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Changing careers is hard, especially in your 30s or beyond.
DO NOT SELL YOURSELF SHORT by wiping your resume clean: I guarantee there is crossover with tech/programming worth highlighting.
Here are FIVE different angles you can use to find those connections!
A thread.
DO NOT SELL YOURSELF SHORT by wiping your resume clean: I guarantee there is crossover with tech/programming worth highlighting.
Here are FIVE different angles you can use to find those connections!
A thread.
1. Hard skills
This is the easiest. Did you use any software that crosses over with tech? Adobe? CMS? Jira? Or maybe you used some simple HTML/CSS? Maybe even Python? Great. Focus on that!
But of course, it's rarely that simple...
This is the easiest. Did you use any software that crosses over with tech? Adobe? CMS? Jira? Or maybe you used some simple HTML/CSS? Maybe even Python? Great. Focus on that!
But of course, it's rarely that simple...
2. People skills
Teamwork, communication, leadership, public speaking, talking to clients, reviewing your colleagues' work, running training sessions, recruitment. These are all skills which are useful to have in a programmer of any level.
Teamwork, communication, leadership, public speaking, talking to clients, reviewing your colleagues' work, running training sessions, recruitment. These are all skills which are useful to have in a programmer of any level.
3. Achievements
Achievements of all kinds speak to your work ethic. Did you complete the most upsells at McDonald's in June 2019? Write it down. Did you notice a safety hazard which could have prevented a lawsuit? Great! Did you go out of your way to mentor a colleague? Tell us!
Achievements of all kinds speak to your work ethic. Did you complete the most upsells at McDonald's in June 2019? Write it down. Did you notice a safety hazard which could have prevented a lawsuit? Great! Did you go out of your way to mentor a colleague? Tell us!
4. Connections to tech
Highlight ways your interest in tech manifested itself in your jobs. Did you work alongside the IT department? Did you submit copy for your company website? Did you help a workmate with LinkedIn? Show that tech was always important, even if not your job.
Highlight ways your interest in tech manifested itself in your jobs. Did you work alongside the IT department? Did you submit copy for your company website? Did you help a workmate with LinkedIn? Show that tech was always important, even if not your job.
5. Attitude and Habits
This is how I drew a line between opera and tech: the habits I formed as an opera singer (daily practice, mastering the basics, embracing failure) are attitudinally and habitually identical to what a programmer needs to succeed.
This is how I drew a line between opera and tech: the habits I formed as an opera singer (daily practice, mastering the basics, embracing failure) are attitudinally and habitually identical to what a programmer needs to succeed.
It can be hard to see the connection between your old and new lives, but I GUARANTEE it can be done.
If you put in the effort to highlight that crossover, your age and experience can add value to your applications!
For more on opera and programming: https://dev.to/annajmcdougall/what-has-being-an-opera-singer-taught-me-about-programming-3hfi
If you put in the effort to highlight that crossover, your age and experience can add value to your applications!
For more on opera and programming: https://dev.to/annajmcdougall/what-has-being-an-opera-singer-taught-me-about-programming-3hfi
