17
Hello!
I have just joined this community. I am 59 years old. I have one year to go in a master's program in data science. I have been out of the traditional job market for 6 years. For most of that time, I was caregiver for my late father who had dementia and was moved into a nursing home. I left my last job--as a nonprofit database administrator--in 2016 to move back to my hometown to help my family. My caregiving (a daily activity) ended when the pandemic began.
Both my parents passed in the last three years. Small inheritances have enabled me to go to graduate school, though I still needed to take out about $20K in loans.
I am not a confident person. I have a cognitive disability that was not diagnosed until I was in my 40s. It can cause a lot of misunderstandings in workplaces.
Though data science is supposed to be a hot field, I am not at all confident about finding a job. I have applied for some internships for summer of this year. I made it to the interview stages for two. I am still in the running for one, was rejected by two others.
Though I worked with data before, it was not a position in IT but in fundraising. I was like the expert user of a CRM. I feel like I don't speak tech. I am told to create a GitHub account and work on projects, but I can't make sense of GitHub.
I enjoy my graduate program and I have a 4.0. But still, I feel like I am competing for jobs against people decades younger who are much more familiar with the tech field.
How can I feel more confident in my job search?
AndersenGroup
14
08/30/22 at 12:52PM UTC
Hallo zusammen!
Es tut mir leid zu hören, dass Sie seit einiger Zeit nicht mehr auf dem traditionellen Arbeitsmarkt tätig sind, und ich kann verstehen, dass Sie sich über Ihre Aussichten unsicher sind. Ich glaube jedoch, dass Ihre Fähigkeiten und Erfahrungen Sie zu einem ausgezeichneten Kandidaten machen, und ich möchte Sie ermutigen, Ihre Ziele weiterzuverfolgen. Es gibt viele Ressourcen, die Ihnen bei der Stellensuche helfen können, z. B. unsere Website, die Tipps und Ratschläge zur Stellensuche, Networking-Veranstaltungen und vieles mehr bietet. Wir gehen davon aus, dass die Andersen ihren Kunden dabei hilft, Projekte zu entwickeln, die sich von der Konkurrenz abheben - von der Konzeption bis zur Ausführung. https://andersenlab.de/services/devops
Anonymous
03/08/22 at 6:26AM UTC
Dear Rina,
First of all: welcome to our community. We support each other and you can always receive advise and bouncing here.
I must say that you bring any future employer/company something that young candidates cannot bring to the table and that is life experience. In additional; you have proven that you can take on a role with no personal gains/benefits like you just have done by being the caregiver of your father.
For building up confidence; I suggest that you start a creative hobby - nomatter whether it is painting acrylics, support within local community etc. It is the process you should look for. Meet other people in a non-work related environment and experience some good energy. This will support building your confidence - also in your job search.
For specific applying to job positions; suggest that you look for junior positions or positions in smaller companies.
You are a true gem and I fully understand your conserns. Just for information: we never hits bullseye first time and you might need to apply for several positions before finding the right match in tasks and mindset.
Good luck; my friend :-)
Rina KorCareer Switcher becoming a Data Scientist
17
03/08/22 at 9:40PM UTC
Thank you very much!
User deleted comment on 03/08/22 at 11:02AM UTC
Anonymous
03/08/22 at 5:33AM UTC
Hi Rina, first of all congrats on your journey! I know the tech industry can seem very scary, but let me tell you something: you belong here. Applying for jobs and internships can be daunting, and it's a full-time job on its own, but trust in how far you've come and your skills!
Being enrolled for a graduate program can be a huge game-changer too, a lot of universities/colleges offer programs and have a networking system that could help you connect with employers. I'm also very happy that you're on here cause there's a bunch of opportunities and resources at Fairygodboss.
With applying, rejection is more often than not inevitable sadly, but don't let that discourage you or make you feel you're not ready or qualified. Keep on applying and looking for opportunities, I'm sure there's a company waiting for you out there.
Rina KorCareer Switcher becoming a Data Scientist
17
03/08/22 at 9:41PM UTC
Thank you!
