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Hi all, I really enjoy reading the posts and support here in this group.
It impacts me in many ways and I feel inspired by all of you. I’m hoping to get some insight on how to proceed with my job search, since the anxiety and frustration are weighing on me.
I started my career in insurance, originally, and returned to school to get my Bachelors when I was told it was preventing my career goals. That was untrue, but I obtained my degree and the debt that came with it during the 2008 recession.
I found a love in the Travel industry and put in my time learning everything, starting from the bottom since the economy hadn’t recovered while trying to show I wasn’t a job hopper. In the aviation sector, stability is a foreign concept. You have to stay agile in order to stay in the business and I felt many factors were against me, but I ignored them.
When I started gaining the trajectory I wanted, I moved to an area that didn’t have the aviation presence I just came from, but I wanted to stay in the industry. I was a Recruiter + in my last roles with growth on the horizon and was now back in an entry level role in an area where most retired from their positions because of the employment scarcity.
Luckily, I found a WFH job with my dream company. The position was entry level again, but I knew the company was stable. The opportunity to learn and grow were beginning to open for me and then I was furloughed which led to being laid off.
During my furlough, I stayed active within my company through the Employee Resource Group as a PM and got my CAPM. I knew once I was laid off, I wanted to leave the industry for good because it’s too volatile and demands a lot for little in return because they’re aware people who sign up for it really love the business. Like I did and it’s bittersweet.
I’m now interested in transitioning into tech, specifically cyber security. I was trying to learn Python and took some courses on IBMs Open P-Tech. I think it’s a missed opportunity for tech recruiters not to look at travel agents because we use GDS that require cryptic entries in blue screens and each system is a different language, and I found it transferable going through Python.
I’m again applying for entry-level positions in the tech space and I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. I don’t want to discount my previous career experience to again start at the bottom and I genuinely feel I’m aging out of the market at 40. When I look at my resume, the experience speaks to all the skills required, but when keeping with the “only relevant experience on your resume”, either the job title doesn’t appear to match the accomplishments or the gaps in work history make me look like a job hopper. I’d love to connect with anyone who can share some insight and hope to read your comments. Thanks!
Hi Katie! Thanks so much for that suggestion. I'm open to it and I will sign up for the fair. I would welcome the feedback. Amy led me to a wonderful resource that I feel is adding a lot of value to my search. I'm always open to speaking to anyone that can give holistic feedback, good or bad. Thank you for taking the time and I hope to connect with you at the fair.
Hi Ashera, I work at American Family Insurance as a Diversity Recruiting Manager. We have have a virtual career fair on March 31st, one of the areas we are looking to hire in is in tech/IT. I don't know if it would be helpful or not, but one of our IT recruiters can speak to you about your background and give you some feedback on things you might need exposure to and/or designations to consider. Here's the link if you want to join us: Registration link:
https://careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=12b6d053-1d23-495a-ba16-ace70114fa43
I would also suggest getting a mentor in the space you want to get into. I started off in security space and wanted to move into HR. I ended up joining a few local professional HR groups so I could learn more and find a mentor that could guide me.
Let me know if there's anything I can do to help! And best of luck on your journey!
Adding on to what everyone has said, a lot of universities have short certification programs (or bootcamps) and I'm sure there's some in tech. While that may take longer and cost more money than you want, there's a lot of benefits to doing one when switching to a new industry. With the certificate, you'll also usually have a portfolio coming out of it, as well as have access to that university's career center.
Thanks Emme, I didn't consider that avenue and that I could gain a portfolio out of it to demonstrate my work. That was great insight!
Ladies Get Paid could be a helpful resource to network - it’s for women all over the world and all levels in career. They’ve got a ton of resources, and if there’s a company you’re excited for, you can ask the group if anyone knows someone there to introduce you to.
I know the pain of starting over- again and again. I just made the switch to tech sales while it took me a while, I’m so glad I did it.
Jobscan.co offers a fee free scans of your resume compared to the listing. I like them because they offer help to improve your score, and sometimes they can tell you which ATS program a company uses and the quirks in that system (such as some only accept exact matches).
Other tips I’ve learned in my job searching: there are a bazillion career coaches out there right now, and some of them produce some really great content. For example- Madeline Mann has a huge library on YouTube and several helpful resources. If you’re pivoting, tell EVERYONE constantly. Then ask if there’s someone you can talk to. Ask your friends if they know anyone who has a job using Python- take advantage of as many informational interviews as possible. 80% of jobs available are not listed, and this is a great way to talk to others who are doing what you want to be doing and ask how they got there, ask if they have advice for you, and ask if there’s anyone else you should talk to.
I hope some of this helps. Something will come of this. I believe in you!!
Wow, Amy! Thank you so much. I was using a similar site like Jobscan, but I'm happy you brought it to my attention. I've been attending an HR Expo online this week, seeing how the ATS providers market their products to gain intelligence and to network. I will definitely check out Ladies Get Paid and Madeline Mann. Congrats on your new position and I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying it! Have a great day!
Hi for this kind of work, y ou should check out the people behind ShellCon -- connnect with them here: https://shellcon.io/who-we-are/
ArcVida's next Career Energize cohort (14 weeks, guided career transition for people with more than 15 years of work experience) is forming now with the first meeting in late March. It starts with a 2 week trial. This is a holistic program and quite structured (about 10 hours /week of mostly individual work) - but I'm happy to connect and chat with you to see if we could support you.
Thanks so much, Elissa! I checked out both and they look promising. I'd love to connect with you and will send you a request.
You may also want to try to address the gaps on your resume in your cover letter
Thanks! I'll try to incorporate that.
Hi Pam,
Thanks for reading my (long) post and responding! I was in a thinktank for resumes with some former colleagues who were also laid off, but I wasn't finding it beneficial. Also, despite me not having luck previously with outplacement services, I utilized the one my last employer provided and it was a disappointing experience, again. Their methods seemed outdated and the resume they reviewed was filled with spelling errors, which raised concerns. When I spoke to a representative there, they suggested I use a functional format, but then I wonder about how that translates on the ATS, because I have seen how it can butcher a resume.
I am hesitant at trying a resume writer/career coach again, because it yielded no results in previous searches and I usually have a better outcome writing it myself. Since money is a factor and I'm budgeted for some time, I am trying to avoid spending hundreds of dollars on a service with zero ROI.
I try to tailor each resume to the job description using the keywords, which is very exhausting and I start to suffer from analysis paralysis to get the wording precise. It is frustrating that I'll spend over an hour or more on one resume and cover letter, only for it to go through the ATS and be discarded in 24 hours.
I'm attending webniars and online expos to try to network. I empathize that people are burnout with all the requests for chats or introductions from strangers, so I try not to be overly aggressive. It's a hard balance.
It sounds to me like you may want some input on writing a resume that focuses on skills rather than job titles. Have you considered finding someone who specializes in this to give you pointers on different ways you can frame your considerable experience?