DjangoCon US 2018 - Transfer those Skills!... by Caroline Taylor and Rebekah Post

DjangoCon US 2018 - Transfer those Skills! How to Identify, Communicate, and Sell your Transferable Skills when Switching Careers by Caroline Taylor and Rebekah Post Tech industry giants are acknowledging that diversity in employee backgrounds is valuable for their organizations’ bottom lines. However, it’s still tough for job seekers to land a tech job without prior experience closely aligned with the job they’re applying for. This talk will focus on helping people who are looking for their next tech role: (1) understand themes of what hiring committees look for, (2) identify transferable skills from nontraditional experience they already have, (3) communicate the power of their unique set of past experiences, and (4) learn tools to demonstrate these skills in their resume and job interviews. Attendees who are looking for their next role will leave with actionable ideas for improving job application materials, conveying transferable skills from non-technology-related jobs in interviews, and generally rocking any job interview with basic tips that many people miss. The presenters, both of whom came to tech without a traditional CS background, will give a short introduction of their experience and expertise. They will discuss the aspects of their experience that they expected to be valuable from the start, and those (sometimes surprising!) skills whose value became apparent only after they got to technical positions. Both presenters have participated in hiring panels, one as a hiring manager. They will share tips and tricks based on industry best practices and their experience reviewing resumes, cover letters, speaking with references, and interviewing job candidates. They will highlight common mistakes and things to consider when applying for, and then interviewing for, attendees’ next tech job.