Donald Easton

Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:Donald,
Welcome to CodeRanch!

Lack of job history isn't a big problem as most people graduating from college don't have one. Don't put any dates from before college graduation on your resume though as it shows you are older than the typical college grad before they meet you.

You will likely be asked at the interview what you have been doing all this time. I think raising kids is a legitimate answer. Presumably they are old enough now that they don't need you constantly.

Most college grads have some sort of work experience though. Can you get an internship? Part time job? Make a website for a friend's business, etc?

Not easy, but not horrible either. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply, Jeanne; you've eased my mind a bit. I plan on polishing up some of my favorite projects and including them in my resume submissions (via linkedin or otherwise). I'm hoping to secure an internship next summer (the first summer I'll be eligible), but, to be honest, I have some of the same reservations about getting an internship. To be fair, I know next to nothing about the process... Are the hiring standards as high for an internship as they are for a real job?

Hello, I was hoping someone here could give me some advice on my rather unique circumstances. When I was nineteen, I joined the Navy and was accepted into the Nuclear Power program. I was most of the way through my training when I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder (which, in my specific circumstance, is basically schizophrenia with depression thrown into the mix), and was given a medical discharge. That was thirteen years ago, and I am 33 years old now. I haven't really worked since, but I haven't been idle, either; I have two kids (both boys) that raising has been a job in and of itself. I'm medically and psychologically stable now, and in August of last year I went back to college (Computer Science Major). I have a 4.0 GPA so far, and I don't anticipate that it will drop by very much.

I guess my question is about my future. With very little recent job history, none of it being relevant to the Computer Science field, how do I market myself in order to secure employment after graduation? I realize that most recent college graduates don't have much work history, but it will be obvious to potential employers that I am in my thirties. I will say that I'm not a neophyte when it comes to programming; like most of you, I've been doing it since I was a teen, and my goal after graduation is to secure a job coding Java.

I'm guess I'm just worried that my age and lack of work history will be working against me after graduation, so any advice from someone who has either been in my shoes or is otherwise in a position to give counsel would be much appreciated.