It’s no secret that the tech industry is booming. If you’re looking to pivot your career and join the tech world, it can be tough to know where to start. In this article, we will outline five steps for making a successful transition into tech.
Pivoting Techniques
These techniques are used by career coaches to help people identify when it’s time for a change and how to make the transition. They’re repeatable and reliable no matter what stage you find yourself at now in your career.
1. Transferable skills
There are some things that you know how to do that can help you work in the tech industry, even if you don’t have experience in it. These are called transferable skills. These are different from hard skills that are relevant to a specific function or line of work.
They are things that you know how to do well, like being able to solve problems or working well with other people. You might have learned these skills from past jobs or from your education. Often they are also related to soft skills. Most soft skills are transferable, whereas many hard skills are not.
The best way to find out what your transferable skills are is to think about what you’re good at and what you like to do. For example, maybe you’re good at maths and science or maybe you’re a creative thinker. Once you know what your skills are, you can start looking for jobs in the tech industry that match them.
Some examples of transferable skills are:
– Critical thinking
– Communication
– Teamwork
– Negotiation
– Organisation
Matching the skills to the role is far more useful to a hiring manager than just saying “I have no experience but would work hard.” Your transferable skills are often the most valuable skills anyway so your previous industry becomes less of a barrier.
These are the skills and points you need to make clear in your revamped CV and during interview discussions.
2. Select a few interests
Once you’ve highlighted a few potential transferable skills, consider whether any of them point you down a certain type of path. They probably won’t on their own, so for most people the next step is to consider which interesting technologies, lines of work, STEM fields or industries you might want to try. You can use job sites and company career pages to research this, or look for articles and news stories that interest you. You can also ask friends, family or mentors if they have any suggestions.
Remember, you don’t need to choose just one; it’s okay (and common) to be interested in multiple things. In fact, it might even help you get hired faster if you can show that you’re interested in more than one area. The best approach is to collect a whole range of ideas and then slowly start to narrow them down. At this stage it’s more about generating possibilities than making decisions.
3. Look for gaps
Once you have a few rough areas worth considering further, next you should look for your skills gaps. These are areas where you don’t have a lot of experience or knowledge that are valuable in your potential fields. Filling these gaps will make you a more attractive candidate for jobs in the tech industry. It will also help you feel more confident when you’re starting your new career.
Some examples of gaps you might want to fill are:
– Understanding algorithms and data structures
– Studying different programming languages
– Getting experience with big data
– Consider apprenticeships or internships
The best part about technology industries is their skills often have the most accessible online learning and support services. There are loads of platforms now available that offer online courses, bootcamps, and even free resources to get you up to speed quickly in a certain discipline.
4. Make a plan
Once you’ve identified your transferable skills and gaps, it’s time to make a plan. A plan will help you define and set your goals. This will help you focus your job search and learn new skills.
Your plan should include:
– The type of job you’re looking for
– The technologies, fields or industries you’re interested in
– The skills you need to learn
– The steps you’ll take to learn them
– A timeline for your job search
Making a plan will help keep you motivated and on track. It can also be a useful tool when networking with people in the tech industry. They’ll be able to see that you’re serious about making a change and they might be able to offer advice or help.
5. Get started
Finally, once you have a plan, it’s time to get started. The sooner you start taking steps to change your career, the sooner you’ll be able to achieve your goals.
There are a few different ways you can get started:
– Look for job postings: use job sites, company career pages or recruiters to find tech jobs that match your skills and interests.
– Revamp your CV with the latest tips and tricks for making it attractive to hiring managers.
– Start networking: attend industry events, meetups or conferences, or reach out to people you know in the tech industry.
– Learn new skills: take online courses, participate in bootcamps or look for free resources to improve your skills.
Making the switch to a career in tech can be daunting, but it’s definitely possible with the right mindset and approach. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to success.
