Learning more technical skills?

[TinTrump]

For what its worth, I've 18 months Oracle experience and am using a bespoke Oracle finance system in current role. Seems to be quite in demand. I intend to do a course in same in a couple of years to augment my skillset. Due to cost I plan on doing it in the Philippines; visiting there at Xmas so will check the institutions out.

[weemster]

Simple as that

[Not So Wise]

Ok - actually I looked at this site a few months back and wondered if it might be any use: http://www.asp.net/

IT is such a vast subject that it's tricky, as a newbie, to know where to start.

Vids on asp.net are good for newbies...if web stuff is what you want to do
windowsclient.net is same but for Winforms/WPF
silverlight.net is for..well silverlight
Basically all are the official MS sites for the relevant .NET techs

You really need to figure out what area and techs you want to know before you even start, like could learning anything in particular benefit your "day job"? If you don't figure this out not only will you spread yourself to thin but you probably would never even get started

One of the best ways to learn is have an idea for an application you might want to create, draw up design spec/feature list then figure out how to do it, if you can do that you can design and code in the real world

[Sundial]

Oh gosh, well I got into IT contracting and was really fascinated by the IT side of things and would really like to build up some more technical skills.

Strategy is my main thing and something I did for a few years, permanent at first outside of IT, and then contracting within IT as...don't know how to put it...I got pushed into it. I didn't know I would find it so interesting.

Yeah no worries I know that the market is awash with skilled IT people however I really do like taking courses and learning things and would very much like to learn more about IT. I'm very curious about it, it's just so huge and I don't know where to start!

Maybe it's not for me in the long term, especially if the market is bad and there are so many people with great skills, but I would still like to do a course anyway whether I went into something perm/different area etc!

Initially I just wanted some advice and found this place on a web search.
I don't think that I have spent THAT much time on here apart from today?!

[nomadd]

I'm more on the 'softer' side of things but would really like to do an IT course, partly for interest and partly to learn & have extra skills - I'm not sure between a database one or Java, what do you experts think?

What exactly are your current skills? Why are you even considering IT? I'm not trying to be insulting, but are you aware that the market is awash with local and foreign IT people with years (and years) of Java and DB skills and they are currently unemployed? And rates seem to be dropping more and more each year. And let's not even start on IR35, agents, and how you can be treated by clients as a contractor in general...

I'm just curious as to why such a "newbie" is spending so much time on a computer contracting forum in the current market? In all honesty, I'd be looking to do something else as a career choice if I was "starting out" just now. Not trying to kill your "hopes and dreams", but I take it you are aware of what you are getting yourself into?

Just my two cents.

Nomadd

[Sundial]

Hairdressing - there'll always be a need for people to cut hair in the UK.

Well you look like you need a haircut!

I do have a pair of scissors, howabout it? Mwah ha ha

[HairyArsedBloke]

Oh wow I am usually so used to getting kidded around on here that I wondered if I would get any advice: that's brilliant, thanks!

Hairdressing - there'll always be a need for people to cut hair in the UK.

[Sundial]

Ok - actually I looked at this site a few months back and wondered if it might be any use: http://www.asp.net/

IT is such a vast subject that it's tricky, as a newbie, to know where to start.

[RichardCranium]

If this is something for you just to get better understanding of the techy side of things and to play around .NET is a lot easier to get into and to master

Don't let milanbenes hear you say that.

[Sundial]

Oh wow I am usually so used to getting kidded around on here that I wondered if I would get any advice: that's brilliant, thanks!

I was leaning towards the database course but thought I should ask around a lot first and get different people's opinions so that's really useful :-)

[Not So Wise]

Aye at least intermediate level database first I would say, this will give you good grounding on DB design which in turn will make the front end coding a lot simpler

As to the front end, Java is pretty good if you are going full techy but imo it is a shrinking market these days and unless it already relates to what you do would not start it. If this is something for you just to get better understanding of the techy side of things and to play around .NET is a lot easier to get into and to master

[weemster]

A database skill would be my advice, athough I am sure others may advise otherwise

[Sundial]

I'm more on the 'softer' side of things but would really like to do an IT course, partly for interest and partly to learn & have extra skills - I'm not sure between a database one or Java, what do you experts think?