Despite the current economic downtown There are an increasing number of sharepoint developer opportunities available.
However, defining exactly what is a "sharepoint developer" and demonstrating your sharepoint development competency to potential employers is difficult as sharepoint development requires a diverse range of skills. Sharepoint professionals are typically drawn from a range of programming, web development, design and administration backgrounds.
Microsoft has two developer focussed certifications that will allow you to aquire and demonstrate the core skills required for sharepoint development. Acquring these certifcations will help make your CV "stand out from the crowd" when seeking sharepoint appointments:
Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 – Application Development
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 – Application Development
As sharepoint server 2007 builds upon the foundation provides by sharepoint services, the starting point for all budding developers is the 70-541 exam.
Passing either exam will earn you a Microsoft Technical specialist designation.