Should I stay or should I go?
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I recently put my resume out there on a whim just to see what was happening. Nothing really wrong with my current employer just wanted to see what was happening in the area. I got a bite from a local company and interviewed with them. Now a little history about myself. I started out doing VB6 and Java then moved to VB6 with ASP then C# and ASP.NET for the past 6 or 7 years. I obviously am a Microsoft-oriented developer. I'm transitioning into Architecture more and more with what I do and I usually work on all aspects of systems from DB Schema design to the SOA data layers and business logic all the way up the the front end. When I received the job description it said they were looking for someone that can work on all tiers of development and contribute to architecture discussions. I found out in the interview that I'd be working primarily on front-end applications in .NET and all the business logic and data layer is SOA but developed in Java. This isn't a bad thing, but I've never been at a place that uses two different languages (outside of scripting languages) and is not planning on migrating to one. I've been told they are a rapidly growing company and while they are too large to be considered a start-up, still have some of that energy and mentality. The personalities clicked so that's not an issue. So I guess my questions are, have I been living in a hole and it's pretty common to see stuff like this with a .NET front-end and a Java back-end? Given other peoples experience would you think that if I expressed interest in the middle-tier I'd be given the chance to work with both technologies to further my career? Would this be a smart move? Thanks in advance guys.
- Arcond
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I recently put my resume out there on a whim just to see what was happening. Nothing really wrong with my current employer just wanted to see what was happening in the area. I got a bite from a local company and interviewed with them. Now a little history about myself. I started out doing VB6 and Java then moved to VB6 with ASP then C# and ASP.NET for the past 6 or 7 years. I obviously am a Microsoft-oriented developer. I'm transitioning into Architecture more and more with what I do and I usually work on all aspects of systems from DB Schema design to the SOA data layers and business logic all the way up the the front end. When I received the job description it said they were looking for someone that can work on all tiers of development and contribute to architecture discussions. I found out in the interview that I'd be working primarily on front-end applications in .NET and all the business logic and data layer is SOA but developed in Java. This isn't a bad thing, but I've never been at a place that uses two different languages (outside of scripting languages) and is not planning on migrating to one. I've been told they are a rapidly growing company and while they are too large to be considered a start-up, still have some of that energy and mentality. The personalities clicked so that's not an issue. So I guess my questions are, have I been living in a hole and it's pretty common to see stuff like this with a .NET front-end and a Java back-end? Given other peoples experience would you think that if I expressed interest in the middle-tier I'd be given the chance to work with both technologies to further my career? Would this be a smart move? Thanks in advance guys.
- Arcond
Advancement is often by movement. Also, evolve or go extinct. I would move, it is more opportunity, wider skills range use, and hopefully, more of the folding stuff.
------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave
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I recently put my resume out there on a whim just to see what was happening. Nothing really wrong with my current employer just wanted to see what was happening in the area. I got a bite from a local company and interviewed with them. Now a little history about myself. I started out doing VB6 and Java then moved to VB6 with ASP then C# and ASP.NET for the past 6 or 7 years. I obviously am a Microsoft-oriented developer. I'm transitioning into Architecture more and more with what I do and I usually work on all aspects of systems from DB Schema design to the SOA data layers and business logic all the way up the the front end. When I received the job description it said they were looking for someone that can work on all tiers of development and contribute to architecture discussions. I found out in the interview that I'd be working primarily on front-end applications in .NET and all the business logic and data layer is SOA but developed in Java. This isn't a bad thing, but I've never been at a place that uses two different languages (outside of scripting languages) and is not planning on migrating to one. I've been told they are a rapidly growing company and while they are too large to be considered a start-up, still have some of that energy and mentality. The personalities clicked so that's not an issue. So I guess my questions are, have I been living in a hole and it's pretty common to see stuff like this with a .NET front-end and a Java back-end? Given other peoples experience would you think that if I expressed interest in the middle-tier I'd be given the chance to work with both technologies to further my career? Would this be a smart move? Thanks in advance guys.
- Arcond
Arcond wrote:
have I been living in a hole and it's pretty common to see stuff like this with a .NET front-end and a Java back-end?
To some extent, yes. It was the architecture at a major financial institution I worked at last year. Pretty much created a "blame the other guy" atmosphere. The .NET guys blamed the Java back-end and the service interface, the Java guys blamed to the .NET guys for providing crappy data. To which I responded, after repeatedly crashing one of their servers by making multiple calls to instantiate an object, which was supposed to be used as a singleton, "why don't you TEST for bad data and incorrect call usage???" It also appears to be a common practice up here in Albany with a lot of medical systems. Java back end (why, I'm clueless) and .NET front end (lots of interest in WPF). The one thing I'll say about the guys that were running the Java back-end, they had their sh*t together. All the service calls were fully instrumented and logged. They could replay any transaction to debug a problem. The also had a very sophisticated automated build and release process, allowing them to revert to a previous release by clicking a button on an internal web page, as well as rebooting servers, getting server load and status, etc. I was impressed at the forethought that went into their development process, before a line of code was ever written. Marc
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I recently put my resume out there on a whim just to see what was happening. Nothing really wrong with my current employer just wanted to see what was happening in the area. I got a bite from a local company and interviewed with them. Now a little history about myself. I started out doing VB6 and Java then moved to VB6 with ASP then C# and ASP.NET for the past 6 or 7 years. I obviously am a Microsoft-oriented developer. I'm transitioning into Architecture more and more with what I do and I usually work on all aspects of systems from DB Schema design to the SOA data layers and business logic all the way up the the front end. When I received the job description it said they were looking for someone that can work on all tiers of development and contribute to architecture discussions. I found out in the interview that I'd be working primarily on front-end applications in .NET and all the business logic and data layer is SOA but developed in Java. This isn't a bad thing, but I've never been at a place that uses two different languages (outside of scripting languages) and is not planning on migrating to one. I've been told they are a rapidly growing company and while they are too large to be considered a start-up, still have some of that energy and mentality. The personalities clicked so that's not an issue. So I guess my questions are, have I been living in a hole and it's pretty common to see stuff like this with a .NET front-end and a Java back-end? Given other peoples experience would you think that if I expressed interest in the middle-tier I'd be given the chance to work with both technologies to further my career? Would this be a smart move? Thanks in advance guys.
- Arcond
Oh yeah...
Arcond wrote:
would you think that if I expressed interest in the middle-tier I'd be given the chance to work with both technologies...
Sure. Given that I expressed a certain intelligence and curiosity, that's what the folks at the financial institute I was working for wanted me to do. Thankfully, I found something a lot more interesting. :)
Arcond wrote:
to further my career
Nowadays, working with a specific technology does nothing to further your career, as everything you are working with now will be obsolete in 5 or so years. Even, to a large extent, the fundamental concepts that we currently know. It's pretty weird.
Arcond wrote:
Would this be a smart move?
Back to you on this one: how would you measure what determines "smart"? You must have some ideas on how to quantify that, right? Even if you aren't sure, write them down and compare your current company with the potential new one. See where the exercise of defining "smart" gets you, you may be surprised how well you can answer the question yourself for your needs. Marc
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Arcond wrote:
have I been living in a hole and it's pretty common to see stuff like this with a .NET front-end and a Java back-end?
To some extent, yes. It was the architecture at a major financial institution I worked at last year. Pretty much created a "blame the other guy" atmosphere. The .NET guys blamed the Java back-end and the service interface, the Java guys blamed to the .NET guys for providing crappy data. To which I responded, after repeatedly crashing one of their servers by making multiple calls to instantiate an object, which was supposed to be used as a singleton, "why don't you TEST for bad data and incorrect call usage???" It also appears to be a common practice up here in Albany with a lot of medical systems. Java back end (why, I'm clueless) and .NET front end (lots of interest in WPF). The one thing I'll say about the guys that were running the Java back-end, they had their sh*t together. All the service calls were fully instrumented and logged. They could replay any transaction to debug a problem. The also had a very sophisticated automated build and release process, allowing them to revert to a previous release by clicking a button on an internal web page, as well as rebooting servers, getting server load and status, etc. I was impressed at the forethought that went into their development process, before a line of code was ever written. Marc
Interesting, we're currently looking at a C# (likely WPF) front end and a Delphi back end. I'll be doing the former :) It's either that or a bought in system and we get to write "plugins" X|
He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.
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Oh yeah...
Arcond wrote:
would you think that if I expressed interest in the middle-tier I'd be given the chance to work with both technologies...
Sure. Given that I expressed a certain intelligence and curiosity, that's what the folks at the financial institute I was working for wanted me to do. Thankfully, I found something a lot more interesting. :)
Arcond wrote:
to further my career
Nowadays, working with a specific technology does nothing to further your career, as everything you are working with now will be obsolete in 5 or so years. Even, to a large extent, the fundamental concepts that we currently know. It's pretty weird.
Arcond wrote:
Would this be a smart move?
Back to you on this one: how would you measure what determines "smart"? You must have some ideas on how to quantify that, right? Even if you aren't sure, write them down and compare your current company with the potential new one. See where the exercise of defining "smart" gets you, you may be surprised how well you can answer the question yourself for your needs. Marc
In addition to Marks sage advice I would add that you need to ask yourself a few questions in view of today's business climate; Which company is more stable for the next five years? What are the chances of being laid off from company A vs company B? Five years ago I would have never suggested asking these questions, but "times they are a changing". I do not see job hopping just for a change as a good thing until the job market improves. PS: If you have to ask if it will help your career, the answer is probably not. Although I changed jobs lots of times, I never considered a job that did not clearly move me up the ladder. Money was always secondary in my thinking, but naturally followed the steps up.
Melting Away www.deals-house.com www.innovative--concepts.com
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Interesting, we're currently looking at a C# (likely WPF) front end and a Delphi back end. I'll be doing the former :) It's either that or a bought in system and we get to write "plugins" X|
He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.
-
Interesting, we're currently looking at a C# (likely WPF) front end and a Delphi back end. I'll be doing the former :) It's either that or a bought in system and we get to write "plugins" X|
He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.
phannon86 wrote:
and a Delphi back end
Delphi? Wow, I thought that was actually dead. Marc
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The existing software suite is entirely in Delphi (inherited by us from elsewhere), and management are looking at it from a fastest time to market point of view. Basically, it'd keep most of the existing code base in the back end, whilst everything else would simply look prettier for the user. Of course, the back end code is crap. Once this gets released however, we'd look at re-doing the back end too when there's more time, which of course, won't happen.
He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.
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phannon86 wrote:
and a Delphi back end
Delphi? Wow, I thought that was actually dead. Marc