Have you ever done a programming language/stack switch in your career? And how do you defend that if you don't have experience in it? Let's say you worked 4 years in Java and now you want to move to C# .NET. I know this has been answered before. lol

Employers are always whining that I don't have experience in it, so it's not a match. This is what happens when you have an HR dumbo as your first interviewer.

- they are both OOP
- they are both compiled + interpreted (JVM and Bytecode vs .NET runtime vs MSIL)
- very similar syntax, data type ecosystem, etc

Clients refusing you because recruiter says "oh it's not a match 'cause he doesn't have the 4 years .NET you asked for".

Sigh.

I switched stacks a lot. It was always because of the demand in the company. Nobody cared if I was familiar with the new stack, I just had to learn it.

could make friends at your job and have them take you with them I guess

I had one former co worker try to take me to a c# job. another time I went to a dungeons and dragons game for my first time and the dungeon master offer I work at their web shop without even knowing what I did (which was pretty light on front end lol)

granted I didn't accept either of those for various reasons but still. when I rejected the c# position the guy thought it was me thinking I couldn't do it because it was a new language, and he was like "bah you'll learn it" (I actually did c# in school and it's not much different from java, I just didn't like it and didn't really understand "careers" at the time)

I switched also many times. Python is my favourite but actually kinda my last also. For a long time, companies couldn't find the right type dev and gave devs the opportunity within their organisation. But also something that helped, I was in outsource for a long time and learning all kinds of stuff there making me always match something of the job opportunity.

@jestdotty The friends thing doesn't really work out. lol

I had both C# and Java in-depth in college but that doesn't count for the darn recruiters and employers.

@retoor I was in outsource for a while too until I got sick of their shit and left, but now I am fucked because I didn't get enough experience there. lmao

@CaptainRant yh, it was not always fun. I got hired for stuff that I couldn't do and just got smashed a book on the table and had to learn under pressure. Also technologies I didn't favor. I am the first and last Delphi for dotNET developer you'll ever speak to.

Ten years ago I didn't know pearl script. So I got an easy assignment for a script that was called from Jenkins. So I thought why not. I did it pearl. And that's the last thing I did in pearl.
Do I now have 10 years experience in pearl?

@2Fdev2Ftcsh actually, yes! 😁

The context is different: What about those people that quit their job and wanted to try a new stack at a new job?

@CaptainRant

If you quit your job and want to start in a new stack from scratch, you go back to being a junior, and that's it. Your previous knowledge should allow you to climb relatively fast, but you are still a junior in the stack.

@CoreFusionX also, you have the dishes and get lunch for the whole company.

@CoreFusionX maybe that's true for people who only learn and work superficially lmao. Code pissers who's only value are in the specific knowledge of their stack.

@CaptainRant honestly tech people understand that it's not that big of a gap. Maybe do a side project. I suspect the decision was made by a recruiter / HR worker who doesn't know any better.

@whimsical > "I am the first and last Delphi for dotNET developer you'll ever speak to."

Ahhh...Delphi for .Net...I miss those days. I've got a Delphi for .Net DVD-Rom install still in shrink wrap behind me right now (tried to upload a pic, it failed).

@PaperTrail for uploads we have https://devrant.molodetz.nl. Delphi .NET, so sick shit.

@retoor

https://devrant.molodetz.nl/preview...

@PaperTrail beautiful, collector items.

@retoor

Part 1:

Back then, CodeGear (Borland) gave a discount if we purchased the electronic download vs. physical copies. I submitted the PO request and the admin didn't understand what the 'electronic download' meant. I had to explain when we purchased the software, we would be given a link to download the software and corresponding # of registration keys.

Still confused (he didn't think downloading development software off the internet was real), but he made the purchase, and he sent me the URL and keys. I download and unpack everything (it was basically the ISO), sent the keys to the other devs and we're all running the latest Delphi.

About 7 days later 'A' stops by my desk with 5 physical copies Delphi.

@retoor

Part 2

Me: "What is this?"

A: "Copies of Delphi you ordered"

Me: "I didn't tell you to order physical copies, it was a download."

A: "Umm...yea...about that. I didn't know how one download would work with all the developers. I talked with the VP and he agreed, physical copies are better and probably more legal than the one download."

@retoor

Part 3

Me: "Legal!? Holy crap. Seriously? You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding."

A: "No, one download for all the devs isn't going to work."

Me: "We use different registration keys. One for each devloper."

A: "Ooohhh...I didn't know how it worked."

Me: "Why in the world would go to the VP anyway, I'm responsible for the Delphi licenses, not him."

A: "I can try to get our money back, but aren't we scheduled to hire more developers next year?"

Me: "Yes, we'll eventually use the licenses, but the disks are useless and we paid about $100 more than we should."

A: "Its OK, we're still within budget. Let me know if I can help with anything else."

@PaperTrail "Let me know if I can help with anything else." :P CD's with a nice story behind them, nice. Good story.

Your problem was being tied to one language in the first place. Unlike Thor carpenters use many tools. Really good ones can use a few different tools for the same effect. Yet they understand the reach tools unique properties and use that (or deem it useless/redundant).

Your task is the same. Don't learn a language/stack just because you want to but because it makes sense.
Perhaps Kotlin is a better fit; or Go or Python. Why specifically C#?