Career switch

[Unix]

Hi,

Just looking for some advice for my sister. She is currently doing her Masters in IT after leaving her job in Research. She has a PhD and Masters already in bio/chem related stuff and was a research fellow publishing papers and managing projects (applying for and winning large grants) and groups of PhDs. She didn't like development so she is looking at testing or project management or maybe BA. Is it worth doing certification as she has no direct experience in IT but skills that can translate over to managing projects etc. The end game is contracting.

[Gittins Gal]

Hi,

Just looking for some advice for my sister. She is currently doing her Masters in IT after leaving her job in Research. She has a PhD and Masters already in bio/chem related stuff and was a research fellow publishing papers and managing projects (applying for and winning large grants) and groups of PhDs. She didn't like development so she is looking at testing or project management or maybe BA. Is it worth doing certification as she has no direct experience in IT but skills that can translate over to managing projects etc. The end game is contracting.

The golden word here is EXPERIENCE and the problem is that IT isn't really a field to which you can bring transferable skills from other firlds( well, you can, but they're not the marketable skills).

I got into this lark in exactly the same way as your sister - unlike her, though, I stuck to development. That doesn't mean she has to do the same to get into the game- You can come straight in as a BA or tester just as she wants to do.

Going back to the start of my reply though, she needs experience. The nub of my post is this - get her to make sure that whatever she does for her dissertation is directly relevant to what she wants to do in the world of work and involves using marketable skills. More importantly still - make sure it has commercial relevance - preferably by getting an industrial placement to carry out the project. Her college should be supportive in this; worked for me and I haven't looked back since :-)

[Unix]

The golden word here is EXPERIENCE and the problem is that IT isn't really a field to which you can bring transferable skills from other firlds( well, you can, but they're not the marketable skills).

I got into this lark in exactly the same way as your sister - unlike her, though, I stuck to development. That doesn't mean she has to do the same to get into the game- You can come straight in as a BA or tester just as she wants to do.

Going back to the start of my reply though, she needs experience. The nub of my post is this - get her to make sure that whatever she does for her dissertation is directly relevant to what she wants to do in the world of work and involves using marketable skills. More importantly still - make sure it has commercial relevance - preferably by getting an industrial placement to carry out the project. Her college should be supportive in this; worked for me and I haven't looked back since :-)

As I said she has no direct experience that's why I was asking about certification. The project is development focused so not much use for a tester. If experience is essential then I could let her work on my plan b as a tester and she could put that on the CV?

[tarbera]

Testing

Hi,

Just looking for some advice for my sister. She is currently doing her Masters in IT after leaving her job in Research. She has a PhD and Masters already in bio/chem related stuff and was a research fellow publishing papers and managing projects (applying for and winning large grants) and groups of PhDs. She didn't like development so she is looking at testing or project management or maybe BA. Is it worth doing certification as she has no direct experience in IT but skills that can translate over to managing projects etc. The end game is contracting.

Why testing is she a miserable dour pessimistic person??

Masters in IT is pointless without experience, I would rather hire someone with 1 years exp, rather than someone with 11 months exp + a masters

[doodab]

She might do well to look for IT roles in pharma / biotech companies where her existing background will come in very useful and perhaps mitigate her lack of IT experience.

[Unix]

Why testing is she a miserable dour pessimistic person??

Masters in IT is pointless without experience, I would rather hire someone with 1 years exp, rather than someone with 11 months exp + a masters

What unlike you?

[Gittins Gal]

As I said she has no direct experience that's why I was asking about certification. The project is development focused so not much use for a tester. If experience is essential then I could let her work on my plan b as a tester and she could put that on the CV?

Well, yes you could do that. From my experience it was the Masters that gave me the skills - I couldn't code before I undertook the course. I then got a placement with a local cartographic research unit and write a texture analysis programme for them. Those 3 months got me a permanent job elsewhere.

I have to stress, though, this was 1995.

[tarbera]

not like me silly

What unlike you?

like every tester Ive ever met ?

why not employ her via your limited company and teach her all you know, then in a few weeks time you could sub her out.?

[MyUserName]

I have to stress, though, this was 1995.

Yep, I would stress if I was that old too.


*sorry, I could not resist*

[bobspud]

Hi,

Just looking for some advice for my sister. She is currently doing her Masters in IT after leaving her job in Research. She has a PhD and Masters already in bio/chem related stuff and was a research fellow publishing papers and managing projects (applying for and winning large grants) and groups of PhDs. She didn't like development so she is looking at testing or project management or maybe BA. Is it worth doing certification as she has no direct experience in IT but skills that can translate over to managing projects etc. The end game is contracting.

Unfortunately the way you write this makes her sound like a person that likes collecting degrees because she found it easy. She has two and wants another one… Yeah ok she can write a thesis, so what about expanding her ability when someone else is not leading her by her nose down a prescribed course? What has she taught herself? to me it would be far more interesting if she had this background and could say but I taught myself bricklaying and built a house or something.

Thats not saying that she is not brilliant or really nice. Just saying that she's made a career out of being in academia and now she want to get into IT and better yet skip to contracting and wants the short route…

We all know that the way into IT is through graft and experience. Getting another certificate to go on her shelf tells us nothing except she chose to collect one. I would second Doodab's point about shed needs to branch out into IT by being on the business end of something she knows about. (so Pharma would be a good idea)

Given the choice of a 22 year old that wants to learn to be a PM and is willing to start in PMO or general admin near the subject or your sister with baggage: its the 22 year old every time, even if the 22 year old was working in a shoe shop last week…