If you work in cybersecurity, application development, project management, IT leadership, systems engineering, or any other IT function in the government sector, you may have been wondering about the opportunities in the corporate world. You may ask yourself “How do I transition from Federal Government to Private Sector?”
Luckily, we’re here to help you.
Here are some strategic steps to take when transitioning:
Understand how your target role fits into the business model and profitability.
Read the job description and company information carefully to identify your target employer’s needs and goals. Review the organizational structure and the capacity of the department you plan to join.
Identify your unique professional value that makes you the right fit. It’s a combination of your technical skills, pertinent certifications, examples of successful projects, and technical and/or business acumen required by a specific role.
Find out about the immediate management structure and who you will be reporting to.
Research the target company’s employees and leadership on LinkedIn and find out about their latest projects. The reporting and collaborative aspects of the role may differ from government operations.
In your resume, provide examples of your agility and technical acuity. Research the latest hiring trends in the field.
Goals and procedures will differ. Learn about the company’s mission and vision.
While your government employer’s mission is clear to the general public, each corporation has its own mission and business plan, in addition to the obvious goals of profitability and innovation.
Leverage your recent project examples to illustrate how you fit in. How are the latest technologies that you worked with applicable to your target corporate role? Gather data on how your success was measured in the government role and show the value delivered in specific terms, adding numbers whenever possible.
Attend the latest industry events and look into association memberships to brush up your knowledge of corporate needs.
Leading industry associations and conferences are an excellent source for catching up on corporate processes and expectations. Here are some organizations to consult:
- CISOnetwork.net
- CShub.com
- CISOforum.com
- Networkworld.com
- securityforum.org
- wicys.org (Women In Cybersecurity)
- sans.org (SANS Institute – SysAdmin, Audit, Network, and Security)
- ISACA.org (Information Systems Audit and Control Association)
- aehis.org (Association for Executives in Healthcare InfoSec)
- isapgroup.com (International Association of Security Awareness Professionals)
- ewf-usa.com (Executive Women’s Forum on InfoSec, Risk Management, and Privacy)
- cloudsecurityalliance.org (Cloud Security Alliance)
- issa.org (The Information Systems Security Association)
- sei.cmu.edu (Software Engineering Institute)
- gsx.org (Global Security Exchange)
Approach your resume and cover letter strategically.
Corporate hiring managers value efficiency and clarity.
- Trim everything that is not relevant to the target role.
- Translate your government projects using corporate terms.
- Focus on the target employer’s top requirements in your cover letter.
- Polish your LinkedIn profile.
Here are the Top 2019 Best IT Resume and some more samples of Corporate IT Resumes. Consult a professional resume writer or draft your resume following clear headings, focusing on measurable results, highlighting your core skills, and adding a testimonial or two.
Questions? Book a free phone consultation with Arno Markus, CEO, and Founder of iCareerSolutions, the Best IT Resume Writing Service in the US. He will discuss your goals and provide you with a complimentary resume review.
