What C# programming skills do you need to get your first job?

Question

.NET

So far I've worked with basics such as: OOP, classes, file I/O, arrays, structures, SQL queries, Windows Forms.
What else do you need to learn for your first job as a C# desktop programmer, maybe something specific from the .NET framework?

Answer 1

If you are a beginner, then most likely you will be trusted with legacy code, or some simple tasks. In any case, at first you will read the code more than write it. Therefore, I advise you to study the basic constructions of the language, in particular the obsolete and tricky ones, because you will meet them very often. I highly recommend to practice with multitasking, lambdas, events, reflection, IO, generics, LINQs, serialization, practice with basic SQL queries, and especially pay attention to unit testing. Be sure to be comfortable with OOP and version control systems (usually SVN or Git, although I personally prefer Mercurial). These "points" will come in handy, no matter what area you choose.
A month ago, I got a job at a software company that has been developing its product since the first versions of .net. Although .net 4.5 is currently being used, it is clear that no one will rewrite the working old code, especially without guarantees that nothing will break (here unit tests come into play, which everyone wanted, but there was no time). Spaghetti code is regularly encountered, which is very difficult to understand (how do you like an if-branch in which 50 thousand characters?). I would like to blame other programmers, but it is difficult. Perhaps they did not have enough experience or time then, and the deadline was inexorably approaching with every second. There wasn't enough time for commenting either. Again, different parts of the code are written differently, for obvious reasons. Therefore, it is important to be able to compile the code in your head and debug it in the debugger.
I would like to advise the practice, as usual Open Source, but I myself could not find a single project (in C #) that would hook me, and which I would like to understand. Therefore, I advise you to write utilities for your own needs, even the simplest programs with ten lines of code that can simplify some kind of routine. Or, if you are interested, you can write some simple toys, for example, a snake or Tetris can be written in the console or in a regular application without using libraries for working with graphics. Be sure to save your old code, you can store it in private repositories on bitbucket.org, they are free for teams of up to five people. So you will see your progress, and it’s funny in six months, looking at the code, thinking who wrote this garbage. Again, it will be possible to show the employer at the interview.
And, of course, sometimes you should turn your attention to other languages ​​and technologies. Are you writing a backend for a web application? Be sure to look at HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Highly loaded server? Try Go. Do you write games? Try C++, or Lua. If it's a desktop app, try writing something for Windows 8 (Modern UI, maybe a phone, even if you don't have one), or pay more attention to looks, like trying different styles or animations for the UI.
I definitely advise you to know some kind of scripting programming language, like JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Lua, etc. Never stop learning and being interested in what is happening in IT close to your area of ​​interest.