Java beat into me, then did a bit course in PHP in my Masters, and 3 years later it's PHP that's paid my bills