Experience and skillset

[Manish Hatwalne]

I am s/w professional with almost 3 years of s/w development experience. During this period I have worked mostly on core Java, I am sort of comfortable with servlets and know a bit of JSP and few other things (like WAP, ASP, J2ME, XML etc). But these days most of the Java recruitments ads require J2EE experience (experience not merely knowledge!), esp EJB related tech.
My major concern is my skillset is expanding with my experience. I am sort of bored doing only core Java, I would like to do sth that I have not done before. I would like to get associated with J2EE in a big way, but dunno how can I break into it. My current job doesn't offer any chance to do so.
Is there a way I can convince my future employer that I can learn it and use it? Is there a way I can learn it and or use it on my own? The download size of the ejb containers put me off. I can't try it at workplace.
Is there sth else I can do?
TIA,
- Manish

[Rufus BugleWeed]

Servlets are J2EE.
Somebody said source forge has a Webshpere 5 platform you can run beans on. Unless you have connections in management it's hard to get professional experience in a technology.
IMO, it's managements plan to work you into a position of being obsolete so they can hire somebody younger, dumber and cheaper.

[Manish Hatwalne]

Yeah! Servlets are J2EE and so is JSP. But like I said, I want to get into EJB n stuff like that.
I have accepted that it's not posible for me to work on this stuff in my current job. I am more interested in learning it for my future prospectus. If not professional experience, I am eager to learn and use it on my own (though open source projects would be great!), but dunno how to go abt it.
- Manish

[Derrick Sturch]

If you are interested in gaining some experience, why don't you do an application on your own spare time and then find a place to host it? If you have a high speed internet connection, you could even host it yourself with JBoss.
Basically what you do is create a portfolio of some of the things you have done including the technologies that you would like to chase down your career path.
It may not be as recognised (or lucrative) as having projects under your belt while employed, but it definately demonstrates keeness and initiative as well as putting you ahead of those who are merely interested in it.
Just a thought.

[Fred Grott]

Originally posted by Manish Hatwalne:
I am s/w professional with almost 3 years of s/w development experience. During this period I have worked mostly on core Java, I am sort of comfortable with servlets and know a bit of JSP and few other things (like WAP, ASP, J2ME, XML etc). But these days most of the Java recruitments ads require J2EE experience (experience not merely knowledge!), esp EJB related tech.
My major concern is my skillset is expanding with my experience. I am sort of bored doing only core Java, I would like to do sth that I have not done before. I would like to get associated with J2EE in a big way, but dunno how can I break into it. My current job doesn't offer any chance to do so.
Is there a way I can convince my future employer that I can learn it and use it? Is there a way I can learn it and or use it on my own? The download size of the ejb containers put me off. I can't try it at workplace.
Is there sth else I can do?
TIA,
- Manish

Manish there are several high quality coding contests with cash prizes out there that require you to develop applicaiotns with server side stuff that use J2EE..
Why not ocmplete one of these? Following thi spath you get:
-Opportunity to earn cash money if you win
-Oppportunity of exp with a demo that wokrs to back up your resume
-Opportunity to network with companeis that hire as participant in the contest..
The growth area right now for coding contests that pay cash prizes is Mobile device programming with an emphasis on web services and J2EE..
<y exp was different in that I was faced with downturn after consulting ofr a dot com.. so to break into mobile device programming I have entered an iTV developer contest which gives me skills transferable between PersonalJava and J2ME with emphasis on xml and xml-rpc and J2EE..>
That contest ends in Dec 31st or else I would suggest tha tyou enter..
Hmm, lets see Motorola devleoper iden contest is $5000 with app concept dealine of Jan 10th and app deadline of March..
I woudl og to wireless.java.sun.com and start goign through every company on the tools list at that site.. you can often find coding contests that way..
There is alos a gaming contest of coding as well for the J2ME platform that you coudl use J2EE on..its listed on adiffernt page within sun's wireless site..
I got lucky on the iTV contest because there are only 20 particpants..makes the chances to win a prize so much easier..

I hope this helps and if you need any more information use my profile here and contact me..
Habe a nice New Year!

[Bill william]

looks good, where are these "several high quality coding contests with cash prizes"? thanks

Originally posted by Fred Grott:

Manish there are several high quality coding contests with cash prizes out there that require you to develop applicaiotns with server side stuff that use J2EE..
Why not ocmplete one of these? Following thi spath you get:
-Opportunity to earn cash money if you win
-Oppportunity of exp with a demo that wokrs to back up your resume
-Opportunity to network with companeis that hire as participant in the contest..
The growth area right now for coding contests that pay cash prizes is Mobile device programming with an emphasis on web services and J2EE..
<y exp was different in that I was faced with downturn after consulting ofr a dot com.. so to break into mobile device programming I have entered an iTV developer contest which gives me skills transferable between PersonalJava and J2ME with emphasis on xml and xml-rpc and J2EE..>
That contest ends in Dec 31st or else I would suggest tha tyou enter..
Hmm, lets see Motorola devleoper iden contest is $5000 with app concept dealine of Jan 10th and app deadline of March..
I woudl og to wireless.java.sun.com and start goign through every company on the tools list at that site.. you can often find coding contests that way..
There is alos a gaming contest of coding as well for the J2ME platform that you coudl use J2EE on..its listed on adiffernt page within sun's wireless site..
I got lucky on the iTV contest because there are only 20 particpants..makes the chances to win a prize so much easier..

I hope this helps and if you need any more information use my profile here and contact me..
Habe a nice New Year!

[Manish Hatwalne]

Originally posted by Derrick Sturch:
If you are interested in gaining some experience, why don't you do an application on your own spare time and then find a place to host it? If you have a high speed internet connection, you could even host it yourself with JBoss.
Basically what you do is create a portfolio of some of the things you have done including the technologies that you would like to chase down your career path.
It may not be as recognised (or lucrative) as having projects under your belt while employed, but it definately demonstrates keeness and initiative as well as putting you ahead of those who are merely interested in it.
Just a thought.

Derrick, this is exactly what I am planning to do as I believe this is the best thing I can do if I don't have any chance to work on live projects. In this case, I'll at least have a strong point that I can tell my future employer that I have learnt and implemented the technology on my own, and leave the rest to him.
The only problem I can foresee in this case is that I do not have internet connection at home (at work place is out of question) and no access to fast internet connection. The thought of downloading EJB container scares me. Do you guys know any *small* EJB container that I can procure somehow? Also, is there any hosting service which can host this for free? I know abt mycgiserver, but it doesn't support EJB AFAIK. Right?
Thanks,
- Manish
p.s. Fred, your suggestions are also very good, but I'll need to learn the technology first!

[Pradip Bhat]

{
Manish there are several high quality coding contests with cash prizes out there that require you to develop applicaiotns with server side stuff that use J2EE..
}
This is cool, Where can I get all this contest related information?.Last year there was one contest by Google. www.topcoder.com is also popular.Any other contest related websites??

[Guennadiy VANIN]

Manish,
my believe is that EJBs are used as far as JSPs are used.

Originally posted by Manish Hatwalne:
The only problem I can foresee in this case is that I do not have internet connection at home (at work place is out of question) and no access to fast internet connection.

It is not the only. Most ISPs do not permit hosting anything "at home", at least without additional payment rather prohibitive for your objectives.

I also am interested in SW contests. I know one, see my post on it:
https://coderanch.com/forums/
with 60 000 developers competing for 10-70 USD/week But, at least, there some bottom level tasks. I believe that these competition require a lot of experience and not vice versa (you enter and then earn up)
I would like to know more links like hotdispatch.