Skills shortages in the tech industry are widely documented, meaning there are opportunities for talent at all levels, but finding a way to get into it can be difficult.
If you're curious about how a career in the technology industry can help you, or wondering if you have what it takes to make a successful change of direction, keep reading.
Determine your skill set
As with any shift to any industry, one of the most important things to do is determine your transferable skills. These are non-technical or industry-specific competencies that can be applied regardless of the role, such as project management, leadership, negotiation, and communication.
In many cases, you don't need to have special technology skills to work in the technology industry. No matter your experience or background, there are countless opportunities in this field. Whether you've worked in field sales for 10 years, directed patient care in a busy medical clinic, worked in customer service, or even run your own small business, the technology industry is a software industry. skills are highly valued and sought after.
Research shows that 71% of employees believe that soft skills will be equally important in the future, with communication, leadership, and analytical and creative thinking being most valuable .
understand the network
There's a good chance you've worked with someone who has already pivoted to the tech industry. This person may not only be able to provide you with valuable insight, but also be able to tell you where your skills are best utilized, or be in a position to help you get hired.
When reaching out, be strategic and intentional about how you list your skills and emphasize transferable skills. Also, be open to hearing where you might need to level up and learn.
Define technician role types
The technology industry is a huge, ever-expanding and ever-changing industry, and the job market reflects that. Some roles are technical roles in technology companies (think software engineers and developers), while others are non-technical roles in technology companies (for example, working in the human resources department of a large software company). is.
Research shows that 54% of jobs at technology companies are non-technical. These types of roles offer one of the easiest routes into the industry.
Although you need to understand the technology and understand the company's mission and values, your role itself may not be very technology-driven. Non-tech job openings at technology companies tend to be primarily in sales, marketing, operations, product management, and even public policy.
Take on the role of Senior Director of Federal Sales for creative software company Adobe. Key requirements include experience building and running successful sales teams. To be successful in this role, it is important to have success in driving revenue and industry experience working with the Department of Defense and National Security. Learn more about.
Leverage your expertise
It also helps to define your subject matter expertise. This could pave the way for a smooth change of direction. The number of opportunities is increasing as legacy industries rush to adopt more tech-savvy processes and systems.
For example, a role like Account Executive for the Department of Defense or 4th Estate at cloud-based customer relationship management platform Salesforce requires experience managing teams that service government accounts. Expertise and connections with federal government leaders in the U.S. and Canada are in high demand here, even if you don't have deep knowledge of the AI, data, and CRM tools and services that Salesforce provides. Learn more about the role here.
Similarly, the positions of Director and Senior Vice President of Payments Policy at the American Bankers Association require advocacy experience at the Congressional and executive levels. But the role also includes being part of a team that leads innovation in electronic payments, as the go-to source for bankers, policymakers and the media for trusted information and insight into the banking industry. . If you want to know more, check out all the details here.
Know where to grow
Organizations of all sizes are currently struggling to fill technology roles. That's why job site Indeed has launched a new Tech Network to help companies reach passive talent and build in-person or remote teams of developers, engineers, analysts, and more.
This means improving your skills and embarking on a completely new career path could be the right move for you. First, thoroughly research the industry you're thinking of entering to understand its needs and nuances, especially where you can level up in terms of experience and knowledge. There are hundreds of trusted resources and courses on everything from programming languages to AI to big data.
You'll have to accept that you have a lot to learn, and you may have to start several levels lower than before, but strong demand in the tech industry means there are plenty of opportunities for workers of all skill levels. It means something. So it won't be long until you climb that ladder.
Visit The Hill Job Board today to find your next great technical (or non-technical) job.
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