Updating software skills

[SueEllen]

I would question is WPF good place to go. Not sure about its future. But who knows. Latest trend is web again.

Just edit your CV and add WPF into your two last contracts. Apply marketing rules to your CV and make yourself WPF developer.

Until you turn up at for an interview with a Client Co and find that someone you have contracted with from your one of your last two contracts is already here. Client Co has passed that contractor your CV as they realised you had the same last client. Said contractor has exclaimed loudly to everyone that the last client didn't use WPF when they saw your CV, so Client Co spends the entire interview asking about your experience.

(And yes I've seen it happen to someone but they were a tester.)

Generally if the skill/framework is more niche and you have done something similar you don't need to lie.

[woohoo]

Until you turn up at for an interview with a Client Co and find that someone you have contracted with from your one of your last two contracts is already here. Client Co has passed that contractor your CV as they realised you had the same last client. Said contractor has exclaimed loudly to everyone that the last client didn't use WPF when they saw your CV, so Client Co spends the entire interview asking about your experience.
.

I just can't see this happening. Besides if he knows his stuff and can answer the interview questions he is going to stay. We have all done this to some extent, adding some skill that perhaps we have used for 5 mins onto our CV.

[northernladuk]

We have all done this to some extent, adding some skill that perhaps we have used for 5 mins onto our CV.

Erm. Nope.

[AndrewK]

Erm. Nope.

I just wonder have you negotiated in your contract to spend 3 hours per days on contractorsUk? And is it listed on your CV?

[northernladuk]

I just wonder have you negotiated in your contract to spend 3 hours per days on contractorsUk? And is it listed on your CV?

Erm. Nope.

[woohoo]

Erm. Nope.

Yep same here, just trying to make the OP feel better *cough*.

[SueEllen]

I just wonder have you negotiated in your contract to spend 3 hours per days on contractorsUk? And is it listed on your CV?

The wonders of modern technology....

[oliverson]

Hi all,

I'm a Software Engineer contractor, currently in a role that requires C++ and Qt skills.

I'm well aware after a stint of unemployment last year that C++ isn't the most sought-after programming skill, and I'd like to be able to apply for contracts that are more up-to-date in terms of the technologies they're looking for.

I've learned a fair amount of C#/WPF in my own time, and would like to be able to apply for roles along those lines, but agents tend to dismiss me on the basis that I haven't done much work with C# or WPF in an actual working environment. The fact that I have about 10 years experience as a Software Engineer working across multiple languages (C, C++, Java) doesn't really seem to matter.

So my question is - how do I go about breaking into roles with these technologies? I'm starting to feel a bit boxed in.

I specialised in WPF (with C#) between 2010 and 2014 and then gradually moved away and into the web stack because in my sector (London Finance) that's where they work was heading. Greenfield WPF was drying up and all that was left was bug fix/enhancements, i.e. very boring. There are still a few roles around and paying well but it is VERY competitive and you'd have to know more than just C# and WPF. You'd have to know the MVVM pattern, Rx, PRISM (maybe), along with the usual stuff (dependency injection, TDD, etc). I'm not sure there's much of a market for WPF outside of banking if I'm honest. I know there's some Formula 1 teams using it but it's pretty niche now. If you know any of the above stuff you'd be better off using it in a web context. Angular (v2 onwards) is very similar to WPF desktop development. Some might say they've 'borrowed' all the good parts of WPF, etc. TypeScript is similar to C#. RxJS is a port or Rx. All very familiar.

[AndrewK]

Erm. Nope.

So you spending work (contractual) hours on you personal needs? It does look like misleading client.

[AndrewK]

I specialised in WPF (with C#) between 2010 and 2014 and then gradually moved away and into the web stack because in my sector (London Finance) that's where they work was heading. Greenfield WPF was drying up and all that was left was bug fix/enhancements, i.e. very boring. There are still a few roles around and paying well but it is VERY competitive and you'd have to know more than just C# and WPF. You'd have to know the MVVM pattern, Rx, PRISM (maybe), along with the usual stuff (dependency injection, TDD, etc). I'm not sure there's much of a market for WPF outside of banking if I'm honest. I know there's some Formula 1 teams using it but it's pretty niche now. If you know any of the above stuff you'd be better off using it in a web context. Angular (v2 onwards) is very similar to WPF desktop development. Some might say they've 'borrowed' all the good parts of WPF, etc. TypeScript is similar to C#. RxJS is a port or Rx. All very familiar.

That's exactly what is happening. People do WPF, just probably at a smaller scale. Plus WPF always was linked with RX, TDD, reactiveUI, MVVM....