Delve into the world of .NET programming and discover how it can open up new career paths in gaming, web development and app development. With its versatility and use in various programming languages, mastering .NET can be a stepping stone towards a lucrative career in tech.
.NET programming consists of a framework that consists of 32 programming languages, which is helpful for front end and back end programming projects. If you want to learn .NET programming but can’t figure out how to get started, this guide will walk you through the various ways to approach it. You’ll find free resources that you can use and strategies that will help you go from classroom to career and beyond.
.NET programming is an extensive framework consisting of 32 programming languages and many resources. Microsoft created it in the 1990s to increase the usability of its projects. While Microsoft privately used it for a long time, it eventually became adapted into .NET Core, an open-source tool released in 2016. Since then, it’s become a staple resource for coders who complete projects with C#, C++, F#, and many other programming languages.
It’s good to know .NET programming because of its versatility. Many combine it with other programming skills to create new libraries and frameworks. For example, people who use Python can combine it with .NET Core’s resources to create a Python.NET library. With this skill under your belt, you’ll be able to mesh it with your other talents and use it to your advantage.
Read more about what .NET programming is and why you should learn it.
.NET programming is especially prominent in the gaming industry, which has become a $197 billion business as of 2022. Unity is one of the most popular game-making resources on the internet, and its programming language is C#. This programming language is also one of the most commonly-used languages within .NET Core. C# helps power popular games like Among Us, Beat Saber, Hollow Knight, Fall Guys, and Pokemon Go, and many solo developers and AAA game creators use it as their games’ backbone.
.NET is also common in applications for websites and mobile devices, making web development, mobile development, and iOS app development excellent industries to explore if you have these skills. Why not combine these two uses into one? Mobile games have grown in popularity and are only expected to grow in the future. If you have app development skills, you can work in any industry because every business would love an app to accompany their products, tools, and services. Learn these skills and pick a field that piques your interest—that will take you far into your career, and you’ll work with something you enjoy.
Any programming industry will utilize .NET programming in some capacity. Microsoft is universally known as one of the top programming businesses, and having skills with their .NET Core programs will be invaluable if you plan to take that step into similar companies regardless of their size. If you have any experience with .NET programming on your resume, you’ll stand out to employers because it’s common in the field but rarer to find from newer programmers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Web Developers and Digital Designers typically earn a median of around $78,000 per year. Remember that this number is the median—many programming professions are six-figure jobs. Still, $78,000 per year is an excellent salary as well! Many other careers use .NET programming outside of web development and digital design, but these are among the easiest to break into if you’re brand new to the profession.
.NET programming has a plethora of tools to offer for many different purposes. C#, C++, and Visual Basic are the programming languages of choice for many video game developers, including those who make games with Unity, the popular game development resource. More than ¾ of all businesses use .NET Core in some capacity, which means learning how to work with it will give you an advantage in the coding industry.
While it’s commonly associated with Windows products, you can easily combine it with other programming skills. For example, those who know Python can take their .NET skills and create a Python.NET framework. That’s only a small insight into how you can use .NET programming; because it consists of 32 programming languages and framework resources, there are dozens of ways you can approach it even with only basic knowledge.
Read more about why you should learn .NET programming.
.NET programming has many skills you’ll want to enhance before taking dedicated classes. One of those skills is web development. Web development is best known as one of the easiest coding disciplines with practical uses in the tech industry. By learning web development, you’ll build the foundation you need to understand .NET programming’s more complicated concepts while helping your career in its earliest stages. You can apply to Web Developer positions and gain industry knowledge while you advance into more complex languages within .NET Core.
The road to web development is short: you can easily learn the basics within two to three weeks and become proficient in them within two to six months, depending on your level of commitment. Some of the best web development courses come in bootcamps and certificate programs, which will allow you to gain credentials that can help you land your first job in the tech field. Check out some in-person or live online web development classes to see how they align with your schedule.
Web development is an excellent first step in any programming job, and you can start learning the basics through on-demand courses. These self-paced web development classes are intended for those with tight budgets or schedules who want to begin their journey. It’s also good to look through web development video tutorials, such as the Intro to Front End Web Development tutorial. Once you’ve finished learning the basic concepts, you’re ready to dive into .NET programming. Noble Desktop’s .NET Programming Learn Hub has a collection of resources, tutorials, and guides specifically dedicated to helping you through each stage of your .NET programming journey.
Read the full guide on how to learn .NET programming.
Are you still deciding whether to start taking full certificate programs or bootcamps? That’s understandable, especially if this is your first time exploring .NET programming. Most people find that watching a free online tutorial first gives them a sense of the topics and what they need to learn.
.NET programming can seem complicated if you dive into it without learning its prerequisites. You might find that introductory videos—such as the Intro to Front End Web Development, Intro to JavaScript, or Intro to Python Fundamentals tutorials—will make things easier. Watching the online tutorials in these areas will give you an overview of each and help you decide where to start.
Read about more free .NET programming videos and online tutorials.
.NET programming has a wide range of skills to learn within the .NET framework, but you might be overwhelmed if you dive right into it without any coding experience. Most people feel it’s easier to start with a web development course since .NET uses front end and back end web development. JavaScript and Python are also helpful since they involve frameworks and object-oriented programming. Once you have skills in these areas, .NET programming will be a breeze.
Read about how difficult it is to learn .NET programming and the .NET programming prerequisites.
.NET programming is free and open source, meaning you won’t need to worry about copyright when you use tools from the .NET framework. Most of the prices you’ll find online are what people will pay .NET programmers to create their projects. You're ready to go as long as you plan to program your .NET projects yourself.
Read about the costs of using .NET programming.
While .NET programming has 32 languages within its framework, they’re mostly similar to JavaScript and Python regarding usage and function. JavaScript works with frameworks, databases, and libraries, and it’s worth learning this skill since nearly every coding project will have uses for it. If you can code it, JavaScript can enhance it further.
Many of .NET’s languages are object-oriented programming languages, which means it organizes their code based on data (or “objects”) rather than logic. Python is also an object-oriented language, and it’s easier than most languages you’ll find in the .NET Core. Learning this language first will help you understand how to navigate object-oriented languages and allow you to focus on the quirks of the .NET language instead of learning everything from scratch.
The best way to approach your .NET programming education will depend on the stage you are in your career and what you want to do with your newfound knowledge once you’ve finished your classes. If you’re at the very beginning and are still testing the waters, you might want to look into some video tutorials to help you gauge which skills you should tackle first. For example, .NET programming involves object-oriented languages, and watching a Python Fundamentals video tutorial will help you learn the concepts behind them before you dive into more complex languages like C#.
Python and JavaScript are essential skills to develop while mapping out your .NET programming educational path, especially if you plan to apply for a promotion in a tech job. Both are easier than most .NET programming languages and have their own career paths that you can pursue while developing your .NET skill set. Taking a Python Programming Bootcamp will give you the foundation to explore other object-oriented programming languages easily. A JavaScript Programming Bootcamp will guide you through all the concepts you need to understand when using any framework, including .NET Core.
Certificate programs are best if you’re outside the tech industry and want to enter it for the first time. That’s because you’ll work with experts in the field who can point you in the right direction, take a collection of bootcamps at a discounted rate, and earn a certificate of completion that will show employers that you have the skills they need to get the job done effectively. Two certificate programs ideal for anyone who wants to learn .NET are JavaScript Development Certificate and Python Developer Certificate for the reasons mentioned above.
Truthfully, any additional coding experience will help you immensely when you learn .NET programming. A Software Engineering Certificate or Full-Stack Web Development Certificate program will give you a broad range of skills you can use for any entry-level position. Once you’ve established your place in the tech industry, you can branch out into any of .NET programming’s 32 languages and go from there.
When you’re learning .NET programming, you’ll want to have mastery of the fundamentals, and all of those fundamentals can be exercised through learning web development. Since .NET programming covers front end and back end concepts, you’ll be well-suited to take a Full Stack Web Development Certificate program. Full stack covers both ends of web development and will lay down the groundwork you need to enter your first tech job before you even start exploring .NET programming.
If you feel overwhelmed by learning web development at once, try taking a Front End Web Development Certificate course instead. Front end web development covers the easiest three programming languages available—HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—and is the skill set of choice for beginners. If you’re up for a challenge and want to learn more coding skills beyond full stack, the Software Engineering Certificate program covers a broad range of topics, including web development, React, and Python. These topics have high usage in .NET programmer roles and will certainly be worth your while.
You can find more web development classes that will enhance these skills and give you a solid foundation to work from when you explore .NET programming in further detail. The best part about these programs is that they take place in real-time, offer free retakes, and feature experts in the field. Noble Desktop has your back no matter where you decide to take your programming journey.