If you're looking to get into the tech industry, you're in luck. Tech jobs are in high demand, and there are over 700,000 open tech positions available today.
Having experience with technology sets you ahead of the competition for many jobs these days, and working in tech can grow your career faster than anywhere else. However, there are some important things to know about getting started in the tech industry. We’ll dive into the details below, and help you learn about the path ahead.
If you’re looking to get a job specifically in a tech startup or understand what type of tech startup role is the best fit for you, then you should sign up for Teal’s free 20 Day Startup Challenge. This challenge will help you navigate the startup job search process and land a dream job you love!
Different Tech Jobs
No matter what career in technology you want to pursue, the benefits are enormous. If you work directly for a tech company, they know how in-demand skilled workers are in the field, so they really try to "wow" their employees. Overall, many tech companies respond to feedback, care about company culture, and offer enormous benefits.
When we say benefits, we aren't only talking about health, dental and vision insurance. We know many tech companies offer free lunches, on-site massages, lots of vacation time, and sometimes even the ability to set your own schedule! The best part is, these perks are the same across the board for these positions.
Not only that, but most tech jobs will offer the chance to work independently, extraordinary job growth, and a ladder to climb within most companies! Here is just a small sample of the most popular tech jobs.
Information Technology
This is often the first tech job that comes to mind for many people outside the tech industry. IT careers are indeed very promising. They offer high levels of job satisfaction, high salaries, and have tremendous growth opportunities.
A bachelor's degree is usually but not always required, and a master's degree can be helpful to advancing your career. The most common bachelor’s & master’s degrees for IT careers are Information Technology and Information Systems, Computer Science, Information Science, Systems & Network Administration, Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering. IT specialists make more than double the national average salary, and when you get up to the consultant or management level, you're almost guaranteed to hit 6 figures.
To get a sense of what it takes to land a role in IT, here are some of the more impressive IT Analyst resumes that we've seen recently.
Software Developer
Software development is another tech career with high growth, high job satisfaction, job security, and high salaries. Software developers make an average of $72,500 a year, and they have a projected growth of 17% over 10 years. The most common degrees for Software Developers are a Bachelor of Software Engineering, a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, and a Bachelor of Computer Science.
These days, there are a lot of alternative ways to learn software development and engineering beyond a college degree. Here’s an overview of the best resources to learn software engineering including online courses and coding bootcamps where you can learn to code.
Once you've developed your dev skills and acquired some experience, these software developer resumes are a great point of reference when you're ready to start applying.
Web Developer
Believe it or not, there are over half a million websites created every year, making web developers a critical part of the online economy. Everything is online these days, and that's becoming more true by the second, so this job has high growth prospects, high salaries, and good job security.
How To Get Started In The Tech Industry
For many tech jobs, a bachelor's degree is required. Getting a degree or real world experience in web development, computer science, information technology, computer engineering, or any of the other related fields is a great way to get started, but not the only way.
Not 100% sure about the career field? Working in a tech startup helps you grow your career faster than anywhere else. Getting experiences in these fields offers highly desirable and translatable skills for the workforce of the 21st century. This means someone with tech experience will end up with prospects for a lot of different career paths.
We can help jumpstart your process, help you create a plan, and get you where you need to go. Sign up for our Startup Challenge and find your ideal startup jobs in 10-minutes a day.
Look At Job Postings
Looking at job postings in your desired field, even if you're not qualified yet, is a great way to to get a feel for what the career is like. Here are 100+ tech job boards, and tips for navigating them effectively. Choose one that applies to your job search and check out some of the newest listings.
You might even stumble upon an entry-level one that you can start tomorrow, which will get your foot in the door for your future career! You can use Teal’s Job Application Tracker tool to keep track of jobs you are interested in.
Look Into Education
If your desired job requires a degree, and you don't have one yet, there's good news for you. You certainly don't have to worry about these jobs going away by the time you're done. The tech world is only growing, so don't worry about missing out. Starting now could be the best investment of your life.
Maybe you already have a degree, and you're looking at your options. In that case, you're in luck! There are thousands of different certifications and courses you can take to get you qualified for almost any position you want. If your degree is tech-related, you're already qualified for a lot of them, so get looking.
Some jobs don't require a degree and only need a post-secondary certificate. Web developers, coders, and graphic designers can often land jobs without degrees by having experience in the field and/or relevant certifications.
If you're unsure what the requirements are for specific role, check out our resume examples to compare your experience with different candidates who have landed interviews.
Get Noticed
Put your name out there on job sites, reach out to potential employers, and develop a web presence. You want a job in tech, so where's the best place for an employer to find you?
You can try building a website if you're trying to show off your web development skills or to show a portfolio of your graphic design work, or whatever you want.
Make sure you're optimizing your LinkedIn profile and add a link to your website. It's an invaluable resource to getting noticed online by professionals. Here are 5 ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile.
Know Your Advantage
If you have the certification, the degree, the skills, or the tech savvy to do the job, then you're in an excellent position. Employers desperately need the right tech specialists, and if you fit the bill, you have an advantage. That's why tech companies are constantly competing to add the most perks and benefits.
The companies know you don't need them as much as they need you. If you know what you're doing, you could easily go work for the company down the street. Just show your confidence, display your work, be genuine, be patient and apply for the positions that match your skills.
One way to get your application to the top of the pile is by using Teal's Job Application Tracker. With the job tracker, once you save the job description, our keyword and skill analysis feature will highlight what words to add to your resume to beat ATS systems, stand out to recruiters, and land a job you love.
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