Hiring a skillful specialist is not an easy task. Hiring .NET developers is not an exception. Many questions might arise: What countries are the best to hire them? What skills should they have? How to verify their hard skills? To help you answer these questions, we prepared this quick guide to hiring a .NET developer.

What Are The Skills A .Net Developer Should Have?

Like any other specialist, a .NET developer should have specific soft skills such as logical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills, etc. And definitely any .NET developer should possess the following technical hard skills:

Knowledge of C#

For .NET developers, it’s important to know C# as it is one of the most popular programming languages to build .Net applications. It is also important to understand LINQ, async systems, and object-oriented programming as well as to have a deep knowledge of Microsoft’s Visual Studio as it is the main development environment.

Knowledge of .NET Frameworks and Tools

It’s quite obvious, but a .NET developer should have solid expertise in the .NET frameworks and tools. He should have knowledge in several versions of the .NET framework but the most prominent ones are ASP.NET and .NET Core.

ASP.Net MVC is one of the most popular open-source frameworks used in web development. It allows developers to create good client-side web applications.

.NET Core is also an open-source framework that has become popular in the last few years. It allows developing cross-platform applications that can run on different platforms, including Linux, MacOS, and Windows.

What is also significant for .NET developers is to follow the latest trends and be aware of what is new about the .NET framework.

Microsoft Certification

It’s not a mandatory requirement however it’s an advantage if a .NET developer has one of Microsoft's certifications like Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) or Microsoft Most Valuable Professional. .NET developers need to renew the certification every two years, so it proves they are aware of the latest updates.

Where To Look For A .Net Developer?

There are two scenarios to follow if you want to find .NET developers to work on your project: hiring them in-house or finding a software development company who can provide them on an outstaffing basis.

If you have an established IT department in your company, you may want to find and hire .NET developers in-house. You may also decide to create your .NET development team from scratch. Both options have pros and cons, which you should consider. Among the critical reasons to think over is its cost. If you already have an IT department with solid technical expertise, it won’t cost much to hire an additional specialist. Still, you need to understand that building a team from scratch is not cheap, so it’s crucial to estimate the budget you’ll need for hiring.

If you decide that it’s reasonable for you to hire .NET developers to join your in-house team, consider finding them using the sources below.

- Meetups and events: Don’t hesitate to collect contacts during meetups, conferences, and other industry-related events.
- Github community: It’s probably one of the best places to find a skillful .NET developer for your project. The community gives you an understanding of the candidate’s skills, experience, and popularity among other peers.
- Stack Overflow: It’s another trusted community where you can find a good .NET developer. The reputation gained within this community is proven expertise in technology.
- Job boards: It’s a traditional way to look for appropriate specialists. Use such platforms as Indeed, Glassdoor, Careerbuilder, etc.
- Referral programs: You can also ask your colleagues for a recommendation. It’s an excellent opportunity to hire a .NET developer with a good reputation.
- Freelance platforms: Finally, you can find freelancers on websites like Fiverr, or Upwork if you need to satisfy urgent needs.

For those businesses that don’t have an in-house IT department, outsourcing .NET development is a great alternative. If you turn to a reliable .NET application development company, you’ll be able to staff your project team faster as they typically have access to a wider talent pool.

How To Hire A .Net Developer?

Whether you hire .Net developers to join your in-house team or do it via an outsourcing development company, the hiring process is typical for both options. The only difference is how you will be involved in the process. When choosing the former scenario, you’re responsible for the entire recruiting and onboarding process. With the latter scenario, you may only visit only the final interview and approve the candidates. Here are the key stages and what’s important to know about each stage if you decide to recruit .NET developers on your own.

Define Your Project Requirements

The more detailed your project description is, the better is the understanding of how many .NET developers you need for your project and what level of expertise is required.

Write the Requirements for a Developer

After you define your project requirements, prepare a detailed description of the developer profile you need. Be sure you mention what skills, knowledge and expertise are required for it.

Interview the Candidates

Finally, you need to conduct an interview with the candidate to test his soft and hard skills to understand if he is a good fit for your project. Apart from the technical questions, it is worth asking about the achievements, challenges they faced, previous experience. If you are a non-technical person, invite your in-house specialist to test their hard skills during the interview.

Summary

If you are looking for a .Net developer for your project there might be two options: either to hire someone in-house or turn to an external company with the appropriate talent pool. In any case it is highly recommended to have project description and position requirements ready. Otherwise, you may spend time on long conversations both with candidates or service providers trying to understand who you need for your project. Once you have a clear understanding of whom you require and for how long, you will be able to augment your team pretty fast.