When reviewing resumes of experienced engineers aiming to switch careers to DevOps, I see several common mistakes.

These engineers often have 10+ years of experience in IT fields like networking, security, system administration, database administration, etc. They all want to switch to DevOps for better career opportunities or just for the passion.

These mistakes can creep into your resume too. They will make your resume less compelling and prevent you from getting shortlisted. So, if you are planning for a career switch, have 10+ years of experience, go through this list of mistakes and clear them out from your resume.

You'll be amazed at how much it can improve your response rate.

Mistake #1: Highlighting the number of years of experience in the personal profile

When you have 10+ years of experience, it's tempting to start your personal profile as xyz engineer with 10+ years of experience...

Highlighting the number of years of experience in this way is OK if you are switching employers with no change to your career. Say, you are a medical surgeon applying to a different hospital.

But you are not. You want to change your career into DevOps. In your new role, you will not be doing the same things that you are doing right now. So the number of years of experience you have under your belt does not count.

So in your personal profile, highlight your skills and what you can deliver instead of bragging about how many years of experience you have.

Mistake #2: Not focusing enough on leadership skills

OK. I hear you. "I am not a manager".

True! You are not a manager. But, when you have 10+ years of experience you should be able to demonstrate some leadership qualities.

You may not have people directly reporting to you. But as a senior member in your team, you often have to assume a leadership role when you are mentoring junior engineers, leading project teams, or pursuing initiatives.

Such leadership skills are crucial for your success as you move to more senior positions as a DevOps engineer. Showcase these skills in your resume.

Mistake #3: Stating the tasks and responsibilities instead of achievements

Listing your experiences as tasks and responsibilities is OK for a junior engineer. But not for you.

You are in a senior position and must distinguish yourself from the junior engineers.

So, list your experiences as achievements instead of tasks and responsibilities. It demonstrates that you have an elevated thinking pattern.

Mistake #4: Cram all your experiences right from the beginning of your career

I know you could write a 7-page resume with all the years of experience you have.

But, don't do it for two reasons.

Reason #1: No one is going to read a resume that long.

Reason #2: In tech careers, experiences older than 10 years are practically irrelevant.

So unless you have send a rocket to the moon 10 years before, limit your experiences in the resume to the latest 8 to 10 years. That's all what is relevant.

Also, Strictly limit your resume to two pages.

Mistake #5: Too much jargon that no one understand

Engineers love jargon like 5-year old kids love chocolate.

But remember jargon is there to easily communicate with peers. Jargon does not demonstrate your skills in the resume.

So, including too much jargon in the resume creates a negative impact as hiring managers will just ignore your resume because they cannot understand the content.

Cut the jargon off your resume.

Mistake #6: Not focusing enough about what's relevant to the new job

When you are changing careers, your resume need to highlight skills and experiences that matter in the new workplace. Hiring managers can evaluate you only based on such skills and experiences.

If you try to include every single skill and experience you have, your resume would be just fluffy. Hiring managers will find it hard to evaluate.

So in your resume, focus more on skills and experience that are applicable in the new role.

Mistake #7: Not showcasing your commitment to learning and development

Continuous learning and development is crucial for success in any career in tech - specially in DevOps. And when you are making a career switch you should double down on learning.

So, convince the hiring managers that you are committed to learning. Certifications you have earned, courses you have completed, and personal projects are some of the things that you can use for this purpose.

---

These 7 mistakes, if present in your resume, can make your resume less compelling.

If you are repeatedly not getting shortlisted for interviews the chances are you are making one or more of these mistakes in your resume.

Review your resume and correct them immediately.

Reply to this email and let me know how things improved after you corrected them.

Good luck with your job search.