As innovation within tech-focused companies increases each year, the demand for skilled workers in advanced technology is becoming more of a necessity. With the growing number of tech jobs opening up around the world, comes an increasing interest in career transitions into the tech industry as well.
The appeal of cutting-edge tech development, attractive employment packages and opportunities, means many workers are upskilling in order to make the transition to a career in tech.
Research has shown that you don’t need to have a long-standing tech background in order to move into a tech career. With a combination of a few simple steps in the right direction and the knowledge you do have on hand, it can be a seamless transition.
Here are 3 essential transitional tips to consider as you explore a career in technology.
1. Recognise your skills and value
Whether you are in human resources, engineering, business or marketing, the skills required for technology job descriptions are skills that need to be learned and practised. With the right attitude, tools, knowledge and passion at your disposal, it is possible and encouraged at this stage for you to consider working in the tech field.
The first essential step is to look at what you can contribute and build on, rather than what you might be lacking in expertise and practice.
The bottom line is that if you’re interested enough in tech, it will be easy for you to apply your hub of knowledge and resources and grow into the role you’re interested in. Once you’ve recognised some of the skills you can apply in a tech environment, you’ll have clarity in what you potentially need to build-on and upskill in.
There are a number of phenomenal courses in advanced technology, coding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, cybersecurity, robotics, risk management, web and software engineering available.
2. Identify your interests
It is said that there will be over 500 000 new tech jobs on the market by 2026. This means that there is a serious shortage of skilled workers in the field and there is a huge opportunity for a career transition. The question is, which job is right for you? This is where your interests are important, you’ll need to do some research and identify the key roles in tech that you’d be most interested in working in.
For example, would you like to analyse and mine insights in Big Data, or perhaps you want to be the mastermind behind the top website development and design firms? Here are some of the jobs that are currently on the tech market:
- Solutions Architect
- Data Scientist
- Cybersecurity Engineer
- Full-stack Developer
- Python Developer
- Java Developer
- Javascript Developer
- Cloud Engineer
- Scrum Master
- DevOps Engineer
Transitioning in any professional field requires a level of grit and willingness to learn, grow and adapt into it. Which is why we advise you to move into a tech field or company who does some of the things you’re already interested in.
3. Look for crossovers and make connections
“Technology teams typically have positions that are 50 % tech and 50 % business,” Josh Lindenmuth says. Lindenmuth is the CIO of Payce Inc and was previously not in a tech role. He also mentions how a few people in his team were also previously not in tech positions but are today.
When looking at your current skills and knowledge, it may not be too far a stretch to apply the knowledge within the tech field. A lot of the tech trends emerging in 2020 are centred in business and entrepreneurship, after all, entrepreneurial spaces are the most innovative, much like the tech industry. A crossover of your expertise and the tech field may be a closer step than you think.
It’s at this point that you want to try and network with people who do what you are wanting to do. Find companies, entrepreneurs, connect with them and share your interest in the field. This will give you an opportunity to find the companies that you’d really like to work for, with the possibility of actually getting the job.
Benefits of transitioning to tech
- Technology is built on an innovative and inventive approach which means that it is constantly changing, growing and impacting society. There will always be room for growth, improvement and change.
- The demand for highly skilled tech professionals is growing annually giving you a lot of scope for change within your chosen field. With new types of technology constantly emerging, you will probably find the pay is generous.
“AES Global provides bespoke and consultative values-led recruitment service. Our industry knowledge, extensive networks and passion for these sectors ensure we are market leaders.” Contact us today to connect with the right people for your career needs.
