VBdogs - Getting Started

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Home > Careers > Getting Started

Books
Starting with a good beginner's book is one of the most affordable ways to start learning Visual Basic. There are many books that are reasonably good, but don't expect to master VB in 24 hours or even 21 days, as some of them promise. Try one of the following titles:

Murach's Beginning Visual Basic .NET by Anne Prince
Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Step by Step by Michael Halvorson

Microsoft Training
Microsoft Get Started site provides training advice for beginners on how to construct the best combination of instructor-led training and books for your needs. Information for Developers site is targeting new and experienced developers and provides advice on how get the most relevant training and skills with courseware, books, and exams that have been created by Microsoft product teams. After you do some initial training, you can start browsing the MSDN Training, Career and Events site for free webcasts and TV shows. Also, check out the VB at the Movies for free on-line training.

Classroom Training
If you prefer instructor-led training, you can also get Microsoft training by attending classes in any of the authorized Microsoft training centers. There are several Microsoft Authorized Technical Education Centers in GTA (we recommend triOS) where you can take a number of different 5-day development courses based on the Microsoft official curriculum (this means that Microsoft provides all training materials). Most people with some VB experience find these courses too basic, but they are fine if you are brand new to VB programming. The courses are fairly expensive - expect to spend around $2000.00 per one week course - and it is always nice if you can find somebody else (like your employer) to cover the cost.

If you truly want the best and money is no object, you should take a look at some of the great courses offered by Developmentor. Their trainers are top-notch and they provide excellent training courses but you should probably get some initial training and experience on your own as their courses tend to be targeted to more advanced audience. As they are located in US, attending them will also involve some travel. However, they are definitely worth the money.