How to you acquire experience if no one is willing to give it?
I've been working in computers since 1987 and have a broad range of IT skills. Twenty years of that has been in Software and Web Development. To give my career a boost, I enrolled in a 4-month accelerated online course in C#.NET at the beginning of 2010. This helped me get a job with the last company which I was with for the last 7 years. I was then laid off in April 2017 after completing the contract I had been working on.
Since then I've found that most job descriptions for a Full Stack Developer require more experience in modern software and web development, and associated technologies than I currently have. Either that or the candidate must have an active security clearance or be clearable.
I've had several long-term positions during my career and haven't had the opportunity to learn new technologies. Aside from 3 years of college, a few community college courses and one-off online training courses, most of what I know regarding software and web development has been self-taught. I've get a lot of phone calls from recruiters stating that I have impressive skills and range of experience. They automatically assume that C# ".NET" only means ASP.NET and tend to distance themselves when they learn I don't have experience in the technologies or software listed on the job description. I would think that with my background and since I've used C# for the last 7 years, all that would be worth something. I also have experience with PHP, MYSQL, HTML, CSS, and many other key technologies, but not in a professional "paid" environment other than when I was freelancing. Now I'm doing volunteer work in my personal time with a 501c3 non-profit organization which owns and operates a historical landmark and civil war medical museum in Virginia.
Since I was laid off I've been hammering the online training sites such as Udemy.com, Pluralsight.com, Hackerrank.com, LinkedIn Learning, Lynda.com and more in an attempt to fill in the gaps in my skills. With all of this, how do I communicate to hiring managers that I'm perfectly capable of doing the job they are looking to fill? I may not have all of the required skills but I'm a quick study and I love learning new technologies and development skills.
Anyone else in the same or similar "boat"?
Jim
James, It's clear to see that you're proactive and ambitious but it's important to keep in mind that you are not the only candidate in the application pool recruiters and hiring managers have to chose from. It took me a long time to understand this but the hiring process for manager today is overwhelming. Applicants are selected based on how well their backgrounds compare to the job descriptions. Not meeting the necessary requirements is probably always going to keep you out of the employment selection process. Have you tried seeking jobs that meet your specific qualifications to get your foot in the door?
hi