How to list experience on resume if worked in IT years ago ?

Moon Child

How do I list IT experience on resume if it has been years since you have been in IT?

I thought about on resume putting at top a section called "Relevant IT Experience" or "Computer Experience" and then listing under that my current experience which has not been in IT. Got listed under that my current experience working in Security, then before that as a paraprofessional, then before that subsitute teaching and doing my masters degree in Education. Problem with listing my MsEd on resume is employers only seem to see that and miss the line below that says "bachelors in Computer Information System with Minor in Business Administration (AACSB accredited)". They say job requires a bachelors in computer related degree and I tell them I have a bachelors in CIS, it is listed below my masters on resume. Then I get a reply that they just read top line of resume and didn't bother reading the line below that listed my bachelors.

I have bounced around between several career paths, a lot wasted time. I had previously worked doing as a PHP programmer years ago and also did PC repairs for clients and doing small easy networking on site that didn't deal with anything complicated like CISCO routers. I for some reason thought it was good to have several career paths not just one, more flexibility. When I left the PHP job (big mistake), I told a co-worker I wanted to go back to school to get a masters degree and license in teaching because I wanted multiple career paths for job security so I could always fall back on other options. He at time told me I should stay with company and in IT field. He said one big problem he saw with that idea was less money. I learned the hard way he was right! Being a jack of all trades is not a good idea and it is better to be focused and specialized on one career path, oh well can't fix my mistakes in life.

One thing employers say it has been years since I have been in IT what have I been doing to keep skills up to date. I tell them been pursing a lot different IT certifications, I am always working on some IT projects in spare time, I have built for free websites for masonic lodges in spare time using PHP/ SQL / AJAX /Javascript /HTML, anytime any friends or masons need computers repaired or have networking problems at their lodges I fix their issue for free, I also do some computer security work at my current job working as a security officer like giving employees permissions and access levels to facilities and what parts of the network they can access.

My IT skills are actually now much better than they were when I worked in IT years ago. I just had A+ back then. Now I have MCTS: Win 7, A+, N+, S+, MTA: Operating Systems, MTA: Networking, MTA: Windows Server Admin, ITIL v3 Foundation. I use Linux all the time and have become much better at Linux. I also been studying off and on for CISCO exams and have CISCO routers and switches been toying with at home. Also been studying Microsoft Office because just about every single job posting lists very strong Microsoft Office skills. I use Microsoft Office all the the time at work.

Kind long post... that's my history. Any advice how to list IT experience on resume if it has been years since you have been in the IT field?

goatama

So what kind of jobs are you applying to? You say that people require you to have a bachelor's in CIS, but usually they only do that if you're looking for midlevel or senior jobs. With minimal experience you should most likely be looking at entry level jobs.

I would also recommend leaving the MSEd off your resume. It doesn't help you in any way trying to get a job in IT.

Moon Child

goatama wrote: »

So what kind of jobs are you applying to? You say that people require you to have a bachelor's in CIS, but usually they only do that if you're looking for midlevel or senior jobs. With minimal experience you should most likely be looking at entry level jobs.

I would also recommend leaving the MSEd off your resume. It doesn't help you in any way trying to get a job in IT.

I been applying to everything. IT Help Desk, Database Admin, PHP programmer, Networking Technician, Business Information Systems Analyst, Comcast, Geek Squad, etc.

That is what aggrevates me because the MsEd is on resume they just see the masters and not my bachelors in CIS. I tell them I do meet requirements for bachelor's in computer related degree. Maybe since my bachelor in CIS was from many years ago it has lost value and is considered worthless now? I don't know what they are thinking when they say that.

I list the masters on there because I went to several job placement and resume writing tip places and they all told me listing the masters on the resume will only help and to leave it on the resume. Problem if I take off the resume then I have this huge gap on resume of "what were you doing" because I would be hiding the student teaching and all the work I did for my masters degree so it would leave a void between years that would have to be explained.

shochan

I have mine listed as Hands on IT Experience...

Then in another section I have:
My Education/Certifications/Licenses

I have my College Ed listed first, spelled out - Abbreviations/Acronyms are not good for HR staff
Like:

Bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems - Whatever College - Years I attended - GPA - Hours completed

Then listed certifications specifically:
CompTIA Server+ (April 2015)
etc

Again, this is just how it is listed on my 2 pg resume.

Russ5813

How many of your certs are current? Drop any expired certs on your resume. Drop the MSE and any experience/certs/training that aren't IT-related. Keep anything that reflects core competencies desirable for any career path (leadership skills, mentoring, team building, etc...).

Here's what you want to keep in mind: Anything you add to your resume becomes fair game in an interview. So if you've added a skill that you haven't performed in quite some time, either knock the rust off before interviewing or drop it from your resume.

You can drop the master's without dropping student teaching-- these should be in separate sections anyway. I'll go ahead and second sho's suggestion of including a Hands-On IT Experience section (don't forget volunteer/unpaid work) to make up for the time elapsed since your last IT job.

fredrikjj

goatama wrote: »

I would also recommend leaving the MSEd off your resume. It doesn't help you in any way trying to get a job in IT.

I think that this is terrible advice. I think that it's better to have a master's degree on your resume, even if it's unrelated, than having a big gap. Can you elaborate on why you think it's better to have a gap than a master's degree on your resume?

fredrikjj

To the OP, I think that what you should do is to create a more well defined "identity". At the moment it sounds like you are sending out your resume to all kinds of jobs, and expecting the companies to know what to do with you. They clearly don't. What naturally happens is that they pick candidates that they can easily identify as being a better fit for the specific roles because those people have well defined experience and degrees that match the jobs.

Even if someone thinks that it's "interesting" that you have had an eclectic mix of IT jobs, and even have a master's degree in education, considering you for hire means thinking outside the box, and that requires extra effort vs. just picking someone with the exact skill set they are looking for.

This identity that I'm talking about is basically you explaining to the companies how your interesting background will help them. For example, pretty much everyone right now thinks that software development skills are becoming more important everywhere in IT. You have software experience. I would look into the modern "devops tools" that many people are talking about. This book is probably a good start: https://www.amazon.com/Infrastructure-Code-Managing-Servers-Cloud/dp/1491924357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477929143&sr=8-1&keywords=infrastructure+as+code .Familiarize yourself with those tools and practice using them in your lab.

Your master's degree in education helps the companies because you've learned certain softer skills, whatever they may be (I'm not entirely familiar with what kind of classes you have taken). An obvious thing is that you've become a better writer, etc. Maybe you've learned techniques for how to teach other people in an effective manner? You obviously have an interest in learning, or you wouldn't have left your job to pursue this degree, even if the choice of major was somewhat misguided.

Consider spending some time increasing your Linux skills further.


Suddenly, your new identity is 'a junior devops engineer that writes well, is well educated and has some knowledge in various IT domains'. This is much better than just trying to apply for any job.

alias454

I think fredrikjj is on the money. What do you bring to the table, how are you a value add for an organization? Create a story that tells a prospective hiring manager those things. One thing that might actually hurt you is having a Masters and applying to helpdesk positions. Some companies might think you are just biding time until you find the thing you really want to do. If I were the one doing the hiring, I would want to hear you tell me how you solve my problems.

Moon Child

Thanks everyone for advice appreciate it

tmtex

I went to this 'resume " thing from Dell recruiters. If you have a masters and are applying for a helpdesk/Desktop Support position remove it. That also goes for anything that doesn't really require a BA. Basically remove the Masters from any non advanced positions along with high level certs

GeekyChick

I have been working on my resume after being out of IT for awhile too. Here is what I've found out. They use keyword searches when scanning your resume. You probably already know that but try to list keywords from the job description on your resume, if it's applicable. If those keywords aren't on your resume HR may never see it. I'm not sure if you're getting to HR or not. Also, maybe you could add a volunteer IT section that lists your IT accomplishments within the timeframe you were out of the field. Finally, you probably need a technical person to look over your resume and not just anyone. I've seen people post their resume on this site for input.
Ok I lied, one more thing. Join a tech group in your city and start networking! Meeting the right people could land you a great job!