I often deal with people who perhaps created a website for a community group or friend and have an epiphone. I want to be in TECH! So, they take their financial planner (or whatever) resume and start applying.

Sigh

It's great to find your passion but passion isn't enough. If you want to change fields or industries, you need a plan and it won't happen overnight.

When we get career shift clients who want a resume, they often begin by telling us all the things they "could" learn to do. That is key number 1.

Education & Training

Just because you are a quick learner doesn't mean you can jump into something totally different and learn on the go. Sure, you might have done CPR on someone and saved his life but you can't suddenly apply for medical positions.

If you want to go into tech, start networking here or on LinkedIn. Find people in that field. READ their profile to see which courses they have taken. Ask them about what was most important for them to get an ENTRY level job.

Now, go online and find those courses. Did you know MIT offers almost all their courses online, free of charge? You won't get college credit but you will learn.

Key number 2 - Job Shadowing

If at all possible, find someone who will let you watch what they do. Perhaps on your lunch break, you go to the IT department and talk to people. Ask they what they do and how they like it. Ask to watch.

Key number 3 - Practice

I watched my 10-year-old grandson coding on his tablet. He was making simplistic games and then would proudly show me. That practice is what leverages his critical thinking about what happens next. You need to do the same thing. Create code or websites or whatever it is you want to do in tech.

Key number 4 - Have a professional write a Career Shift resume

First, you have to narrow down the field. Tech isn't a Jill of all trades career. To start, you need to be laser focused and realize you will go in as entry level.

However, what you will have that fresh out of college grads don't is years of experience working with people in teams, executing projects on time, finding solutions to issues.

You need that to be well-defineds as an asset, which I why I suggest a professional. We are trained to read the job description and translate what you did to what you can do.

Cheers!

Joanne Rosen,

Communications Director

Write Choice Resumes