How to Make a Career Transition to Tech in 2021

Last year, I connected with thousands of women career changers wanting to break into tech. Many of them have previous experience in a non-technical field and are also highly educated. 

By the time they connected with me, they had tried several ways to make the transition:

  • Sending out applications.
  • Writing a tech resume.
  • Getting new certifications.
  • Even considering a coding Bootcamp.

But here’s the thing. 

Many of them were still struggling big time to make the transition regardless of all the new things they were trying. So the main question they had for when we got on a call was:

“What am I missing here?”

Having landed my dream job in tech coming from a non-conventional background taught me that there isn’t a magic formula to make the transition. In fact, if you ask 10 techies how they got into their current role, you might get 10 different answers.

That is because everyone’s journey looks different. But in this blog, I want to share with you the steps most techies have in common and if you are still not doing any of this – it might be a good time to try.

Let’s get started…

The Role

I know how it is to transition to tech from a non-technical background. I used to read all the job descriptions in tech and decided to apply because I thought I could do it all. Regardless of my ability to carry out the functions of the job – I was scattered. I was applying to all the roles:

  • Data Scientist.
  • Product Manager.
  • Program Manager, etc.

So I wasn’t sure what role to pursue. It looked like endless possibilities so I thought I’d miss out if I limited myself to ONE role.

After trying this for years and getting nowhere, I changed my strategy. I decided to focus on one role and give it my all.

That role was the result of research, connecting with people in the field, and more research. The role was Risk Analyst.

If you’re not 100% sure what role best fits your experience, it’s time to invest the time to do it. It will pay dividends in your job search. Here’s a blog that might help. 

Mind the Gaps

The beauty of finding out the role you want to target in tech is that it also allows you to identify any gaps. Before imposter syndrome kicks in, know this: You probably already have most of the requirements especially if you’ve done similar work outside of tech. 

Then it’s just a matter of translating your experience into a tech setting.

But let’s say that you identify some gaps, and there are functions you don’t know how to do. Before getting to applying, it could be a great time to fill in those gaps.

You can look at online certifications, workshops, taking on new projects, self-paced learning, etc. 

The options are endless. But one thing that’s important is to approach this learning experience as something to give you a boost in the right direction. Instead of thinking, that a guarantee comes with such education.

Confirm Suspicions

You already know what role you’re targeting. You have noticed that there aren’t really any gaps to fill. It’s time to confirm suspicions by doing some good old networking.

Networking triggers all sorts of negative feelings inside us, especially coming from a non-technical industry. You might fall into the trap and avoid talking to techies at all costs. You might fear rejection and that’s normal. When networking online, you can expect to not hear from everyone you reach out to.

But here’s what you should be aiming for in this exercise:

Connect with someone already working in your target role (preferably in your target company as well) and have a real conversation about the work that they do.

The goal here is to simply confirm your match with the role before you start re-wording your resume.

Techify your resume

Now it’s time to reframe your previous experience and translate it into tech-speak. This is the part that most job-seekers avoid because it can be intimidating.

For this step to be the most effective, you need to switch your mindset around your resume. 

Your resume isn’t just a piece of paper with fancy words in it. It’s your best asset to show the employer how well and effectively you can solve problems for them (using your previous experience).

That’s it. Don’t add fancy or fluffy words, simply showcase your previous experience using numbers and problem-solving.

If you want to know more about tech resumes, you can read my old post here.

Learn the LinkedIn game

You might have thought the next step is to send out resumes left and right until one sticks. But that isn’t how it works, especially if you’re switching fields.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool you can leverage to your advantage as a career changer. It’s also where tech recruiters and hiring managers hang out.

Leveraging LinkedIn in your job search will be beyond optimizing your profile. After filling all the sections, and including all your keywords – the hardest part comes:

Let your value show!

Here are two ways how:

  1. Showcase your expertise through posts.
  2. Create meaningful conversations.

In other words, putting in some effort and building a strong personal brand. After all, this is no different than selling a product. Tech companies hire people they know, like, and trust. 

Lead with Value

Anything you do in your job search has to be rooted in the value that you bring. Recruiters and hiring managers want to know how you will solve problems for their team. So don’t focus on external things like getting a pile of certifications or more experience – focus on how using your old experience you can help them achieve their goals.

Leading with value simply means approaching conversations, cold-emails, posting and interviews using the knowledge you already have from previous experience.

This step is more about mindset than anything else. It’s knowing that to sell a product, you need to first believe in the product. If you don’t fully believe in your ability to solve problems for tech companies or feel you lack the experience – it will show in everything that you do in your job search.

If you need help regaining confidence in your experience and learn how to frame it in an effective way – I can help. Book a free discovery call to see how we can work together.

Conclusion

These are the most commonly used steps to start making a career transition to tech. Don’t get caught up in doing them all at once, take it as a process. Build that compounded effect by taking the right action constantly.

Lastly, if you come out with anything from this blog, I hope it’s this: Embracing your unique gifts and talents and showcasing that to the right people is the name of the game.