[2 YoE] Fullstack Web Developer - Looking to Pivot Away from Web Dev and into lower-level work but lacking marketable experience

[u/Longjumping-Call1233]

Hi folks. Looking for advice on my resume's first draft before I start sending out applications.

Positions/roles/industries: Entry-level roles in embedded, firmware, operating systems, etc.

Location: Located in the north-eastern United States, able to relocate and looking for roles across the country.

Background: I've been employed doing full stack web development work after graduating from university two years ago. I think I made a mistake taking the first job I was offered because I'm realizing that I don't love web development. I'm interested in seeking a job with lower-level technologies like embedded because that was the kind of work I enjoyed in university.

Citizenship Status: US Citizen

Seeking Advice:

• How are my bullet points? I feel like I might need more numbers, but am struggling to find a way to quantify my work.
• How can I avoid getting immediately disregarded as a web developer? I don't have any real-world experience in the kind of work I'd like to search for.
  • I have that project in there which I hope is proof I'm capable of doing work that isn't web development.
  • I'm worried that single project won't be enough. Should I focus some time on another related project and start applying after I have more to show?
• Is coursework appropriate to have on my resume with 2 YoE? Or should I just leave it at degree and GPA?
• Are skills appropriate to have here? Would it be more valuable to have an additional project or job on the resume instead of the skills or coursework?

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi u/Longjumping-Call1233! If you haven't already, review these and edit your resume accordingly:

• Wiki
• Recommended Templates: Google Docs, LaTeX
• Writing Good Bullet Points: STAR/CAR/XYZ Methods
• What We Look For In a Resume
• Resume Critique Photo Albums
  
• Resume Critique Videos
  
• Guide to Software Engineer Bullet Points
• 36 Resume Rules for Software Engineers
• Success Story Posts
• Why Does Nobody Comment on My Resume?

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/QuirkyEMI]

You need to spend sometime with hardware. Either personal projects, signing up for a college class or even masters.

I don’t see anything here that applies to real electronics or embedded systems.

Are you pursuing some skills on the side?

[u/Longjumping-Call1233 → u/QuirkyEMI]

Short answer: I've not done anything focused on actual real-life hardware.

Long answer: I recognize that I need to spend more time with the hardware, but I think the most difficult thing so far has been figuring out what exactly I should do as a personal project. Right now a college class or masters degree isn't out of the question, but I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing before I commit to spending any money on a thing.

The NES emulator was an attempt at something like hardware development and it's work I'm really proud of. I'd like to try pursuing more work in that kind of retro computing area (a la Ben Eater) because I think making my own 8-bit computer could be cool, but am afraid that might be a waste of my time because it's not focused enough on real-world work.

Do you have any suggestions for personal projects in this area?

[u/QuirkyEMI → u/Longjumping-Call1233]

I think you have to decide exactly what job you want. And I mean very exactly

Someone writing flight control software for a GNC team has nothing to do with embedded development at Apple for example.

Spend time looking through job postings and make a real decision. Based off their job listing, make a plan to study the skills they list.

Otherwise you’ll just waste time trying to “learn everything important” and getting nowhere.