Question:
I am a software professional with over a 6 1/2 years of experience in
this field. I want to gain experience on any client server technology such
Visual Basic or Oracle, but I could only do such work part time as I am
employed full time in my regular job. Is there any way out?
Answer:
Yes. But you are going to need the expertise of a professional in that
field-- a mentor. The key to making a career shift like this is knowing the
right way of going about it. If you know a professional in that field that
would be willing to advise you, the transition will come much quicker. To
learn more about mentors, read this article:
http://myjobsearch.com/articles/westover02.html.
Also check out the resources available online about professional
organizations with more information about the area in which you are
interested. Try starting at this link:
http://myjobsearch.com/network/associations.html.
Fortunately for you, the need for expertise in this area is very high and
employers are willing to work with those capable of absorbing new skills
quickly. For an interesting article on this, check out this issue of
internetworld.com--
http://www.internetworld.com/print/current/business/20000115-tastes.html.
One final thing to remember- the IT world has one of the highest percentages
of contract and part time employment arrangements. Many companies accomplish
technical projects through outsourcing the talent to get it done. Explore
these kinds of opportunities at web sites that cater to these kinds of
employers. Here's a directory of them:
http://myjobsearch.com/specialty/spec09.html.
--Kelly Stone, myjobsearch.com
