It has been a long time ago when .NET was first introduced. Nowadays there is a growing demand for .NET specialists. Take the opportunity, learn .NET programming.

Basically, you'll need some talent, but the rest depends on your willingness to learn, work and share. Moreover, use the internet!

Programming is problem-solving, essentially. To become a successful problem solver, you need to be able to define the problem then pick the right tool to create the best solution in the most efficient way.

Obviously, for this, you'll need some innate logical and analytical skills and the right competencies and tools in software development. Luckily the latter you can acquire and advance through learning and practice – even for free.

C# is part of .NET Framework developed by Microsoft is one of the most widespread and essential modern programming languages in the world. The learning it pays off – but mastering it pays off even more handsomely.

If you Google it – and you should do this – you'll find that countless sites are offering C# and .NET tutorials, courses, tips, and advice and other content. Explore these, and you'll always find something useful to read or watch.

However, without the doubt, one of the best places to go is Microsoft Virtual Academy. It doesn't matter if you are a total beginner or a practicing developer at an intermediate or advanced level, at Microsoft Virtual Academy you'll find free online training by world-class experts to help you build your technical skills and advance your career.

Register as a member and learn not just C# and .NET but all the latest technology on your terms. Pick up where you left off on any device or download videos for offline viewing. You'll be able to create and manage playlists that align to the technical skills you want to acquire, test your knowledge with self-assessments, and even earn certificates of completion for the courses you've mastered.

At Microsoft Virtual Academy you can also attend live events, and participate in live Q&A sessions with instructors, enjoy free access to e-books, and get exclusive discounts on Microsoft Press books, and more.

The importance of practicing and sharing

Next, you'll need the developer tools to test what you've just learned in practice. Join Microsoft Developer Network  and get access to Visual Studio, a range of SDKs, the Evaluation Center, plus a developer magazine, blog and the Channel 9 community with videos from the people who develop Microsoft's products and services.

At Microsoft Developer Network you can download Visual Studio Community 2017 and Visual Studio Code for free and also get a free trial of Visual Studio Professional or Enterprise 2017. Visual Studio is the best IDE for individual developers as well as teams of developers of all sizes working in .NET environments. Visual Studio Code is a code editor optimized for building and debugging modern web and cloud applications.

Whichever tool you choose start experimenting and practicing with it. Create your own test projects to see what works for you then start using that in your real life projects.

Most importantly by joining Microsoft Developer Network, you become part of a community. You'll find a wide range of forums discussing all sorts of subjects that matter to developers. Get involved! Share your thoughts and the problems you encounter in the process of learning or working. Ask for help and try to help others. There is no better way to deepen your practical knowledge, share tips and get new ideas to explore.

Signing up for free trials at the Evaluation Center you'll find technical documentation, virtual labs, demos and tools you need to evaluate Microsoft products and services. You can also learn how they help other companies run their business and find out the latest about upcoming releases and future roadmaps. Choose a workplace which supports your development, gives you continuous inspiration.

So becoming a great .NET developer is no rocket science – but it is an endless process of continuous learning, hard working with the right tools and sharing experience.