I am currently an automotive technician getting a degree in computer science and applying for internships. Despite sending off dozens of resumes, I haven't gotten any offers at all, partially because of my resume clearly stating that I am currently an automotive technician.
When coming from a blue-collar background/work experience, how can I prevent employers from making judgments about my skill based on my current job?
This is actually a good opportunity to learn about tailoring your CV, it's something you need to do and this is just a bit more extreme than once you have experience on your new field.
What you need to do is look at the spec of the role you apply for and think of parallels with your real world experience.
Off the top of my head I would suggest you have experience of:
So you just need to point out where your real world skills are relevant and actually give you an edge over the others coming out of your course.
I've always maintained (and others I've met with similar backgrounds have agreed) that the best business experience and skills didn't come from a college, but from the large, clown fronted burger chain I worked for during the same time. You can make use of the skills you've gained in garages to a similar extent.
When coming from a blue-collar background/work experience, how can I prevent employers from making judgments about my skill based on my current job?
Employers do tend to typecast people. If you are an automotive technician there is the potential to get stuck with the label. If you're used to using high tech diagnostic equipment this should be made clear (including naming the models you used, and what you used them on). If you were also helpful in keeping the shop computers working, point that out.
One of my personal rules about auto techs runs something like this: if the tech is driving a late model US econobox this is less good than if they are driving around a hopped up 1960s monster that they work on themselves. The latter suggests an enthusiast - someone really into cars. If this is what you are, it can't hurt to say so. There are lots of car people in big companies. Of course, they might want you to fix theirs, which is another matter.
If you're in some role that involves handling money, such as a club or church or advocacy organization, this will draw people's attention away from the car stuff. The question then becomes what you're doing in the community, not what you're doing for a living.
Most likely your job pursuit is scattershot - send it out and see what bites.
I am aware of a large research group that tests motor oils. They've been around for decades, they have massive computer instrumentation on their test stands, and they collect gigabytes of data per day. Your opportunities with such an employer are far superior to a bank or social media company.
Automotive companies have been setting up software development centers in various cities around the US. Some of these are mired in company politics and may not produce much of value, but those that are well managed would probably look at someone with a technician background with particular interest.
Anyone with heavy machinery, including railroads, mines, construction equipment, ships, and aircraft are probably interested in the perspective you bring to the table. Stockbrokerages - probably less so.
In short, you need to leverage the current and future occupational interests in combination. Consider the possibility of relocating, although you probably won't have to move far.
While you may or may not be interested in getting into search engines or finance, you can use the first job to focus on the topics you intend to pursue later. Most mechanics that I know however are 'thing' people and like dealing with physicalities. If you sit in the lotus position on a mountaintop for entire weekends then you might be into abstraction. In that case, work on programming language compilers.
I would use the blue collar experience as an advantage in job applications. Try to look for jobs within the automotive production systems domain (IT related). You can state some domain knowledge and you have a CS degree that should make you able to do more qualified work. The automotive industry is very automated with IT systems (I work there myself - it takes a lot fo programmers and IT analysts to make cars these days) so there are plenty of computer science jobs in that sector, (although not neccessary a lot available jobs, but that's another story)
Many people graduate from college with zero experience in their field. During high school and college the bulk of their work experience is delivering Pizza, flipping burgers or working as a lifeguard. They fund the schooling with these low skill jobs, the parents, plus financial aid. Yet near the end of the time in school they find internships.
Work with your school to locate internships. They can help you with your resume.
Change how you introduce and describe yourself.
You describe yourself as: I am currently an automotive technician getting a degree in computer science and applying for internships.
You need to change it to: I am earning a degree in computer science and I am currently applying for internships.
Your job history section shows your work as an automotive technician, but many employers don't expect new graduates to have a ton of relevant work experience. And many hiring interns expect even less.
I have worked in Software Developer/DBA work for 14 years. This is the same thing I tell people who are 22 and coming out of school, build your own projects to show them that you can produce walking in the door. Put something on the web that they can see (there are free hosting sites). It can be relatively simple things. Show them that you can build something and go to work.
Your CS classes will not fully prepare you to go to work. Learning to code or to be a systems administrator, or anything else that is technical takes alot of work. Repetition and doing things over and over again, gets them to be second hand. Doing them a few times in class is just not enough. The people I know who get into this profession have done far more than their school work.
It doesn't really matter what you do. It needs to be things you work on. Do several things. You really need to turn your own projects into jobs in and of themselves in order to properly prepare you to go to work. An entry level developer is still someone who needs to produce. You need to pass a tech screen. Everyone needs to work at this. Doing this shows people you are serious about the profession.
Now how to pivot your existing experience... first off, your going in as a junior developer if you have never worked in this profession before. It doesn't matter if you are 40 and have work experience elsewhere. HOWEVER, your edge is that you have an employment history for people to check, references for people to check, and that you have shown that you can work with people. Plus having the work ethic to go back to school probably while you are still working full time will be a positive for alot of people. Talk about that in the interview. Talk about how your work ethic and your history of producing makes you less of a risk and more likely to succeed than the 22 year old whose only work experience is waiting tables and a summer internship. I don't know what your blue collar work is, but if you worked as a mechanic, some kind of repair, factor operator, and such and had to solve technical problems. Have stories so that you can compare them to coding.
That being said, you have to be able to do the IT job and pass the tech screen. Having sample work is critical. It will set you apart. note it on your resume. Include links to your code (make sure it works). Have multiple samples. If you helped in open source work, send a link to it with your login name so they can check your Commits (code you checked in). If you have things that are not on the web, state in the interview that you will bring a portfolio on your laptop to show to them.
The center part of the interview is typically the technical screen. Doing this additional work will prepare you to pass it. Then sell the rest. Most of this advice is the same for people just trying to get started. There are very few 'trainee' IT jobs. You are expected to be prepared to produce.
one other tip( a bit off topic)... get your CS degree from a state college over some 'for profit school'. First off it will save you money with in state tuition (and being able to pass a financial background check is important), the material will be harder. Look for CS programs that emphasize the C programming language (go to joelonsoftware.com and look for... the article plight of java schools). Take programming intensive colleges. I have looked at the curriculums of the for profit schools that alot of adults go to and they are not impressive. The material is watered down. Its too easy. If its easy your not ready to go to work. Seriously, junior college and then a state college for the rest is not only cheaper but more rigorous. George Mason University (virginia state school) is hardly harvard. 1/2 of all people in CS 3 (3rd semester CS intro course) fail. So many fail that you can retake it and have your grade removed. This is because it is very hard. Most state schools have night programs. You have to be ready to produce or no one will hire you.
btw, we all suffer through this. your not alone. learning this is a pain. it gets easier when you get used to it, but you have to suffer through the pain. the learning process is part of what makes you good.
