I'm 28, a father, and recently transitioned from a career in sales into IT. I began studying independently last February and landed my first IT role as a support trainee less than two months ago. My long-term goal is to move into systems or cloud administration. Could you review my resume and point out any red flags? I'd also appreciate suggestions for useful skills to learn, home-lab projects to build, or ways to present my current experience more effectively.
5 Answers
For your next stage, build projects around practical fundamentals: identity and access management, networking, Windows or Linux administration, backups, monitoring, scripting, and cloud resource management. Document each lab with a short explanation, architecture diagram, screenshots, and lessons learned. Certifications such as AZ-104, A+, or CCNA can support your baseline knowledge, but they should complement hands-on experience rather than replace it.
The resume sounds too crowded and lists a lot of technologies without showing enough substance. Condense the home-lab section into a few named projects, with one line describing what you built and which tools were involved. Save the deeper technical details for interviews. Also, avoid listing certifications as “in progress” unless you are formally enrolled or have already scheduled the exam; listing a certification after you earn it will carry much more weight.
Reduce repetition around being a founder or technical founder. Mention that experience once, then focus the resume on the support work you perform today, measurable results, and the skills you’re developing. The opening summary should describe what you can contribute now rather than mainly describing the role you hope to get next. The formatting should also be cleaner and more personal instead of looking heavily generated or overloaded with colors, fonts, and buzzwords.
Your immediate focus should probably be building a stronger foundation in help desk and systems support before aiming directly at cloud administration. Ask to shadow more experienced technicians, volunteer for infrastructure projects, and learn how changes are handled in a real business environment. Home labs are useful, but employers will also want to see practical exposure and a solid understanding of fundamentals.
Your sales background is a real advantage, so don’t bury it under a long list of technical keywords. Emphasize communication, understanding business needs, customer service, and any SaaS or business problems you solved. Those skills can distinguish you from other entry-level candidates. Be honest about your current level and avoid presenting yourself as more senior than two months of IT experience supports.
A GitHub link could help, especially if it contains documented labs, diagrams, scripts, or infrastructure projects rather than just a list of technologies. Make sure the repositories are organized and explain what problem each project solves.