[mmj_ngen]

Historically, I was a C an Java programmer, but I've been coding .Net more than I care to remember, for years.

I've had it. Are there Mac/Linux software software houses on the east coast? If so, what are the requirements? Though I've programmed in C, C++ and Java before for a while, the last 3-4 years has been C#.

I put in lots of hours and that doesn't leave room for much extracurricular training at times. But, my passion for my job is a little nutty.

So, are there good non .Net software houses on the east coast in need? If so, how does one get a job there? What do they look for?

[numero]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think there are many companies out there that will hire someone and then teach them Cocoa. Now not many of us (including me) are experts and we are always learning, but I think most employers expect you to be able to have some base.

I'd recommend the old fashioned way. Networking. For starters see if you are near one of these meetings. CocoaHeads: International Cocoa Club In our chapter everyone is very supportive.

Get Apple's Objective-C PDF. I don't remember the exact title, but it goes into the details of the language and the messaging details. It helped me a great deal in understanding the behind the scenes details.

Pick up Aaron Hillegass' book. I learned a lot from it. Very well thought out. It is a book that was written for teaching -- not just to be a narrative on a topic.

Freelance where you can. I happened to be introduced to a company through a schoolmate. They have minimal Mac support, but are looking to offer more of their products on the Mac. I've done a few projects for them and I guess they liked my work. I start working for them next week.

That's about all I can suggest. Take the initiative and start your training, find a user group or two and keep your eyes open for opportunities.

-numero

[wadesworld]

One thing I've had success with in the past is to find companies with a successful Windows-only product, and offer to write a Mac version of their product. Obviously, you want to get paid, but you do need to be a bit flexible. Maybe something like - "if I deliver a working prototype in 90 days, you agree to contract me to do the final version in X months for $X thousand.

I'm not talking about approaching a gaming company about porting Half-Life or something like that. I'm talking about approaching a GPS company that only has Windows software for their GPS devices. Or a cross-platform game that only has level creation tools for Windows. Projects like that.

[Thinine]

This guy's blog is pretty good for people going from C# to Obj-C: The .NET Addict's Blog