“Fred” wrote to me the other day. An out-of-work COBOL Programmer, he had watched the industry change and knew that he needed to learn something different. He did; he completed his MCAD (Microsoft Certified Application Developer) certification and was now ready with new skills in ASP.NET and VB.Net to hit the market. His applications were met with a round of indifference.
“Why and how does this happen?” he asked. This was my answer to “Fred” that I’ll share with you now.
Hi Fred
If you have no real-world experience with ASP.NET clearly it’s not going to be the easiest thing in the world to do!
You’ll probably have more luck targeting employers ‘cold’ and trying to get them interested in you that way, rather than going the route of the recruitment agencies who are masters at “pigeon-holing” people. Oh you’re a COBOL programmer? Well that’s what you are! Oh – you want to get into ASP.NET – have no experience? Sorry buddy we can’t help you, but come back definitely when you have some.
Have I successfully created resumes for job changers before? Of course I have. Do I specialise in IT and executives? Sure I do. But it takes more than a good resume to persuade someone that they need to give you a break in a new field of endeavour.
All I can say to you is that without a good resume, you’re multiplying the degree of difficulty tenfold. With a good resume, you’re increasing your chances of at least being considered.
Clearly, you’re going to up against people who have vast experience in the field when you have none. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that in a resume no matter how it is sugar-coated. But you can maximise what you do have (for instance you may have done some projects in your training that can be highlighted on your resume – make them think that you have more experience than you have) — at least until they get to the second page. (grin).
Without a decent resume, it just makes things harder than it should be. But will I state categorically that without a resume, you’ll never get a job in ASP.NET? Of course not! Can I guarantee you’re going to get your wish if I write your resume? No, I’m no miracle maker or magic genie. I am the person who can help you showcase the skills you do have to maximise your chances of getting what you want.
The really hard slog begins after the resume development when you start knocking on doors.
And you know, sometimes the road from A to B is littered with little tangents along the way. You may find a company that uses both COBOL and ASP.NET in different areas. If you can snare a job as a COBOL programmer, at least you’ll be in a position to start leveraging away at their nerves by gaining access to what the other guys are doing, and chip chip chipping away until you get a transfer or somebody gives you a break.
The next job can be a full-on ASP.NET role from there. It can happen, sometimes your ultimate goal needs to be achieved one step at a time! Approach it like you’d approach your work–one project phase at a time.
