The world’s economy is rapidly shifting from petro-dollar economy to tech-economy, the tech industry producing more employment than other sectors.
According to Harvard Business Review, employment in the IT sector is predicted to increase significantly over the next few years. Due to the strong demand for tech jobs, and the threat of robotics to human workforce as it’s predicted that robots will replace human labor in the job market in the nearest future, as a result, many people are switching to the industry.
But then, making a career transition into technology can be herculean for those with a different field, experience, or education. Nevertheless, there are always transferable skills that you will be able to apply to a new role, when making career change. In this article, we will educate you on how to transition from your present career to another career in technology. You will understand how to identify your transferable skills you already posses and how to acquire more skills to be able to switch career to tech industry.
Job Opportunities in Technology Sector
With the expansion of the technology sector, there are many employment options available, ranging from software developers to IT support, project managers, data analysts, and robotics engineers. The rapid expansion of technology sector into other sectors poses a serious threat to professionals in those sectors as tech experts are taking over those jobs. For instance, the Fintech is dominating the banking sector, with the conventional banks and other financial institutions adopting financial technologies in their operations so as to not go out of business.
To successfully switch career to tech industry involves finding your ideal career and making a plan to get the skills or training you’ll need to sell yourself.
Here are 6 tips that can help you transition to a career in technology:
1. Decide on the tech role you can excel in
Transitioning to a career in technology can be easier than you think, if you can be able to identify the area you can function well.
It will be ideal to switch to a career as a data analyst if you have experience in statistics or finance.
Also, it will be easy to switch career to web developer if you already have an engineering background. Make sure to contemplate the questions you want to ask yourself regarding your career switch.
2. Identify your transferable skills
It’s important to take stock of your skills and identify the ones that are applicable to tech. Know your strengths and weaknesses in order to get off to the best start possible.
For instance, problem-solving is a highly sought-after skill in technology. All tasks, whether they involve coding or IT assistance, are resolved by trial and error. You undoubtedly need excellent verbal and written communication skills in IT profession. Email communication will also play a significant role in your duties.
You need to communicate the processes, findings and write reports to help your team overcome technological obstacles, you must be able to successfully communicate with them.
3. How much do you want to earn?
There are different salary scales for different job roles in tech sector.
4. What's your passion?
No matter how much you would want to earn, you should ensure you have passion such role. Passion will help you deliver on your role.
Would you prefer a job that has to do with dealing with customers? Do you desire a chance to express your creativity? Do you take pleasure in handling data? All of these inquiries will aid in narrowing down the wide range of tech positions suitable for you.
5. You don’t need any particular qualifications
You might believe that in order to work in technology, you must possess the appropriate degree, but this is not always the case. There are many different ways one might pursue a career in tech, as well as the necessary experience and qualifications to succeed in the industry.
Learn about the certifications that are offered and how to obtain them. Having the appropriate certificates on your resume could make all the difference if you are changing careers.
One useful tip is to look for others in comparable professions on LinkedIn and look up their education and certifications to get a better idea of what might be appropriate.
6. Get some training
You don’t necessarily need to have university qualification or have qualification on tech to have interest in tech career. There are many boot camps, and online tech training platforms. Some of these organisations help place on a job offer after training.
7. What practical experience can you attain?
In addition to improving your expertise, it’s crucial to consider gaining practical experience. Effective ways to do this include volunteering, internships, part-time work, and apprenticeships. Scout for companies that could use your assistance and provide you with an opportunity to learn on the job.
Such an opportunity might enable you to take on computer-related responsibilities, which is a good way to learn and become proficient in that role. Some IT jobs offer paid training at the beginning of your career, but not all. Look into your intended field to see if there are any opportunities for employer-sponsored training.
Watch out for offline and online networking opportunities.
An effective technique for breaking into a new industry is networking. If you have been fortunate enough to gain practical knowledge from an IT mentor, you should expand your search and make as many connections with other tech experts as you can.
One valuable approach is going to specific conferences and events. Another useful tool is internet networking on LinkedIn. It enables you to communicate with other users, network, learn from industry thought leaders, and stay current on industry trends.
The technology sector’s rapid expansion and abundance of opportunity are two of its strongest features. Businesses are investing in the sector, and as long as candidates have the required abilities,
They can be considered for the role. Employers value skills, regardless of your background. This means that people of all ages and backgrounds can look into switching to a career in tech.