The first thing to understand is that many, if not most, online job ads are a long wish list for the perfect, "unicorn", developer. So, you'll see ads that want a developer that has 5+ years experience in Java, C#, PHP, IIS, REST, HTTP, XML, XSD, JSON, WPF, UWP, Node.js, SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Entity Framework, Angular, React, Web API etc. etc..... A lot of companies don't really know what they want so they throw out an alphabet soup hoping to find somebody good by intimidating away most people. So, don't hesitate to throw your name into the mix even if it seems rigged against you, if you don't bet, you can't win.
Also, don't necessarily give up entirely on Windows desktop application development. While it is true that all the "cool kids" are doing web development, there are still plenty of stodgy corporate IT desktop apps being maintained and there's even some new development. One of the best situations to get into is one where a company is wanting to move to web based apps but has a huge library of legacy desktop apps. They need people who can work comfortably in both worlds. Since you'll be on the same learning curve, this could work out for you, particularly if you're slightly ahead of their curve.
Born and raised in Montana. I love drawing and technology. I lost my job in home construction due to the economic downturn. It was then that I realized I loved to code.
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. I appreciate that! with regard to the laundry list of qualifications, I have run into a bit of a roadblock in that regard. There are literally *required fields where if you do not have x amount of experience in that technology, you cannot apply. I got my first job by calling up a company here locally that was looking for a senior developer. I said I was not senior, but would they consider an internship or entry level, then off I went. It seems that is becoming rarer to actually be able to communicate with a human.
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The first thing to understand is that many, if not most, online job ads are a long wish list for the perfect, "unicorn", developer. So, you'll see ads that want a developer that has 5+ years experience in Java, C#, PHP, IIS, REST, HTTP, XML, XSD, JSON, WPF, UWP, Node.js, SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Entity Framework, Angular, React, Web API etc. etc..... A lot of companies don't really know what they want so they throw out an alphabet soup hoping to find somebody good by intimidating away most people. So, don't hesitate to throw your name into the mix even if it seems rigged against you, if you don't bet, you can't win.
Also, don't necessarily give up entirely on Windows desktop application development. While it is true that all the "cool kids" are doing web development, there are still plenty of stodgy corporate IT desktop apps being maintained and there's even some new development. One of the best situations to get into is one where a company is wanting to move to web based apps but has a huge library of legacy desktop apps. They need people who can work comfortably in both worlds. Since you'll be on the same learning curve, this could work out for you, particularly if you're slightly ahead of their curve.
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. I appreciate that! with regard to the laundry list of qualifications, I have run into a bit of a roadblock in that regard. There are literally *required fields where if you do not have x amount of experience in that technology, you cannot apply. I got my first job by calling up a company here locally that was looking for a senior developer. I said I was not senior, but would they consider an internship or entry level, then off I went. It seems that is becoming rarer to actually be able to communicate with a human.