How To Get A Job In Tech (+10 Tech Jobs With Easy Entry)
If you haven't found your dream job yet, or your current job does not bring joy anymore – it’s high time to change something in your career. The tech sphere is a perfect choice to consider as a job switch. Judge for yourself: it is constantly growing, making professions within it more and more alluring. Tech jobs provide wide career growth opportunities, by allowing professionals to apply their skills in a wide range of sectors. And what’s more important – it’s relatively easy to enter the sphere.
In this article, you will find out which well-paid jobs can be mastered from scratch and how to get a job in tech.
Jobs in Tech to Consider
Data Scientist
Avg. salary: $123,728 / yr
Data Scientist is a specialist who analyzes data, builds models based on it, and makes predictions for the future. Most often, representatives of this profession work with big data. Information is collected from a variety of sources: from sensors in machines and mechanisms to forms on websites and social media feeds. Big data analytics helps companies make better decisions, reduce costs, and significantly increase profits.
Analysts use neural networks, artificial intelligence, and machine learning technologies in their work. Specialists are in demand today, and this profession will be relevant for a long time to come.
Python Developer
Avg. salary: $110,134 / yr
Python programming language is powerful yet easy to learn. It has a concise syntax, and the standard library has everything you need to create programs for various purposes. Parts of Google projects and YouTube video service, Facebook and Instagram social networks, Dropbox cloud storage are written in Python. With its help, engines for websites and large industrial systems, games and mobile applications, artificial intelligence and machine learning systems are created.
The advantage of Python is that it is very difficult to “shoot yourself in the foot” here - to make a mistake in the code that is difficult to find and which can have serious consequences. Therefore, it will be easier for novice developers to get comfortable and start writing effective code.
Java Developer
Avg. salary: $111,156 / yr
Java is a universal programming language. It is convenient to use it both for developing online services for large banks, educational projects, medicine and insurance, and for creating the Internet of things: from smart household appliances to industrial systems with many sensors.
Java programmers are in demand in a wide variety of fields, so you will definitely find a job that suits you. For example, you can develop web applications, program surgical robots for medical startups, or even create solutions for smart cities.
Android Developer
Avg. salary: $107,421 / yr
Modern life is unimaginable without mobile applications: with their help we communicate and relax, plan a schedule and budget, do fitness and make purchases. They wake us up in the morning and help us fall asleep after a busy day.
Android is the most popular operating system in the world, surpassing both Windows and iOS. The number of Android devices on the planet a year ago crossed the 3 billion mark.
Android developer is a profession with broad prospects. You can work for a company or freelance, launch your own projects, publish applications in stores and receive income from them.
Web Developer
Avg. salary: $98,585 / yr
Developers who know how to create a website from scratch are valued in many companies. Such specialists understand both the frontend (the part of the site that the user sees) and the backend (the code that ensures the operation of the resource).
A good web developer can design a landing page, connect a payment system, and make orders from an online store go directly to 1C. He is up to date with the latest web design trends and the latest frameworks, is proficient in project management techniques and successfully works in a team.
Web Designer
Avg. salary: $84,338 / yr
If you want to get into IT but don't plan to learn programming, web design is an interesting option. A web designer makes websites not only beautiful but also convenient: he is responsible for the presentation of content and high-quality UI / UX (user interface and user experience).
Such a specialist does not have to be able to draw - more important is a sense of style, logic and basic knowledge of behavioral psychology. You can work in the office or remotely, for a company or for yourself - if you decide to become a freelancer or start your own design bureau.
Digital Marketing Specialist
Avg. salary: $76,872 / yr
Today it is not enough to create a good product - you need to be able to correctly present it and sell it profitably. Therefore, Internet marketers are in demand in the labor market. These are specialists who work in several directions at once. They analyze the market and the target audience, develop a promotion strategy, create contextual advertising, come up with banners and target advertising campaigns to the right people.
Interior Designer
Avg. salary: $80,858 / yr
New buildings are growing and multiplying, renovation is in full swing, and no one has canceled repairs in the "secondary": everyone wants to live in cozy spaces that inspire and energize. The interior designer makes the house beautiful and comfortable: so that everything is at hand, so that everyone has enough space, so that they want to return to the apartment after work.
The main interior designer tools are Archicad, AutoCAD or Revit drawing design programs and 3ds Max, SketchUp or Procreate idea visualizers. Exact calculations are hidden behind aesthetics, and compositions are built taking into account the wishes of the customer and the rules of modern design.
Copywriter
Avg. salary: $73,977 / yr
The copywriter creates beautiful, informative and selling articles. To do this, it is important to understand the psychology of advertising and the dramaturgy of the text, to be able to put yourself in the place of representatives of the target audience and to know how to work with terms of reference or briefs from the customer.
In addition, to effectively find clients, a copywriter must be able to write texts on various topics and in different formats - from product descriptions and email newsletters to landing pages and commercial articles. And ideally, he should also get acquainted with SEO optimization and the basics of forming a content strategy.
QA Engineer
Avg. salary: $90,460 / yr
Laggy games, applications or programs crashing every couple of minutes, and sites where buttons do not work are a nightmare not only for users. For the creators of these products, such shortcomings can be costly, so they are willing to pay good money for a preliminary check of the viability of their services. This is where QA specialists come to the rescue. Their task is to conduct a thorough crash test: think through what can go wrong, make hypotheses and test all possible functions and use cases for the product.
How To Get a Job in Tech
It is easier to get a new profession if you draw up a clear plan of action.
1. Explore the job market
Some interesting specialties have appeared recently. Explore the market: what professions are in demand, how many vacancies there are, and how much money is offered at the start.
Go to a couple of meetups or open lectures. This will allow you to not only “try on” a new specialty, but also to acquire useful connections. Subscribe to thematic channels or groups in social networks. If you regularly read industry news, it will be easier for you to imagine how industry professionals live.
2. Conduct skills (and desire!) assessment
Try to pay attention to specialties in which already acquired skills will be useful. Let's say you used to work as an accountant. So, you can try to retrain as a QA engineer - perseverance, attentiveness and love for numbers will also come in handy there.
Think about what you find annoying about your current job. Can't stand coming to the office at nine in the morning? A profession in which a flexible schedule is possible is suitable, for example, an SMM specialist or a copywriter. Don't forget about soft skills. If you do not like intrusive communication, you should not start a new career in team projects.
3. Define development vector
Make a list of the skills you lack. For example, many positions require a foreign language - start learning it today. Look for courses or internships and estimate how long it will take you to change careers. If possible, take small part-time jobs during your studies. This will allow you to gain the necessary experience and still make some money.
4. Manage your own schedule
Combining work and additional education is a task with an asterisk. Also, if family responsibilities are added, it becomes even harder. Allocate specific time for classes in your personal schedule and explain to your loved ones how important this is for you. On study days, delegate some of the work: for example, ask your partner to sort out dinner in advance, help the children with homework, and walk the dog.
Properly distribute the load - studying materials at night hardly helps to assimilate the material with high quality. If you need to turn in a project in a course, don't delay the deadline until the last day. In order not to procrastinate, find a convenient time management method. Lists, mobile apps, even a huge alarm clock on your desk—anything that can help you connect your studies with your personal life will do.
5. Make your CV perfect
Your data, education, work experience, additional competencies - everything should fit on one page. By the way, there are many online designers on the Internet that will help you prepare a memorable, but concise resume.
Think about what achievements from a previous job can help you find a new one. Let's say you want to become an HR professional. You should not sprinkle in vague formulations about sociability and ability to work. State the facts: write how you negotiated with clients or organized a corporate party for 300 people.
6. Start your job search
State on social networks that you are actively looking for a dream job. Explore specialized sites. If you dream of working for a particular company, try contacting a recruiter directly. Explain how you can help and send a link to your resume. The firm may not have open positions, but when they do, you may be remembered.
Prepare for every interview. Look for information about the company you were invited to. Plan your answers ahead of time. In addition, it makes sense to create your own scenario of "interrogation" of the employer. For example, it is worth learning about the salary bracket and the system for evaluating the performance of employees.
LiveCarta can help you start!
Check out our catalog of more than 50 tech titles to have a brief immersion into the topic.