How to put small scale programming at tech support job on resume

Question

I currently work in tech support but our company has something called RCI, which is time alloted to us to work on and improve things in our work environment, because I have some familiarity with Java Programming(Taken some programming courses in community college) they have me creating small tools to have our techs use in the workplace.

I was wondering how I could put something like this on my resume, since I am trying to land an internship/programming job(. It's very small work but I am working my shift while doing it. How can I show this on a resume without being able to show off the source code because of proprietary reasons, but still show off that I am doing real work, even if it is very simple work.

A lot of questions I found on here were more about side projects outside of work so it didn't really fit with my situation. Thanks for any feedback or input on the situation, it is much appreciated.

Answer 1

I currently work in tech support... because I have some familiarity with Java Programming they have me creating small tools to have our techs use in the workplace.

I was wondering how I could put something like this on my resume, since I am trying to land an internship/programming job.

You simply list it as one of the tasks for your job. No different than explaining other tasks you are performing.

Tech Support Specialist              2014-present 
MegaCorp

  - Provided phone support {yada, yada}
  - {Other tasks related to the job of Tech Support}
  - Created small tools using Java for all techs to use

You may wish to expound on this more in your cover letter, as this is experience that may help you stand out over other candidates, or may be the most important part for your internship.

Even if you aren't permitted to share the actual code you created, you will be able to talk about it during an interview, and perhaps demonstrate the concepts and your abilities on a whiteboard.

Answer 2

Particularly if you are trying to make a transition (from tech support to programming) I would add a short section at the top of your resume to list your "Highlights". This is a section where you put what you want an employer or recruiter to see first on your resume, in this case, that you have some experience programming in the workplace.

When I've helped people write resumes in the past, this was a great section to highlight things that didn't fit into a usual resume outline (not to mention a nice way to beef things up). List the things you are most proud of in the jobs you have worked so far, as well as any extracurricular things that will help you stand out from the rest. Try to keep them relevant to the position you are working towards.

I would also list it in your experience as well, like Joe said. I'd add more specifics, like a high level of what your tools contributed to the company, what it automated for the staff, and how that improved people's workflow.

Answer 3

Demo Code

First of all, you don't need to show the entire program and how it functions in order to demonstrate your programming skills.

Try copying out some of the methods you are most proud of, or which you feel best showcase your knowledge level.

If you don't feel like that's enough you can always try creating a similar app in your own time simply so that you have something you can demo in interviews.

Resume

If you're applying for a programming job then you'll need to tailor your resume to that effect. You can't simply take your current resume and submit it: why would I hire someone who does tech support and only has two lines of relevant experience in their entire resume?

Instead, focus on what you've done and know. Personally, I have a section in my resume (after Profile, and Education) listing the languages/technologies I know, and the IDE's I've worked with, all ranked by my familiarity with them. For example:

Computer & IT Skills Overview
Languages
Proficient With: C#, VB, VB.NET, JavaScript ...
Knowledgeable of: Java, Objective-C, ...
Software
IDEs: Visual Studio 2010 - 2013, NetBeans v123, ...
Databases: ...

Then, you can include something like:

Relevant Experience
- Involved in the design and development of numerous software tools at my current workplace - ...

Only then would you list the work history, which may or may not be relevant to the position you're applying to.

Answer 4

The biggest thing is to just be honest about it. Consider saying you have some Java programming experience at your current job, and list some of the things you did. Most companies won't ask you for source code, especially if you state that you worked on these small projects at a certain job. They'll understand that you can't show them things for proprietary reasons.

A lot of times, listing programming experience on a resume is so that an employer can see what you've worked with, and can ask you questions in an interview based on those.

If they're really desperate to see some code you've put together they'll give you a coding question to complete and send back to them. This usually happens before an interview so that they can discuss what you did during the interview.

Anyways, just put it on your resume, give a general idea of what you did, and if an employer has any questions just be honest about the amount of work you did!