This seems to me like a common situation but one that I can never find a good answer for: I'm currently switching careers after twelve years as a licensed massage therapist. I'm doing excellent (4.0) in my studies and my major is computer engineering (beginning jr year this fall).
I know it's important that I have internships to fill out "related" work experience on my resume, and I've also heard the mantra that "just showing you can hold a job is a good thing," and certainly my employment history shows that, my work history includes two positions that I stayed at for over five years and have glowing references from. I'm also doing personal projects with hardware and software and documenting them to put on a sort of resume/portfolio website for when I begin applying for internships and jobs.
So here's my concern: I'm worried that by having what's perceived as either such a blue-collar service industry (at best) or "wacky new agey" (at worst) previous career that I won't be taken seriously by prospective employers. I'm worried that despite a solid education at a good school and with (hopefully) some internship experience that they will see the words "massage therapist" and go "what is she doing applying for this engineering position?"
How would you approach a situation like mine? What advice can you give? I can write a damn good cover letter, but I'm hoping for some insight beyond "just lay it out in the cover letter." I honestly wish I could ignore my previous career entirely on my resume without making it look like I sat on my butt doing nothing for the last twelve years.
MyDigitsHere113 karma
This seems to me like a common situation but one that I can never find a good answer for: I'm currently switching careers after twelve years as a licensed massage therapist. I'm doing excellent (4.0) in my studies and my major is computer engineering (beginning jr year this fall).
I know it's important that I have internships to fill out "related" work experience on my resume, and I've also heard the mantra that "just showing you can hold a job is a good thing," and certainly my employment history shows that, my work history includes two positions that I stayed at for over five years and have glowing references from. I'm also doing personal projects with hardware and software and documenting them to put on a sort of resume/portfolio website for when I begin applying for internships and jobs.
So here's my concern: I'm worried that by having what's perceived as either such a blue-collar service industry (at best) or "wacky new agey" (at worst) previous career that I won't be taken seriously by prospective employers. I'm worried that despite a solid education at a good school and with (hopefully) some internship experience that they will see the words "massage therapist" and go "what is she doing applying for this engineering position?"
How would you approach a situation like mine? What advice can you give? I can write a damn good cover letter, but I'm hoping for some insight beyond "just lay it out in the cover letter." I honestly wish I could ignore my previous career entirely on my resume without making it look like I sat on my butt doing nothing for the last twelve years.
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