Need help to gain expertise in Java

[namita rawal]

I currently reside in the US and have been working on H1B. The issue is that I have been working as a contractor till now and most of the jobs that I have worked on are Production Support jobs.
So I haven't worked on creating an application from scratch. I have moved to a new state and am looking for jobs again. The problem is that I can't say confidently that I know Java thoroughly. I have tried the online tutorials and they haven't helped me much. I am looking for an opportunity where I can learn new concepts by working on an application. Can anyone help me?

Thanks,
Nam

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Nam,
I see two options here and I don't think you are going to like either of them:

1) Look for a job that doesn't require deep knowledge of Java. Like the equivalent of what you are doing now.
2) Spend a lot of time learning Java and actually write an application. It could be something you are interested in. It could be an open source project.

You asked more about the second one. There's no shortcut. You sit down with a book or tutorial, read and code. And ask questions here about things that are unclear. You don't say why the online tutorials haven't helped you so it is hard to suggest what to do.

Also, not all programming jobs involve writing an application from scratch. However, maintaining an existing application is often even harder.

[arulk pillai]

Focus on getting an entry level developer job.

[namita rawal]

The reason I say that tutorials have not been helpful because I have realized that I have learnt the most while being on the job and working on a technology hands on.

I liked the idea of applying at entry level positions. Is there some specific website to apply for entry level jobs? Most of the job sites have positions that require atleast 5 years of experience.

[arulk pillai]

namita rawal wrote:The reason I say that tutorials have not been helpful because I have realized that I have learnt the most while being on the job and working on a technology hands on.

That means you have hands-on experience. Why not put that on your resume. You can continue to work on self-taught projects whilst applying for jobs. The only way to gain expertise in Java is through writing code.

[Ulf Dittmer]

The problem I see is that the H1B program is meant to fill jobs for which US citizens can't be readily found. I have a hard time picturing how that would be true for entry-level jobs.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

namita rawal wrote:The reason I say that tutorials have not been helpful because I have realized that I have learnt the most while being on the job and working on a technology hands on.

This implies you aren't entry level. Which is a problem in applying for entry level jobs. And as Ulf notes, the H1B program isn't intended for entry level anyway.