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gabrielleigh t1_izzilji wrote

Old-ass amateur engineer/artist who recently went back to engineering school to pursue a new career in real engineering. I spent 25 years self-employed doing CNC/CAD work in my own small studio.

I'm looking to re-invent myself as a real engineer with an actual educational foundation and degree in the areas I've been interested in for two decades now.

How do I pitch myself as an attractive fresh engineering grad to my dream companies (NASA, Spacex, Tesla)? I feel old AF and I'd love to start a legitimate career with one of these organizations, but I fear my age (44) will scare away recruiters looking for young talent with a potential long career lifespan ahead of them.

I have 25 years of real-life experience designing and making things. I am a father. I'm a successful student. How do I communicate that effectively to recruiters? What are the advantages I may have over the fresh young grads that are applying for these same positions? How do I pitch my life experiences to recruiters?

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hrmagnet OP t1_izzjz0d wrote

Ageism is not an uncommon concern for those switching careers. It can work both positively and negatively depending on how you present it. The main thing is to make sure that you do not seem out-of-touch or outdated on your resume. Instant call outs could be things like "use of MS Word, WPM, etc". On the positive side, years of experience in transferrable skills, such as drafting (like you mentioned), and managing an independent studio show that you are seasoned and have good worth ethic and discretion. Do you have experience running a team, finances, managing stakeholders, etc? That's an angle that shows more managerial skill and perspective that a new grad typically doesn't have.

Do you have PE or P Eng (credentials are location dependent)? What kind of engineering are you specialized in? Do you have a portfolio?

At the top of your resume, you can have a sentence or two with your elevator pitch. Try not to keep it too fluffy and keep it concise and easy to remember. Some of the other life experiences can go in the cover letter. Interesting school projects can be added to a github or added to the bottom in an "Interests" section. (I believe that some of the newer tech companies are starting to ask for this).

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