Advice on career change required

[isvicbhasme]

Hi I got into a good company from college campus placements. I have been very interested in software development & thus I was expecting to be a software developer in this company. Unfortunately most of my batch mates except me got to be software developers & I was made to be a test engineer.

It has been exactly 1yr since I've joined this company. At first I thought that as days go by I'll get used to being a test engineer & forget about becoming a developer. But that did not work out for me. Now since my current work has almost nothing to do with software development I am afraid to say that I have wasted 1 yr.

I am now thinking of doing a short-term course in programming in order to prove my skills to be a developer and apply for a job in another company.

Do you think that it is adviceable to change my carrier now?
If I choose to change my career will companies look upon me as a "fresher" or as an "experienced" candidate?

[CleeIB]

isvicbhasme - Experience is experience, so you haven't wasted your year as a tech engineer. That is experience that belongs on your cv.

If you are dissatisfied with your career, by all means try to change your path. Adding to your credentials through more education can't hurt

Whether or not you are seen as an inexperienced or experienced job candidate depends on what job you're applying for. This perception really doesn't matter, because you can't control it. You can control, however, your education/experience/skills, as well as your CV/cover letter presentation, so make sure those things are the best you can make them.

Good luck!

[Mackengift]

I agree with cleebi. You will however still have to research your choice career if it will fulfill all your other wants like, the stress level, exciting level, financial needs, work-life balance etc

[Brent Jones]

I know this is an older post, but this comes up a lot. A guest blogger from a different forum wrote an article about this that will be published on my blog on September 14th @ http://www.jobgettingtips.com/?p=155

If you head over there now - or anyone in this situation - you can sign up for updates and you'll get a notification when this article is posted.