Crossing into other development technologies

[pauldee]

I have been a .Net developer for years, but I have been trying to get into the Java (and ultimately Scala) market recently with little success.

Although I tend to use Java for my personal projects and know it inside out, it's just not highly featured on my CV.

This thread makes the point that the main skill is 'programming' but agents and client don't get that, and I think that's absolutely true.

Has anyone ever had any success crossing over? Would some certifications or open source experience help?

[missinggreenfields]

Most clients want proof that you can do what they need you to do - preferably for other clients that can be referenced, not just side projects (unless they are meaty, successful, in-depth pieces of work).

Certifications can't hurt, but they are no panacea for lack of practical experience.

Either do some side projects that you can clearly reference and show clients that you have the skills, go permie and get the skills and then come back, or look for a project needing skills you have with desirable experience of the new stuff. If you do the last one, then when you do your CV, you play up the new stuff so that it's clear what you can do.

[northernladuk]

Remember, as a contractor you are paid to provide specialist skills to the client. You are in a pool of many other people all offering this services to the client. So what do you need to get the work? You need a lot of demonstrable experience to prove to the client/agent that you can give them what and you can deliver value for money for the high cost of your services. Once you've got to the interview stage you have to beat the other great looking guys that you are up against so you need to go in and convince the client you've done what they want and you can hit the ground running and doing it better than the next guy in the waiting room.

None of these things you can do without lots of experience and knowledge. A certificate isn't going to get you anywhere. If you can understand what the client wants and what you are as a contractor then maybe you can devise a plan to skill up in the tech you want with the eventual outcome of making it pay. Just asking if you need a certificate isn't going to work.

[pauldee]

I did't really think a certificate on it's own would count for much.

What about the open source route? Frankly for me, developers that have successfully contributed to open source projects have a greater prestige than someone who just happens to use a particular language in their professional life, but again, I doubt agents will get this and possibly even some clients won't get this.

Anyone had any luck with the open source route?

[SueEllen]

I've met someone who did a crossover from .net to Scala.

In fact I've met more than one person who has done it in different languages.

You need to get your first contract by going direct.

Now how you do that is up to you....

[pauldee]

I've met someone who did a crossover from .net to Scala.

In fact I've met more than one person who has done it in different languages.

You need to get your first contract by going direct.

Now how you do that is up to you....

Interesting advice. I'll start making a list of companies/departments in the area using Scala/Java. There are a few Java meetup groups in the area so might go along and make some contacts there. Cheers.

[VectraMan]

Try to find somebody who does a bit of both, or perhaps is transitioning from one to the other. I had a contract for a client that desperately needed something doing in C++, but there was a follow on part of the wider project that they wanted to do in C#. This meant I was able to do the first bit then charge an hourly rate whilst learning C#.

Those sort of jobs tend to be permanent positions though, so you may have to go down that route.

Edit: I see I said the same thing on that other thread.