Reply to: Career switch

[bobspud]

Maybe she could mention the more relevant degree plus point out the IT one that she is working on. turn her cv into something based on challenge, response & results to show the skills that she wants to re-use

[SpontaneousOrder]

Also... more and more testers are starting to code too (insofar as Java is concerned at least) - especially in Agile environments. If they can code it helps them be able to sit next to a dev while one implements the task and the other implements the automated tests (such as selenium - or even just having the technical savvy to to do ops-type stuff that might be required for setting up automated testing).

Perhaps that's a way in that isn't too dev heavy.

[DirtyDog]

I was talking about your answer only, the others have been good, if not a bit stating the obvious (you need experience) REALLY!?

Well, maybe I should highlight it again for you, then

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.

I don't see the benefit of doing certifications - all that shows is that you can study enough to pass the exams at the end of it, which she has already done by having so many other qualifications.

It's obviously not what you want to hear, so...

Yes, get the qualifications, they'll be well worth the time and the money she spends doing them. That way, she can waltz into any job in any field of IT that she wants.

Better?

[SpontaneousOrder]

if not a bit stating the obvious (you need experience) REALLY!?

So, reading between the lines: Don't waste your money with certifications.

[Unix]

If you can't find something constructive in there, then maybe you're just not getting the answers that you want to.

I was talking about your answer only, the others have been good, if not a bit stating the obvious (you need experience) REALLY!?

[DirtyDog]

Sigh , She worked for 10 years after getting her PhD. She isn't moving from one degree to another. Please leave out the PhD envy and answer constructively, has no one ever moved careers!

Sigh

Try reading some of the advice on here - ignore your PhD obsession and look carefully. Here's some that I've highlighted for you...

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).
...
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 :-)

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.

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.

I don't see the benefit of doing certifications - all that shows is that you can study enough to pass the exams at the end of it, which she has already done by having so many other qualifications. I'd suggest that she needs to look at what permanent jobs can she get so that she can build experience. Many consultancies used to recruit people from a wide-range of backgrounds as long as they could prove some degree of aptitude - you can always learn the specifics of SAP if you have the aptitude, but without it you are always going to struggle, for example.

There is some significant difference between being a tester, a BA and a project manager - and each requires very different skills, so she needs to work out exactly what she wants to be doing rather than just thinking "oh, I don't like development, I'll try something else". Once she knows which way she wants to go, then she'll need to convince employers why they should take someone on without any relevant experience - it's a lot easier to argue "oh I've got the aptitude..." when you are fresh out of a bachelor's degree than someone who has spent a significant amount of time moving from one degree to another.

If you can't find something constructive in there, then maybe you're just not getting the answers that you want to.

[Unix]

Don't take it the wrong way, but this smacks of someone who wants to remain in academia rather than working - two masters and a PhD shows that she is clearly bright, but as an employer I would question whether she really wants to be working or is this another short-term thing between going back to do another degree.

I don't see the benefit of doing certifications - all that shows is that you can study enough to pass the exams at the end of it, which she has already done by having so many other qualifications. I'd suggest that she needs to look at what permanent jobs can she get so that she can build experience. Many consultancies used to recruit people from a wide-range of backgrounds as long as they could prove some degree of aptitude - you can always learn the specifics of SAP if you have the aptitude, but without it you are always going to struggle, for example.

There is some significant difference between being a tester, a BA and a project manager - and each requires very different skills, so she needs to work out exactly what she wants to be doing rather than just thinking "oh, I don't like development, I'll try something else". Once she knows which way she wants to go, then she'll need to convince employers why they should take someone on without any relevant experience - it's a lot easier to argue "oh I've got the aptitude..." when you are fresh out of a bachelor's degree than someone who has spent a significant amount of time moving from one degree to another.

Sigh , She worked for 10 years after getting her PhD. She isn't moving from one degree to another. Please leave out the PhD envy and answer constructively, has no one ever moved careers!

[DirtyDog]

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.

Don't take it the wrong way, but this smacks of someone who wants to remain in academia rather than working - two masters and a PhD shows that she is clearly bright, but as an employer I would question whether she really wants to be working or is this another short-term thing between going back to do another degree.

I don't see the benefit of doing certifications - all that shows is that you can study enough to pass the exams at the end of it, which she has already done by having so many other qualifications. I'd suggest that she needs to look at what permanent jobs can she get so that she can build experience. Many consultancies used to recruit people from a wide-range of backgrounds as long as they could prove some degree of aptitude - you can always learn the specifics of SAP if you have the aptitude, but without it you are always going to struggle, for example.

There is some significant difference between being a tester, a BA and a project manager - and each requires very different skills, so she needs to work out exactly what she wants to be doing rather than just thinking "oh, I don't like development, I'll try something else". Once she knows which way she wants to go, then she'll need to convince employers why they should take someone on without any relevant experience - it's a lot easier to argue "oh I've got the aptitude..." when you are fresh out of a bachelor's degree than someone who has spent a significant amount of time moving from one degree to another.

[DodgyAgent]

[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…

[MyUserName]

I have to stress, though, this was 1995.

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


*sorry, I could not resist*

[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.?

[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.

[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?

[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.