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Thread: What would you do ?

  1. #21
    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: What would you do ?

    This is the same sort of quandry I'm currently in.. although at the moment I am in employment but on a very tenuous basis.

    I'm applying for software developer roles in and around London. now there are TONNES of jobs out there for C# but very few for my chosen language ,Delphi.

    I know I could probably bluff my way though a C# exam / test / interview but I know I'd soon be found out if I did get the job. I mean I can and do program in C# already just not to the same level as I do in Delphi. I have friends here who say "Yeah but programming's programming innit?" and "it's just different syntax.. if you can code in One language you can code in another" which is true to a point however getting to the stage where you can write noddy code in a language is relatively easy. To know a language deep down and intimately you need to have spent time in a commercial environment creating different types of software. I've got over 12 years of Delphi experience... and about 5 to 6 months of Delphi/C# cross training.

    Unfortunately with the market as it is at the moment there's about 3 or 4 Delphi jobs of any worth out there.. and of course, every Delphi developer and their dog are going for them.

    Delphi is no longer "cool" and the language of choice these days is C# but I haven't the time to continue my cross training to other languages and certainly do not have the time or scope at work to do any of my current projects in a language other than Delphi..

    Tempted to bluff it.. but am too honest for my own good.

  2. #22
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    Re: What would you do ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Beowulf View Post
    This is the same sort of quandry I'm currently in.. although at the moment I am in employment but on a very tenuous basis.

    I'm applying for software developer roles in and around London. now there are TONNES of jobs out there for C# but very few for my chosen language ,Delphi...

    ... To know a language deep down and intimately you need to have spent time in a commercial environment creating different types of software. I've got over 12 years of Delphi experience...
    So, how did you manage to start programming in Delphi with enough commercial experience?

    Your 12 years were spent writing programs in environments. You have experience in those environments and in office politics etc that the majority of fresh young C# programmers do not. In many environments that experience will be far more valuable than language expertise.

  3. #23
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    Re: What would you do ?

    The employer is looking for 'very good Excel skills' - Can someone with NO excel experience become 'very good' in a short space of time?

    I think that the first un-supervised test was set to sort the wheat from the chaff, I expect there will be another test of excel skills at the initital interview stage. This will be the time when your friend may find that if she has studied only the basics it may be far from what the employer is expecting the candidates to know to meet of exceed their 'very good' level.

    Even looking at the excel forums a lot of the MVP's expect the posters of questions to have a good basic knowledge of Excel, so your friend may find it difficult to survive by posting to help forums.

    Good luck anyhow.

  4. #24
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    Re: What would you do ?

    Quote Originally Posted by SimonW View Post
    ... Even looking at the excel forums a lot of the MVP's expect the posters of questions to have a good basic knowledge of Excel, so your friend may find it difficult to survive by posting to help forums.

    Good luck anyhow.
    What some employers describe as "Good skills" others would describe as elementary. The job could be anything from entering numbers to running a nuclear power station. It is probably nearer the entering numbers end.

    I recommended the Excel newsgroup archive because it has many references to excellent free learning materials and book recomendations, sometimes not even from the author.

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