Ed Southard ⋅ Bloomfield, CT Cigna ⋅ 23 years experience

Hi Darrell,

Certain certifications require several years of industry experience before you obtain them. When you apply for the jobs you seek, highlight your experience by showing how your experience added value to what you were doing in the military. Show how your leadership ability as a sergeant was effective at accomplishing your objectives. Show how your abilities in that area will translate to whatever job you apply. Sometimes it's not about what you have done, but how you position and sell it on a resume.

For example, as a former DoD analyst, I showed how my ability to translate intelligence information in reports, would be a valuable skill in documenting and translating software code into business-understandable documents. I also demonstrated in the resume that my mediation and negotiation skills and tactics would be valuable in accomplishing the objectives and implementing the strategy of the business I was applying to.

I would not list so much the "what" of your accomplishments and skills, but the transferrable knowledge of the "how" your accomplishments will add value and help the business accomplish its objectives.

You had objectives in the Marines and business has objectives as well. If you show how you can help business achieve those objectives, they will realize that you are a valuable asset and can help them. Sometimes you need to sell yourself though you know you are the best, they don't know it. It's up to you to make them understand that fact.

Good luck Darrell! You can achieve greatness. Don't give up. Semper Fi.

Darrell Smith ⋅ Louisville, TN U.S. Marine Corps, Sergeant ⋅ 10 years served

While everyone suggest earning certifications in the hopes that an employer will higher you is like putting the cart before the horse. To be hired in a position where several thousand dollars are wasted earning certs that aren't relevant to the position employed. Sort of going for a forklift position in a warehouse but must have a license for a 16k lb Terex with a 65 ft boom. If an employer isn't cognizant enough to read, see, and understand the adversities I have persevered through to get where I am today, then they have lost a valuable asset that may have been the turning point for their company. HR doesn't know what a good employee is. Stick to the script and you will never fail, you also may never fly.

Ed Southard ⋅ Bloomfield, CT Cigna ⋅ 23 years experience

Hi Darrell,

There are many types of IT jobs. From software development, project managment, infrastructure ans server administration, business analysis and production support roles.

What are your strengths? As a Sergeant you posses leadership skills and management of objectives. I would recommend obtaining your PMI certification from PMI and apply for project management jobs. There is always a need for project managers and PMI certification is key. Alternatively if your interest is in software development, I would start in a production support role and gain experience that way while obtaining certification from Oracle for Java development. Java development is in high demand and qualified people are hard to find. You can also find support roles in networking and Linux server administration to start.

Thank you for your service. My late father was 5th Special Forces in Viet Nam and was an IT professional. It is possible. Don't give up.

Be well,
Ed

ACP AdvisorNet Staff ⋅ New York, NY ⋅ 10 years experience

Hi Darrell,

I want to thank you for your service to our country. I think you should check out the Community section of AdvisorNet. There you can search for Advisors in specific career fields, and message them to begin direct communication to ask questions about earning IT certifications, building a great IT resume, and talking about their general career experience.

To navigate the Community, go to https://acp-advisornet.org/community/advisors and refine the search by Advisors with expertise in "Information Technology". You can then add your zip code or use the map to find Advisors in specific areas of the country. To message an Advisor, click the green "Message" button on their profile.

Please let us know if we can help you with anything else!

All the best,
Chelsea
ACP AdvisorNet Staff

Corey Ehrenwerth ⋅ North Granby, CT AdvizeX ⋅ 16 years experience

Darrell,

Thank you for your service. What kind of IT jobs have you been applying for? It can be tough to get an entry level position in IT for people who are not in their 20s. One way you can differentiate yourself is by earning some certifications. Depending what area of IT you are interested in different certifications are relevant. Two very popular ones are Cisco CCNA (http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/certifications/associate/ccna/index.html) and Microsoft MCSA (https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/certification-overview.aspx). Having a relevant certification demonstrates to an employer that you have skills even if you don't have a ton of experience.