Many tech professionals are reentering the workforce after an extended break. They might have needed to address family issues, recover from burnout, or fulfill other needs.
If you are one of these professionals, you may be experiencing challenges rebooting your tech career. Convincing a hiring manager to add you to their team can be difficult.
Fortunately, you can take steps to reenter the workforce after taking a break. These suggestions can help.
Implement these tips to reboot your tech career today.
Determine Your Career Goals
Consider whether you want to continue working in the same industry or find a new one. Changing fields can open up opportunities that fit your abilities and interests.
You may want to write down your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to analyze the direction you might take. Creating a SWOT analysis helps identify the qualifications you have and the skills you should develop to market yourself more effectively to employers.
Include in your analysis your business acumen and life experiences that can benefit your next employer. Although you might not have gained these attributes directly through your work, they can be valuable for your tech career.
Reach Out to Your Network
Let your industry connections know you are rebooting your tech career. They may share helpful advice or let you know about an opportunity. Or, a contact might introduce you to a hiring manager or other industry professional who can help with your tech career reboot.
Clarify the type of position or specialty you seek and what you want to accomplish. This narrows down your job search objectives.
Odds are you have the majority of skills needed to land your next position. You may want to set up informational interviews to learn more about whether to pursue additional training before applying for roles.
Understanding what you are looking for helps determine which skills and experience are most relevant for a role. This enables you to decide which code samples or other project examples to bring to an interview.
Consider Upskilling
You might want to learn one or two of the latest technologies or tech skills to help land a position. Areas to consider include data analytics, DevOps, and cloud platforms.
You could read blogs, listen to podcasts, or participate in conferences to develop your skills. Or, you might complete free or paid online courses or tutorials.
Target Employers
Apply for jobs at companies that welcome candidates rebooting their tech careers and embrace diversity. Many of these employers offer retraining programs and support for tech professionals reentering the workforce.
You might apply for programs that focus on solutions architecture, data science, or another specialty. Or, you could set up an exploratory meeting to find out whether a program fits your needs and interests.
Ensure you emphasize to potential employers your dedication to lifelong learning. This shows you can add significant value to an organization.
Reboot Your Tech Career with a Tech Staffing Agency
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