Players in tech share how to break in and FAST!

The world is a big place and competition is thick across all industries, but the tech world is a different ball game! A lack of true experience and connections can be deemed red flags to old school gatekeepers. But with many fields of work relaxing its “must-haves”, these players are front and center and know first-hand that there’s nothing standing in your way to fast-track a career in tech today, if you really commit to the journey…

Know Just Enough, Then Figure It Out Along The Way

“For the most part, most tech jobs don’t require special certification, but a good portfolio and demonstration of skills. Even the little tests on LinkedIn go a long way to convince recruiters that you know your stuff :)”

• Josh Lim, Founder of Josh.my, a digital creative and marketing agency

“Technical experience is so important. The more you know about the required technologies within a specific role, the better. Once you are in the industry, try to figure it out yourself. It may take more time to finish the project, but you will learn so much more and provide less headache to senior developers.”

• Liam Dunagan, Project Manager of Bright Vessel, a digital marketing firm focused on web and software development.

Practical Work Is A Big Deal

“You can do it! Breaking into tech isn’t an easy feat, but it is a journey. Seeing the experience as a journey of many steps is an important part of daily practice and life-long learning. There is so much to learn and you will always be learning and growing - so start with practical projects, find teammates and build things. There’s so many great resources out there to utilize on the path from awareness and confidence to building a portfolio of projects and a career.”

• Evelyn Van Til, an advocate for celebrating technology in service of equity and Strategic Partnership Manager of ASA, a national nonprofit changing the way middle and high schoolers learn about careers and navigate education-to-career opportunities

Stay In Your Lane or Create Your Own

“Finding out a tech niche you’re interested in and getting deeper in knowledge asap will be the key in establishing yourself as an expert. Virtually any niche has a buyer these days. I’ve just seen lead community roles for an augmented reality assisted make-up startup and another for k-pop; nothing is off limits and every niche has serious potential today.”

• Ilker Akansel, Founder and Strategist of ilkerakansel.com, providing community management, building and strategy consultancy services for local and international clients

“Obtaining a role at a tech company doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have a background in coding or engineering; if pivoting from another industry to tech, one doesn’t necessarily need to feel the pressure to immediately start getting certifications on certifications. You might be an amazing content marketing strategist for a healthcare company but now you want to do the exact same thing for a fintech company. Great! Apply for the role at the fintech company as you would at any other company - no certifications needed.”

• Carla Whyte, Revenue Workflow Specialist for Scratchpad, the Revenue Team Workspace: Scratchpad is the fastest experience for salespeople to do their work.

Get In While It’s HOT

“The tech industry is hot, but also competitive! Breaking into the industry may not be an easy ride, but stay hungry! Surround yourself with like-minded people that can be your support group while you’re on this journey to break into the industry. :)”

• Bonnie Li, Senior Software Developer of Hatchways, a startup  modernizing the education to employment pathway by helping people new to the tech industry get on-the-job, practical experience instead of in the classroom, then matching them to companies where they’ll perform best.

“Although many organizations require experience, there are so many out there who are willing to train! If you want to break into the industry, you can do it! You can find courses and certifications for great prices at places like Udemy and Coursera.”

• Priscilla Ellis, Founder and CEO of Infinite Imagination

Ready to make it happen? Join our laid back community of unique and talented individuals. We want you to brag about yourself and show off to top notch companies and a world of opportunity!