My previous job involved mainly ASP programming as part of a sales support function for a marketing group. Much of what I did involved developing reports from an Access database at the time. I came to love the web development and programming and have been trying to acquire more marketable skills. Recently I had been let go and am battling a difficult market to find work.
More recently I have been able some acquire skills in VB and SQL Server. I am just starting to write COM components with VB. I am estimating that I should have about the equivalent of a year of experience in both VB and SQL. I also have written some simple programs in JAVA and although not terribly proficient have some understanding of C++.
I have the opportunity to get additional training and wanted to confirm a couple of options that could best help me find work.
They are:
1. Pursue the MCSD certification or or learn .NET because of my pro Microsoft background; playing to my strengths. I live on the East coast, and hear that there could be more demand in the mid west? I wanted to have someone explain their take on the VB market right now for someone with my skillset, and if this was a reasonable course to pursue.
2. Gain exposure in another database such as Oracle and get certified. I assume this could also involve getting more familiar with JSP, J2EE,EJB, etc. My reservation here is the learning curve and I would be competing with people who have more work experience than I.
3. Informally practice more with VB, learn XML, some front end tools like Flash, maybe even practice with the java applets, etc and simply showcase my work on my own site.
Any thoughts on these options would be greatly appreciated.