Leaving job, .NET Developer, 7+ years experience... Do I need certifications?

I'm a senior .NET developer and built many enterprise level web applications. I will be leaving my job in the next 3-4 months because I need to relocate and for a higher salary. Right now I make 75k and looking to go upwards of 85-90k.

I have been with my company for over 7 years and it's in a public sector (university) so I have no idea what the private sector is like. My college degree is not related to my field except for a Minor in programming.

Can I rely soley on my experience alone? Would certifications help me dramatically in my job search? Would it me get a higher paying job or give me the edge on other candidates?

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Comments

wood299

Programmers are in demand these days.. I would say no. Maybe have some examples of your work.

WafflesAndRootbeer

exing wrote: »

I'm a senior .NET developer and built many enterprise level web applications. I will be leaving my job in the next 3-4 months because I need to relocate and for a higher salary. Right now I make 75k and looking to go upwards of 85-90k.

I have been with my company for over 7 years and it's in a public sector (university) so I have no idea what the private sector is like. My college degree is not related to my field except for a Minor in programming.

Can I rely soley on my experience alone? Would certifications help me dramatically in my job search? Would it me get a higher paying job or give me the edge on other candidates?

Get the certs. They are mandatory if you want the really good jobs you are looking to go after. Certs and Verifiable Experience will make you a Dirk Diggler of a candidate when you get in the ring with HR folks or a staffing agency.

Everyone

No you don't "need" them. You may find it easier to get a job with them, depends on where you look.

I'm finding any kind of consulting type job, certifications are a must. I've interviewed for them, they are really interested in me because of my 12 years of experience, but then they either can't offer me a good salary because I don't have the certs, or just pass on me all together.

For in-house IT, if you have the experience they're looking for, a lot of them could care less about your certs.

exing

Thanks guys,

I'm going to go for Web Development .NET 4 (70-515) which I should know most of and see where it takes me.

My goal is to hit the 100k mark within then next 5 years. I'm at 75k right now which is pretty high in the public sector. Is it possible for .NET programmers to hit 100k? A few years ago it was possible but there is so much competition and oversees contracting that I'm not sure it is feasible.

higherho

WafflesAndRootbeer wrote: »

Get the certs. They are mandatory if you want the really good jobs you are looking to go after. Certs and Verifiable Experience will make you a Dirk Diggler of a candidate when you get in the ring with HR folks or a staffing agency.

It really depends. MY brother in law is a Senior Programmer at Cornell University and prior to that he was programming for the government and private sector and all they cared about is if he could code. Of course he had 20 years exp in various programming languages which got him his senior position. The only thing Cornell required him to get was his Masters degree in IT.

Certs are simply passing a test. If you have experience, major projects you completed in the pass, and a degree most companies will just look pass the certs. However, this is not always true but from many higher corporations and University / colleges programmers can get away with not having certs.

@exing

to make 100k its possible but it depends what company you work for.

N2IT

Certifications in development aren't nearly as important as in system adminstration or networking.

I would make sure to bring you portfolio with you and show the applications you developed. 7 years is a nice long period of time. You are in the drivers seat.

Bl8ckr0uter

N2IT wrote: »

Certifications in development aren't nearly as important as in system adminstration or networking.

I would make sure to bring you portfolio with you and show the applications you developed. 7 years is a nice long period of time. You are in the drivers seat.

2nded. I certs are less important in that field. Work on your contacts and resume and you should be able to get what you want.

Jinuyr

Bl8ckr0uter is in fact correct. While it doesn't matter in most situations for a developer or programmer, it certainly would not hurt your chances.

When I worked as a DBA I was asked to either provide the ability to obtain a certification or provide code samples of best practices. I chose examples scenario since the test would have taken me too long at the time. In hindsight, I should have gotten the cert.

joecandid

I am looking for a .NET person or person's that fit the following requirements:
Jr. Level /solid skillset. OR Senior Level/ Able to Architect. Dedicated to Microsoft Tracker Product OR Senior Developer Blackbird & LeaseUp

Pay is negotiable but as I list here to start with:
Role #1: .Net (Jr Level): $40-$60/hour Role #2 .Net (Sr Level): $50-$70/hour
Role #3) .Net (Sr Level): $50-$70/hour

JDMurray

As to what will make you more marketable to a higher-paying job, you only care about what hiring managers are looking for. Get on dice.com and search for jobs in your geographical area that interest you. Note the salary range, educational and experience requirements, and if they are asking for any certs. I'll guess they want people with lots of .NET experience, any undergrad degree, and certs are "nice to have, but not required."

Xcluziv

I believe it is not totally necessary to have certifications in programming, your work will speak for itself with your experience since you have quite a few years under your belt. When showcasing your work to clients and/or hiring managers, they WILL know what they are getting for their money....point blank!

If you can attain a cert, I say go for it...it will never hurt you. Certifications are a PLUS, kind of like a cherry on top.

Just my $.02

NetworkVeteran

I've done .NET development before. They didn't care a lick about my certifications. They did care about my portfolio of past projects. That's common for development in general.

As you say, hourly rates are driven down by offshore competition. But you can counter that, by being the sort to actually complete projects well and on-schedule.