Returning to IT after a 3-year gap — best path back?
Posted by Candid_Mousse_5140@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 6 comments
I have 10 years of IT experience (from solo IT admin to lead sysadmin). I relocated from Europe to the US for family reasons and haven’t been able to land an IT role for 3 years. During that time I’ve applied to help desk / sysadmin / cloud roles and I’m currently working in low-voltage/security systems while continuing to upskill.
Certifications: AZ-104, Security+, Google Cybersecurity.
**I’d appreciate advice on:**
- Which roles/titles are most realistic to target to get back in (help desk vs junior sysadmin vs cloud ops vs SOC)?
- How to present the career gap on my resume/LinkedIn.
- What hands-on projects or proof would make me competitive quickly.
meisgq@reddit
Your list says helpdesk or sysadmin but your goal appears to be security or cloud. Pick a path and go.
Candid_Mousse_5140@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your advice. Here is the list of my experience:
In my most recent System Administrator role I supported hybrid environment acros 25 locations.
VSphere 7, Azure, Microsoft 365 administrator including exchange online, Windows and Linux servers
Hybrid IAM with on-prem AD + Azure AD (Entra ID): account lifecycle, group/role management, access policies, and troubleshooting auth issues across cloud/on-prem.
Bitdefender GravityZone administration
FortiGate firewalls + FortiGate Cloud (shared responsibility with MSP), Cisco switching, Aruba wireless (configuration, troubleshooting, and rollout support for new sites).
2PB Synology storage environment and a CCTV system with ~700 IP cameras (availability, maintenance, and capacity planning).
Ticketing system (GLPI), documentation, standard operating procedures, IT inventory
Led a small team (1 sysadmin + 2 techs), Reported to CTO.
I am applying for tech support roles, help desk, system administrator and cloud administrator.
Currently I am working on AZ500 cert.
Any advice on what roles would be the best fit for me would be helpful.
natflingdull@reddit
Its an incredibly tough job market out there in the US. How far are you willing to commute?
OneSeaworthiness7768@reddit
I don’t know how we could suggest roles or titles for you without you having shared anything about your background/experience.
OregonTechHead@reddit
We can't really answer that based on one sentence.
The most important thing is to be honest. You can embellish some, but be honest. You relocated, and had to deal with family emergencies. I'm guessing you also helped friends/family with tech on occasion? You did consulting work while dealing with said emergencies.
There really isn't any. As a hiring manager, having a "home lab" doesn't mean anything at all to me. I have no idea what's in the lab, or if you're doing things correctly.
The best thing you can do is make sure your resume is top tier. Paying someone can be a huge benefit here. Spend some time doing some studying in areas of interest, and start taking some cert exams.
teamonsite@reddit
Try and focus on the positives during the 3 years , sounds like you were doing some studies for personal development etc I would expect any pathway through MSP might be easiest on service desk if you are in US have you looked at say Field Nation or Work Market as some alternatives before landing something more permanent.