Brother, can you spare the time (for an interview)?

February 26, 2009 2:45 PM

Ex-tech-manager left it all for the creative life; now needs it back! How do I improve my job-search curb appeal?

Out of engineering grad school, I racked up 13 years of jobs as a systems consultant, programmer, technical architect, training developer, project manager—all related to software development. Then, just before the dot.com bubble burst, I cashed in and took the plunge into the creative life. I got up to speed in metal working and opened a business making artistic metal furnishings for architects, contractors, and the like, but never got a contractor’s license myself. That went okay for 5 years, and now demand has tanked, at least for me, if not for others in the trade, and I’ve gone Chap 11 on the business.

Now, I’m looking all over for a job back in the technology sector. But I’m facing what seems to be a set of negative factors lowering my curb appeal:

1. Age 47
2. 7+ years out of the software industry, thus no recent experience
3. Off-the-rails career change from tech industry to the trades, now back again, which looks a bit unfocused in the near term.
3. Failed business sent me into Chapter 11, but still need to make enough resolve non-dismissed debt.
4. Appearing overqualified because of the master’s degree and manager-level focus
5. Appearing not qualified without years of recent technical or professional management experience

I know I share a lot of these issues with many others. I know I made this bed and it might be very hard to get a new one. I think my prior tech industry experience and running a small business are actually compatible and valuable to the right company, but where to look? Advice seems to come in from completely different directions, one strongly encouraging one direction while others implore taking the complete opposite. So, AskMeFites, I turn to you, ready for more of the same of course, but also hoping for some new opinions that I haven’t heard yet.

Any suggestions on how I approach employers so that they will respond to a resume enough for at least a screening interview?

Any hiring managers out there in technology: what resume would appeal to you more, a chronological/dated one that shows the radical career change and 7 year hiatus, or an undated one that starts with the latest related stuff first, leaving out the “other life” I’ve had career-wise?

Are others having success addressing a job-hunt situation like this? Care to share?

Is this too many questions for one FPP?

posted by buzzv to work & money (7 comments total)

What about trying to find your first job back with a start-up? Depends on your (and their) constitution, but in a company where positions are more flexible and it's sorta all-hands-on-whatever-deck-needs-hands, they might be more likely to appreciate you having a broad range of skills from which they can benefit. Just as a way to get a foot in the door, anyway.
posted by springbound at 3:20 PM on February 26, 2009

Hmmm...I'm in a (vaguely) similar situation. I left a cushy job to roll the dice on a grad school program, realized my mistake almost immediately, and left after only one semester. My former employer has fallen victim to the financial crisis in a very nasty way, so returning to the cushy gig isn't an option.

So I'm trying to disguise a semester-long gap in my resume, and that gap is growing by the month as employment options seem non-existant.

I haven't had any success yet, but I would suggest being honest about your bold leap toward starting your own business--which shows initiative, drive, and courage. But maybe shy away from the whole Chapter 11 aspect, suggesting instead that you simply got burnt out on the entrepenuerial scene and are looking for more stability in these uncertain times. That sounds totally reasonable to me.

But I'm not a hiring manager.

The fact that you started a business doesn't seem like a problem. It's just the Chapter 11 thing that might raise eyebrows.

Good luck
posted by sureshot at 4:20 PM on February 26, 2009

Restate Ch. 11 as 'got hit by the downturn, like a lot of companies'. That's something everyone understands.

One thing you could do is tackle a personal project using some new tech that you find in a lot of job listings. Java? C#? Flash? Whatever. Just come up with your own thing and, you know, manage yourself and the project. Shows initiative and interest in tech again.
posted by trinity8-director at 5:31 PM on February 26, 2009

Work for small companies.

Rebuild some new and relevant skills, even if it's just crash coursing them yourself.

Convince them that you're not a fly-by-night returnee, going to head back out the door when the economy is good.

Or easiest yet, come up with a convincing lie. "Freelance", "NDA", and "small-shop/self-employed" manager might be the best. Whereas it's not necessarily ethical, being out of work and hungry is a powerful motivator. Being able to come into work with those rebuilt, new and relevant skills will be doubly important in this case.
posted by talldean at 6:31 PM on February 26, 2009

Seconding trinity8-director's comment about updating your skills:

* see if there are any local non-profits who could use a volunteer to do a little coding
* get involved in an open source project, so you can brush up or pick up your programming skills without having to start an entire project from scratch

Also, maybe try getting yourself into a more confident mindset. You're worrying about how people will perceive your decision to change your career (twice). Emphasize in your own mind all the ways in which your decisions were smart.

* You cashed out just before the dot.com bubble burst
* You took a risk and did something you wanted to do and enjoyed - a move that many people wish they could find the courage to do, and some regret not doing all their lives
* You're not "overqualified" - you were perfectly happy to have a master's and managerial experience and still dedicate yourself for five years to a business that didn't require either of those

The only real question you're answering in resumes or interviews is this: Are you the best person for this job? Frame your experiences honestly in ways that answer that question, and let the hiring managers see all the varied experience you have to offer.

Finally: I've never been a hiring manager, but I've interviewed candidates and reviewed resumes. A concise resume that highlights your RELEVANT experience is best. I don't start out by combing the resume for gaps. All I want to know is, can you do this job well? I'm looking for what's right about you, not what's wrong with you.

Good luck!
posted by kristi at 12:14 PM on February 28, 2009

I do look at gaps in your resume. It's not necessarily something that's a negative, but it's something I'd like to better understand.

The real issue that I see in your resume is that you aren't committed to being back in the technology industry. You're only returning to software, because you can't profitably do the job you enjoy. I'd be concerned that as soon as the economy picks up, you'll leave. If you've done nothing in technology for 7 years, not even as a volunteer or for your own business, then it's hard to see you as someone committed to the technology industry as a career.

Address the gap in your cover letter and mention what you've done to stay current on your skills. Be prepared to discuss it during a phone screening and interview.
posted by 26.2 at 10:27 AM on March 2, 2009

Thanks to all that responded -- some really good ideas that I hadn't considered!

I've marked favorites, but I hope anyone else with wisdom will still share. Thanks.
posted by buzzv at 12:44 PM on March 3, 2009