[ajug-members] cert.

[Laura Moore]

Am I the only one seeing a common theme in these posts?   Certs are nice to
have, but what really gets the job is the interview.  That said, I recommend
the following if you are trying to move from a procedural to OO job:

1) OO is not just a tool, it's a concept, one I've seen practiced by good
programmers everywhere, including cobol, shell scripting, C. Re-examine your
old code.  Did you practice encapsulation and code reuse?  Did you develop
utilities and modules that have life outside of your own code?  If so, in my
mind, you already understand the driving force behind OO. Explain these
experiences to your interviewer.

2) There is Java the language - and then there's Java the ecosystem.  Get to
know the ecosystem too, at least on a conceptual level.  Google the top
frameworks, find out what problem they are trying to solve, and how their
particular application stack divides roles and responsibilities.  I know I
will always hire someone who knows if a Struts Action is Model, View or
Controller and why over somebody who claims to have 'used' Struts but can't
answer that question.

3)  OO or procedural the basic truths remain the same:  Change happens,
Computers only do what you tell them to do, requirements are never
complete.   Again, talk about how you deal with these larger issues, how
have you planned for change in the code you've written, how do you test what
you've written, when have you saved your team's bacon by identifying the
missing requirements?

If I were going to hire a procedural programmer to do Java, I'd be looking
for one who can show me first they are a good programmer.  I'd be looking
for them to show me that they will be able to apply their past programming
skills, discipline, and intelligence in Java.  I'd be particularly impressed
by a candidate who could explain their past experience AND how they would
use Java today to solve the same kind of problems.

That kind of interview would convince me you weren't just looking for a
entry level position where you could get paid to learn to hack Java.  It
would give me confidence that you'd learn what I needed you to learn
quickly, probably far more quickly than some recent college graduate, or
some hired gun consultant.

PS.  www.upsjobs.com  under Information Systems has several jobs listed.
"J2EE Senior Programmer"  is the 'entry' level, but be careful selling your
self short - you might also be just as qualified as a "Web Developer".
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