Is my experience getting in the way of a full-time employment opportunity?

I am currently looking for a full-time or contract opportunity in the AS/400 arena. I have 15+ years experience in all areas of the AS/400 midrange -- from RPG programming through project management. Do you have any advice on what I should be focusing on as I am pursuing a job. Do I have too much experience ? am I scaring employers off? Positions seem to be scarce. Should I be focusing on a core area, such as my MAPICS experience, or financial experience?


15+ years is not TOO MUCH experience. There is a "perceived" age problem (old and stale in a fast-paced environment) in IT and some of which is justified. However, if you continue to keep up with current technology and trends you should be able to overcome this obstacle. When presenting a resume of a more "Senior" candidate I will usually highlight only the latest 15 years of experience, which tends to be the most relevant anyway.

When job searching, it is best to explore all venues --contract or permanent, manufacturing or financial. Just remember to TARGET your resume to the company and its particular job qualifications.

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This was first published in September 2001

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