I have had the #openforwork tag on my profile on LinkedIn for some time, as I would like to pivot my career back into IT.
I was originally trained as a programmer in the late ’80s early ’90s. Back then the paradigm was System Analysis and Design – you analysed the current system with both its manual and electronic processes and then defined what you would implement as software and what was to remain or being reimplemented as manual processes – some of these could be turned into software at a later date if needed and the costumer would pay for the extension. Back then the main programming languages was intel 8086 assembly, Pascal on PCs, C on Minicomputers and COBOL on a Siemens Mainframe (all of our computers were Siemens computers btw).
And then again around the turn of the century I went back and did another programming course – this time the Paradigme was Object Oriented Analysis and Programming – and the laungauge of choice was Java. The delivery paradigm was shifting from delivering the entire system in one go to a more waterfall.
Now, since my two programming educations I have done almost everything, but IT work – I have been a sales clerk in a supermarket, sold IT hardware and solution, been a warehouse worker, done office work, worked with young people and been a pastor among other things. I have also recently worked as a 2nd lvl IT Supporter for two years doing everything from Network, backup, M365, computer, printer, server and software support and currently I am working as a fundraiser.
I am a 52 year old man and what I lack in recent programming experience, I make up for in a wide work experience and also a curiousity for the industry. I am great team player and can also work on my own. I am open to a wide number of jobs – Operations, Development, DevOps, Infrastructure, Consultanzy, Support – and I have written quite a few applications and have been to a few interviews, but has yet to land a job.
So how do I pivot? I am not alone so I still have to make a living, while trying to pivot – thankfully I have a job that pays the bills and even one that I can scale back while doing part time projects, so I am also open to that.
Let me know in the comments, if you are in the same situations – or perhaps you were in a similar situation and have suceeded in pivoting? If you are hiring, what would you be looking for? What qualities would make up for lack of recent experience? What could I try to brush up on in my spare time? Are certifications helpful or a waste of time?
(image created by openart.ai)