Need pointers for next level learning

I have been working for quite a few years now in dotnet mostly on my own without actually working on a team. I have been able to complete projects which are relatively small applications serving ten to hundreds of users. In my honest opinion, Dotnet itself is such an optimized product with so many options that I was able to find work arounds to problems that I faced. it looks like that dotnet allows a significant amount of flexibility that you do not have to worry about performance issues, you can code anywhere you want without worrying about patterns, algos, properties, eventhnadlers, interfaces, abstractions, httphandlers,remoting, web services; like just put everything in event and it will work!(which some noobs did and their project is working without any problem andserving hundreds of users).

I try to use whatever I heard of is useful But sometimes it makes me feel that even a beginner can do that(because of ease of use of this product) without even worrying about the architecture/design so how do I qualify as a good programmer.

I just need some help on how I can bring my knowledge to a true professional level. I would appreciate your comments and some references or some complex code sample which every programmer should know when (s)he have 5 +years of experience.

Re: Need pointers for next level learning

When you DO start working in a team and on apps that serve thousand and tens of thousands you'll start to realize that putting code "anywhere" isn't sustainable or scalable.

There are lots of books out there, but working on your own I think even with books, you're not getting real world experience. I'd recommend taking entry level jobs and look for a place where there IS a team. The best learning is working with others, having code reviews and real customer dictated goals that need to be met.

Re: Need pointers for next level learning

hi,

I can agree that the framework help us a lot and sometimes a little to much. And yes, you could write a smaller app without having to worry about things like performance. But if you are ever gonna work in a larger project with a larger application you need to know what you are doing, trust me!

In my opinion being a skilled senior deveveloper is when you know what you options are when facing a problem and being able to wight between them to find the best solution. And read me right here, best solution is not always the most complex one or the one build "by the book". The best solution is (usually) the one helping your company making as much money as possible in short and long term :) And btw, if you dont think about things like performance etc when writing a smaller app you will never get the skills needed to write a larger one :)

I strongly recomend reading a few books about architecture, like Dino Espinosa. And atleast one book about design patterns, like the one from Eric Gamma and his gang.

And yes, why not go for a Microsoft certification or two?

Re: Need pointers for next level learning

narenderrawal007

I just need some help on how I can bring my knowledge to a true professional level. I would appreciate your comments and some references or some complex code sample which every programmer should know when (s)he have 5 +years of experience.

Easy in concept, a lot of work and dedication in implementation. To being, try whenever possible to get near or associate yourself for learning purposes with the best in the industry. Who are they? Well IMO, Microsoft MVPs and those working at Microsoft Gold Certified Partner companies are a solid start. How do you get access to them? Here on the forums, Twitter, Blogs, Code Camps, local programming groups, and yes the almighty .NET programming conferences (i.e. VSLive!, DevConnections, PDC, etc.). I strongly recommend getting to a developer conference if you or your company can afford to send you to one; they are quite valuable to get the pulse of the industry and learn a lot too about what is coming up, best practices, etc.

Observer, listen, learn what the leaders in our industry are saying and doing, and use that as a beacon to follow when wanting to know who to guide and move your .NET career and skills forward. You can learn a lot from those folks and they are always willing to help. Fill in the cracks with online tutorials, reading books, magazines, blogs, on the job experience, and you will begin to move in the forward direction you desire.

Good Luck!

Re: Need pointers for next level learning

I was away from programming for a couple years to pursue some other interests. What has helped me the most getting back into programming have been things already suggested for helping you such as user groups, books, forums, etc. If your local library has access to Safari, you can read a lot of technical books online (for free) which helps you decide if the book is worth buying for yourself or is just a good reference for occasional use. Also, Pluralsight has dozens of videos by MVP's. There is a fee, but the videos I have seen are really good. If you do any work with databases, SqlShare posts a 2 - 10 minute video every day on various topics. Also, SqlSaturday is a free one day event that is held in a lot of different cities. There are some other free one day events for application development, although I think they are more locally controlled, so a little harder to find online.

Hope that helps!

Re: Need pointers for next level learning

that's lot of useful information. thanks for taking your time and help. More suggestions are also appreciated!