Has the .net market tanked?

[TheBigYinJames]

'tractor = scottish for contractor ?
What sort of money would an experiend .Net code cutter be on in the NWest ?

Last time I was in the northwest (last year), the rates were £35-£40 for workaday developers.

[LittlestHobbo]

In your hunt, have you seen many VB.NET jobs out there, or do they all tend to be C#? I can code in both, but am much faster in VB (crazy decision by the company I work for). I guess its more knowing your way around the framework and the best way to utilize it?

yeah framework knowledge is key but i suggest getting down with c# for the best day rate it seems to be the language of choice for the better payers. Also there are some quite cool syntax features in c# that aren't in vb and it can save alot of typing!

I come from a vb.net background but made the jump a few years ago.

Also I'd say that there is alot more design pattern orientation in c# i think it probably comes from c++ and java developers.

I wouldn't have said this a few years ago, and i'm not a code snob at all but I'd say that the most elegant solutions I've come across have been in c# rather than vb.net as it seems to be what the most experienced guys use.

[jobpash]

Is it just bad timing because of the summer or is it because of the slow down in economy? I see many job adverts for Unix/Win Admin but when applying no response.
Do you experiencing the same?

[LittlestHobbo]

I see many job adverts for Unix/Win Admin but when applying no response.
Do you experiencing the same?

yeah same as that really, lots of fishing for contacts...starting to get the old "well we have lots of clients, we'll circulate your cv and see if there's any interest" generally means they've got nowt on the go...and a line i remember from the 2001/2 downturn...september will be the test, if its quiet then i think it will be quiet for a while...

Also getting quite alot of young inexperienced agents calling. Which could mean the smart money has moved on, or it could just be an influx of graduates..