Returning to the IT Workforce: Patricia Linehan’s journey with fidelity’s Resume Program
patricia Linehan,a seasoned IT professional,shares her experience of re-entering the tech industry after a 14-year career break. Linehan, who previously worked in the IT sector for about two decades, took time off to raise her children. Upon deciding to return to the workforce, she embarked on a journey of upskilling, completing a one-year data science course at university College Dublin, Java certification exams, and a full-stack web growth course.
“It was reassuring to find that I hadn’t forgotten everything when I started studying again,” Linehan says. Though, the job hunt proved challenging. “Despite completing a college course, I couldn’t pass myself off as a graduate, and I lacked work experience in data science. additionally, I had no recent software development employment experience.”
Linehan eventually discovered Fidelity Investment’s return-to-work program, Resume, which offered support to individuals re-entering the workforce. She applied and was offered a six-month contract, which has as evolved into a thriving career. Today, Linehan works as a principal systems and business analyst at Fidelity.
What Sparked Her Interest in Software Engineering?
Linehan’s interest in software engineering began in high school, where she excelled in math. “I chose a college course in computer science, despite never having seen a computer before,” she explains. “There were no laptops or home PCs in those days, and moast schools didn’t have computers. There wasn’t much data available about different college courses and careers at the time. Fortunately, I enjoyed it and discovered that software development was a good fit for me.”
challenges of Returning to Work After 14 years
Returning to work after a long break was daunting for linehan. “I was nervous about returning to work. I wasn’t especially under pressure to go back,but my sisters were retiring and couldn’t understand why I wanted to return. I missed the mental stimulation of software development. I felt I needed to give it a try to see if I could still do it, and if it didn’t work out, at least I would have tried.”
Despite her initial reservations, Linehan was thrilled to receive a job offer.“I was very excited, as I had put a lot of effort into preparing to return and was beginning to wonder if it would actually happen. Though, as the start date approached, I began to doubt myself, wondering if I would be able to do it. I also worried that everyone else would be very young and that I wouldn’t fit in.”
“It is not necessary to know every current technology, but to show that you have the potential to learn.”
Challenges and Surprises During Her Return to Technology
During her first week back at work, Linehan faced a steep learning curve. “Almost everything I encountered was unfamiliar,” she says. “I was also new to working in an agile environment. Fortunately, I had a very helpful colleague on my team who was fantastic in assisting me with everything. I could ask him anything, and he was always willing to help.I shadowed him and took lots of notes.”
As part of the Resume program, Linehan was able to allocate time each week to study relevant technologies online.She also had access to coaching to help her manage the transition. “The support I received was invaluable,” she adds.
Linehan’s story highlights the importance of continuous learning and the value of return-to-work programs in helping professionals re-enter the workforce.Her journey serves as an inspiration to others who might potentially be considering a similar path.
Returning to work after a break can be daunting, but for one Fidelity employee, the experience was surprisingly positive. She received ample support from her team and was not pressured to immediately achieve a certain level of competence. The collaborative environment, where people often sit down at each other’s desks to help write code or solve problems, made her feel welcomed and valued. Even with the hybrid working model, there is still a lot of interaction among people, both within and between teams.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
As a detail-oriented person, the Fidelity employee enjoys pinning down the details of requirements for new request features and figuring out what is needed. She thrives on interacting with other team members and working together to come up with solutions. She also appreciates the financial aspects of the applications she works on. The mental stimulation of her work is somthing she enjoys, although sometimes she needs to switch it off when she wakes up in the middle of the night with a solution to a problem.
Despite the constantly changing technologies and tools over the years,the overall focus remains on developing quality products. The strengths and skills she used in the past are still applicable today. Even though she is older than her teammates, she feels like a valued part of the team. There are many communities of practise and different culture groups at work, which encourage a lot of interaction. She is a member of the Fidelity choir, which sings at office events and has participated in online workplace choir competitions during Covid.
Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew earlier in your career?
There will always be another new project or application to work on. All the things you agonized over will be forgotten when you move on to the next project and start anew. What is currently considered the greatest trend in technology will likely be replaced by something else in the future.
What advice would you give to those considering a career in tech?
There are many vastly different types of roles available in the IT industry. People shouldn’t assume it’s onyl a certain type of person who can work in the industry. When she returned to work, she was amazed at all the different roles she had never heard of before, such as scrum masters, product owners, and UX designers. The stereotype of people in tech sitting in front of a computer writing obscure pieces of code no longer applies to many in the industry.
And what would you say to potential returners specifically who are unsure about making the move?
At the moment, it’s a great time for people to return to work as of programs like the Fidelity resume program that support them. Companies are prepared to invest time and money in helping people re-enter the workforce. Based on her experience, it is not necessary to know every current technology, but to show that you are working on upskilling and have the potential to learn.There is also a lot of versatility with working arrangements currently. She recommends spending some time identifying companies that offer roles in areas of interest to you.
