No, I am not an expert in all the things I have put into my skills section. However, I have enough experience with them to know that I can deal with them like an expert in no time (< 1 week).
In fact, I don't think there are "experts" for programming skills. These days, the job mostly requires digesting lots of documentation fast, for new libraries, new languages, new tools, whatever. It is unlikely even for an expert to be confronted with exactly the same problems as in the last job, even with the same underlying technolgies. So focussing too much on the skills section is counterproductive for employers.
Hear hear. I picked up PHP again this past weekend after laying dormant on it for the last year or so. Yeah, I was rusty for the first hour or so, but within a few hours I was as strong as I had ever been and cranking out code like mad.
I have TONS of languages and skills that have been put to the side and unused for some time simply due to the lack of need, but that doesn't mean I can't restore my former competency within hours of jumping feet-first back into that pool. I haven't written C++ for months now, but give me a few hours in front of a terminal with an interesting problem and it'll all come back.
And you know what, if I'm applying for a job with VB.NET, and having not worked with it for a while, you can bet your ass that I would have taken the time to refresh my skills before I step into that interview. The author is complaining about a non-issue.
No, I am not an expert in all the things I have put into my skills section. However, I have enough experience with them to know that I can deal with them like an expert in no time (< 1 week).
In fact, I don't think there are "experts" for programming skills. These days, the job mostly requires digesting lots of documentation fast, for new libraries, new languages, new tools, whatever. It is unlikely even for an expert to be confronted with exactly the same problems as in the last job, even with the same underlying technolgies. So focussing too much on the skills section is counterproductive for employers.