Coming back into IT - Your thoughts please

[RobWoz]

...sit back and wait for an agent to call , dont be too agressive on the rate they are getting hammered at the moment , but dont go below your budget + 10 percent....

Thanks for the advice Bitbucket, but will anyone call? that's the question. Is VB6 still a marketable skill? OK, SQL Server is timeless, but what about VB6?

Rob

[AlfredJPruffock]

You could always say you worked in a Data Warehouse.

Good Luck whatever you do ... and remember ... Nothing really matters.

PS I think warehouse work could be more satisfying than IT office
work.

[Joe Black.]

Thanks for the advice Bitbucket, but will anyone call? that's the question. Is VB6 still a marketable skill? OK, SQL Server is timeless, but what about VB6?

Rob

I'm doing app development with vb6 and vb scripting for a bank so it's not dead.

[kramer]

vb6 is fine .... i read recently that things are at 50/50 at the moment between 6 and .net (although sliding rapidly)
and of course SQL is a perenial favourite so get gunning.You sound a little lacking in confidence tbh... which is understandable but not appropriate.
Sing it like you mean it.. and good luck.

[Bitbucket]

Thanks for the advice Bitbucket, but will anyone call? that's the question. Is VB6 still a marketable skill? OK, SQL Server is timeless, but what about VB6?

Rob

I have just agreed 425 per day on a C++ contract.

SQL Server and VB6 not very marketable because of its close association to Windows. With the SQL have you linked it to any other language ?

If its pure Windows environment then you will have your work cut out , I would start to look at other avenues by studying an alternative whilst your looking , try DB2 (Seen a contract on Jobserve recently for 11000 per month for DB2 role) or Embedded C they are more niche and will lead to greater rewards.

[RobWoz]

Cool good luck with it mate and let us know how you get on. I'm doing app development with vb6 and vb scripting for a bank so it's not dead.

Thanks for the good wishes Joe, and AlfredJPruffock. Not dead huh? That is interesting. I think reading that has done me some good. I don't want to waste more time pursuing something that won't happen though. I've done enough of that these last years. Still, 'not dead' is encouraging.

Don't think that I'm hoping to sit in a VB6 contract for months and not progress. I want to bring my skills up-to-date. In my past experiences I've found that you can go in with a legacy skill and come out with a current one. That's how I got VB (v4 I think it was at the time). I went in on cobol and 4GL and came away with VB. I'm sort of hoping that can happen again. I've already done a lot of ground-work with .net. Studied it a lot. But I don't list it as a skill because I've no commercial experience in it.

Rob

[RobWoz]

vb6 is fine .... i read recently that things are at 50/50 at the moment between 6 and .net... ...You sound a little lacking in confidence tbh... which is understandable but not appropriate.
Sing it like you mean it.. and good luck.

Absolutely right! I do lack confidence at present, but I'm a confident person by nature. If you can see that in what I wrote, it only because I wanted to get the true picture to you. But when I'm in an interview, I do just what you suggested there.

SQL Server and VB6 not very marketable because of its close association to Windows. With the SQL have you linked it to any other language ? ... ...try DB2 (Seen a contract on Jobserve recently for 11000 per month for DB2 role) or Embedded C they are more niche and will lead to greater rewards.

The problem with 'niche', apart from the obvious, is that you are usually up against better quality candidates. Particularly in the case you suggest of DB2, which is an area I have no knowledge at all.

Do you really mean that? about 'SQL Server and VB6 not very marketable'? Oh, I think you meant that combination.

[lORD lUCAN]

Just wanted to wish you good luck with the job hunting Rob, one thing to remember, you obviously have good comms skills, that coupled with a little bit of bully re: past history, you should have no trouble getting back into IT.....just don't take no for an answer and don't turn your nose up at something if offered. You really need to get that CV and experience back up to date. Good luck mate.

[DimPrawn]

Where in the UK are you looking for work?

[RobWoz]

Just wanted to wish you good luck with the job hunting Rob, one thing to remember, you obviously have good comms skills, that coupled with a little bit of bully re: past history, you should have no trouble getting back into IT.....just don't take no for an answer and don't turn your nose up at something if offered. You really need to get that CV and experience back up to date. Good luck mate.

Thanks man! I appreciate that very much :-))

Where in the UK are you looking for work?

Anywhere in Yorkshire will do. I'm right in the middle of all the ridings (as they used to be known). In the past I've worked in Birmingham, Wolverhamption, Coventry, Glasgow, Edinburgh, plus the odd visit to Londinium :-) So as long as I can cover my expenses Ok, anywhere is acceptable to me, always has been.