IT Career Change at 45

An IT reader writes: "I turned 45 this year, and have been contracting in fairly senior security roles for the last 10 years. I'm looking to secure a permanent position, so I have more stability. I'd like to move out of security, and perhaps into project management. It's something that has interested me, and I find is a skill that is intrinsic in what I've been doing over the last decade but I'm not sure how to approach it."

Dennis Furini, chief executive of the Australian Computer Society, answers: "Believe it or not, you're already on the right approach. Focus on what you want to ideally do, because if you're passionate about something you tend to be good and successful at it by default. So if you're interested in project management, go for it.

"The first thing you need to do is refine your skills by completing a project management course. A longer-term option is to study for some form of certification in project management," he said.

IT45 also needs to build his professional networks so he can meet people working in project management and attend seminars on the latest project management topics.

"(IT45) will undoubtedly be up against strong competition when applying for jobs - there will be many younger candidates with specific experience and qualifications. So he needs to sell his strengths - and one of those is that he is mature, has a very stable work history, and brings with him life experience," Mr Furini said. "He should demonstrate in his resume how he has used his project management skills over the last 10 years. He should highlight what he did, how he did it and what he achieved."

"Keep your sights firmly on preparing yourself for your career change. It may not happen overnight, but with passion, it will happen," Mr Furini said.

Visit the ACS website at www.acs.org.au/

By Kate Southam, Editor of careerone.com.au