[insanepenguin]

Hi everyone,

I am going to be starting my final year project soon which (up to now) is basically a data driven ASP.NET site with a Windows Application to update/monitor/edit it and a biometric device (to log members into a gym).

My thinking is that a lot of the junior developer jobs advertised lately ask for skills in C#, ASP.NET and SQL (with extra experience a bonus).

My question is am I right in trying to cover the main skill requirements in my project or should I try and specialise in something - for example the Entity Framework 4 ORM and LINQ?

I know my way around C# and SQL and I have a few months to learn ASP.NET or specialise in a .NET topic

Opinions welcome!

Many thanks,

Mike

[tlhIn`toq]

Have you done anything in the 'real world' or is all your 'experience' school projects?

I would suggest you hit a site like vWorker and see how many projects you feel qualified for. Then actually build them. Don't bid on them at first. Just build them while you race the clock. See how long it takes you to get them done when you don't have a text book giving you hints. There is no better preperation than building real projects from scratch. LOTS of them.

From that you can then decide for yourself what you are good at and what you need work on. And you will have seen by looking at the projects for bid what people are willing to pay you to do.

[darek9576]

In England, you need a good degree from a good university to land a job - including good A levels ( 3 As with an A in Maths). Otherwise, you are not going to get through the filters.
As far as technology is concerned, you need to be just a well rounded person. Noone expects you to be an expert in a technology after uni. They will give you training.

How is your pre-uni education. What degree you doing. Where do you want to work - London?
Hit some websites with job offers and you will see what im talking about.

[insanepenguin]

darek9576, on 03 January 2012 - 10:45 AM, said:

In England, you need a good degree from a good university to land a job - including good A levels ( 3 As with an A in Maths). Otherwise, you are not going to get through the filters.
As far as technology is concerned, you need to be just a well rounded person. Noone expects you to be an expert in a technology after uni. They will give you training.

How is your pre-uni education. What degree you doing. Where do you want to work - London?
Hit some websites with job offers and you will see what im talking about.

I'll be graduating at 29, my pre Uni education is all 'mature student' I did a BTEC in Computer/PC engineering, plus some local training in HTML/CSS/Photoshop/Dreamweaver this is what got me on to my Uni course - BSc Applied Computing. - I didn't do college and I was a little fecker in high school (left with one GCSE worth mentioning, C in Science!)

The University is Glyndwr in Wrexham, I see lots of C#/ASP Developer jobs in a 20 - 30 mile radius including Junior positions - All I can do from a Uni perspective is try to get a first!

Cheers

Mike

[darek9576]

Good point. A first will set you apart from others so do your best.
It should work out.

[master.bennett]

Just to point out that you do not need 3 A's at A-levels to get a job. Even though that may help a lot, your degree, what you study and what you do outside of university projects will count more.

[darek9576]

master.bennett, on 05 January 2012 - 11:30 AM, said:

Just to point out that you do not need 3 A's at A-levels to get a job. Even though that may help a lot, your degree, what you study and what you do outside of university projects will count more.

If you inspire to work for IBM, Microsoft or some other major institution you WILL need 3 As. I know it for a fact.

[Shane Hudson]

darek9576, on 05 January 2012 - 11:47 PM, said:

master.bennett, on 05 January 2012 - 11:30 AM, said:

Just to point out that you do not need 3 A's at A-levels to get a job. Even though that may help a lot, your degree, what you study and what you do outside of university projects will count more.

If you inspire to work for IBM, Microsoft or some other major institution you WILL need 3 As. I know it for a fact.

So I would be more liking (with a Distinction at BTEC) to get work at IBM when I finish my CS/AI degree than a somebody with a doctorate that did not take A levels? Or against somebody that has had experience in industry for many years?

No. A levels are to help get into Uni (and trust me. I know from personal experience that even that is not required).

[darek9576]

Shane Hudson, on 05 January 2012 - 06:35 PM, said:

darek9576, on 05 January 2012 - 11:47 PM, said:

master.bennett, on 05 January 2012 - 11:30 AM, said:

Just to point out that you do not need 3 A's at A-levels to get a job. Even though that may help a lot, your degree, what you study and what you do outside of university projects will count more.

If you inspire to work for IBM, Microsoft or some other major institution you WILL need 3 As. I know it for a fact.

So I would be more liking (with a Distinction at BTEC) to get work at IBM when I finish my CS/AI degree than a somebody with a doctorate that did not take A levels? Or against somebody that has had experience in industry for many years?

No. A levels are to help get into Uni (and trust me. I know from personal experience that even that is not required).

A person with relevant experience will not be applying for a grad scheme. Do you know anyone who is doing a PHD and does not have A levels or an equivalent? ...

[insanepenguin]

I got in to University with no A levels whatsoever. Additionally the jobs I see (Junior C#/ASP developer etc) don't mention A levels at all, they want a computer science related degree, skills in X Y Z... and some commercial experience is a bonus.

Also from personal experience being an older student, the guys who did well at A level are not necessarily great in University, Up to now I'm getting better grades in Database design, Software dev and Agile apps because I study a lot outside of Uni and it's what I am interested in.

I'd be pretty disappointed to come out with a high 2:1 or 1st and have the interviewer tell me

Quote

No A levels? get the hell out of my office!

Guess I will see what happens!

[master.bennett]

@darek9576:

I'd just like to point out that I am in the process of applying for jobs and so far I have managed to secure final round interviews/assessments at some major institutions without great A levels, Im just on track to do really well at uni.

Still waiting on final decisions from some of these companaies but that is enough for me to know A levels do not count as much as you'd think.

[darek9576]

You might be right. Overall, everything counts towards landing a job. Your degree, your pre-uni education and as you have mentioned outside curricular activities.

I think a candidate needs to be balanced, meaning to have a bit of everything. If someone has 3 Alevels but does absolutely nothing outside of studying then he is not going to get a job. We have to remember that people that employ us might be in our future team but at the end of the week they want to go to a pub for a pint and would want to talk to us about other stuff than work.
You have to be a well rounded individual.

What i wrote above might be wrong, but i have friends and they landed greate jobs and that applies to them.

Good luck to everyone who is job haunting.