How To Build A Career In Technology

There is no better time than now to start thinking about building a career in technology. Every single day, something new comes out that requires someone with superb technological skills, not to mention all of the things that we rely on daily. It is also a pretty lucrative career to get into – most jobs in the technology industry have a high potential for making a good income, and, as long as you keep up to date with advancements in the field, it is a job for life.

However, a career in technology is so much more than just being able to find your way around a computer. That just touches the very tip of the iceberg! Each job comes with its own particular skillset, and it is essential that you look at each one very carefully before deciding on which path to take. 

Image credit: Pixabay CC0 License

Pick Your Focus

Picking which area to focus on can be tricky. After all, there are hundreds, if not thousands of jobs in the sector. Do you want to be a systems analyst? An Azure Windows 10 VM Expert? A Citrix Virtual Desktop Administrator? A O365 Migration Consultant? A software developer? A programmer? Find someone who works in each of these areas, and to talk to them about what they love and hate about their job. Once you think you have found the area that you want to focus on, take the next step and work on a tutorial in that field to see if it what you expected. There are plenty of materials online. 

If you can’t seem to get through those materials, don’t give up straight away. It might be that it isn’t the right field for you, so have a go at a small scale project before moving onto the next one. By trying them out and making sure that you really like the technology field that you are pursuing will prevent you from having to change further down the line when it might be more tricky or expensive.

Once you are sure about the type of job that you want, it is time to look at how you are going to do it. As you consider your options, look at recruitment posts, and see what the hiring requirements are so you know exactly what potential employers would be looking for. 

Entry Paths For A Career In Technology

A College Degree

This is the most traditional, and therefore most common path that people take to a career in technology. Most people do a bachelor’s degree, to begin with, and then move on to masters when they have chosen their final focus, such as cybersecurity careers. 

Bootcamp

Because there is such a high need for qualified people, companies are quite often happy to consider people who have learned their skills at a Bootcamp. These are intense, accelerated learning programs, which help you develop the skills and knowledge in a matter of months rather than years. They are usually a lot more expensive and can be pretty tough going. Because of this, it is important to make sure that the places that you want to work for will consider applicants with this background before you get stuck in.

Teach Yourself

While most of the big corporations will only take on those with a four-year degree and formal qualifications behind them, some companies do not require you to have these skills to begin your career. They are happy for you to show off the skills and experience that you already have in addition to problem-solving capabilities and a willingness to learn. Online courses can look great to employers because it shows that you have drive and motivation. A programmer, for example, who is continually learning new coding languages, shows the company their passion and independence. Many ISTQB Foundation courses can be done flexibly online, to suit your schedule and help you upskill yourself. If online study isn’t for you, you may have to look for roles in smaller companies on an apprenticeship-type basis.

Work for yourself

If you do not have the degrees or qualifications, but if you know that you can do the job, set up your own freelance business. You can teach yourself how to program or design with online resources, books, videos, and tutorials. You will, of course, need to spend time on marketing yourself and pitching to clients, and there is never a guaranteed income, but it is one way into the field!

As you can see, there are various ways to build a career in technology, so choose the one that best suits you and go for it!