"It's a tough economy out there. It doesn't matter
which industry you happen to be experienced in, people need to be
focused on keeping themselves as competitive as possible -- at all
costs. Even more so when you're underemployed, or worse,
unemployed. If you're between gigs, would-be employers may look at
you with unfair doubt due to a perceived lack of an edge in the
workplace.
"This is especially true for those within the software
development community. If those development skills aren't being
kept razor sharp at all times, you'll find yourself without many
job prospects. After all, there's much more to staying competitive
than merely becoming a resume dynamo. It's critical to find
creative ways to keep your programming skills sharp while ensuring
you're very visible within the public eye.
"Staying visible to employers
"One of the biggest challenges for the underemployed or
unemployed software developer has to be appearing "relevant" when
they go in for a job interview. The problem for most people in this
situation is that their coding skills might be a little rusty due
to the time away from programming"