How do I write a resume for in-between career jobs?

Good morning all!

I quit my last full-time job a few years ago to finish my Computer Science Degree. I've been looking and applying for months, but I'm quickly reaching the point where I need a job - ANY job - to cover expenses until I get a job in the field.

How do I 'tailor' my resume for something like that?

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have!

Iynna·May 30

What were you doing before (in terms of field/roles) doing the CS degree? You could use a version of that old resume and older story to get a job in an adjacent field? If you are open to any job, I'd recommend things in service driven industries like cashier at places like Target (they seem to always hire), restaurant/coffee shops, or the gig economy (uber, doordash etc) Idon't think you'll need a super tailored resume for this from what I've seen.

keralinn·May 31

Hi iynna! Thanks for responding!Before my CS degree, I was a technical/content writer. I have been applying to technical writing jobs as well (with a tailored resume for that) with no luck.I think I’m afraid that the side job will see a thirty-something with two bachelor degrees and over a decade of working various jobs and go “wait, she’s definitely overqualified” and reject my application immediately.

Iynna·May 31

I totally understand that... hm how about AB testing? Have a resume that does not mention the CS degree at all and that's a bit more general ie targeted to roles that are similar to what you did before. I am not ultra familiar with technical / content writing, but is this something that you need to keep doing? Because my immediate guess is that if you've been out of that space for a while, people/companies will naturally prioritise folks who've been doing it continuously, but if you were to start writing more or maybe do freelance/pro bono work to keep your skills up and show that you're in the game, this might derisk a little?And then for your CS focused resume: have you worked on project while in school? Have you had experience applying the skills learned either via internships etc. because you could have a resume that showcases those experiences more and then send to different places?And then of course consider the gig economy type of roles I've mentioned if you need quick cash to cover bills etc.

keralinn·May 31

Perhaps this is a silly question, but is it dishonest to not include the CS degree? I'm also nervous that they will then see that I left my job in May 2022, and it's two years later, "what has she been doing all this time? Must be something wrong" and rejection.I've only been out of the writing industry for a few years, but I will absolutely look into doing some freelance for it! And yes, the CS focused resume showcases my two big portfolio projects from school. It lists the 'positions' I held for the project and details my contributions. Besides those, I've really been focusing on gaining as many technical 'certificates' as possible, via Sololearn or Coursera or IBM SkillsBuild. I haven't added those to my resume, because I just list the subject under my Proficiencies section (Cloud Computing, Java, etc.).Every time I post a new certificate on my LinkedIn, I get the lovely messages of 'your post reached X number of impressions' with no actual results for my achievement.And I will definitely look into gig economy, thank you so much!

Iynna·Jun 01

Not a silly question at all! it's very very fair and you raise a good points re: "what have you been doing for the past two years" you could try and see or you could keep including the new CS degree but then the recruiter will likely ask "why getting a CS degree if you want to do the job you were doing before" you could preemptively frame the story and shared that you enjoyed being a technical writer but wanted to experience and acquire more skills in building things (which would ultimately allow you to be a better writer if you understood how things work in the background) yes explore the freelance, it won't hurt! As for your last point, hate to be real like this but I think these certifications are not super meaningful. I think there are industries where it certainly helps like the CPA in finance, but in most industries especially tech people will care more about your experience, so if I were you I'd spend less time getting those, it might almost negatively impact you.

keralinn·Jun 02

Thank you so much iynna! Especially your response to the last bit - I actually asked that in a post on LinkedIn and got zero response, which was rather disappointing. I appreciate all of your advice, thank you!!