Today’s article is brought to you by Artur Meyster, the CTO of Career Karma. Career Karma is an online marketplace that matches career switchers with coding bootcamps. He is also the host of the Breaking Into Startups podcast, which features people with non-traditional backgrounds who broke into tech. Enjoy!
Why Consider Tech If You Are A Career Changer
Career changers have become a thing in the last few years, and more people are choosing to do something they love instead of something that gives them more money. Also, many people want to work in something that has a purpose; they want to feel like they are accomplishing something. This is why you should think about tech for your new career choice.
Tech Will Replace Many Jobs
Technology has already replaced many jobs in different industries. For example, in manufacturing, robots have already replaced many of the heavy tasks to make the processes more automated. Studies show that each robot introduced to the job market replaced 3.3 workers nationally. And it is complicated to predict which jobs technology will replace exactly because new developments and discoveries in the future could change things.
So, instead of taking the risk of choosing a career that could potentially disappear, you can choose a tech career and have a secure future. You will be the one creating and working with new technologies that will change how others work.
High Demand
As mentioned before, technology is everywhere around us, and each month, more devices are introduced into our lives. With more technology come more job openings and more opportunities. This means you will have many options to choose from when looking for a job.
Also, the technology industry already suffers from a shortage of qualified professionals. One reason could be that many people still see technical careers with fear and think they are hard and only for people who like to study a lot.
But things are changing, and there are tech careers that don’t require you to be a genius. Many programming languages are easy to learn, and many tools make the process even more simple. If you choose a tech career with high demand and a shortage of professionals, you will almost have a job guaranteed.
High Paying Salaries
Another reason to choose a tech career is that they have one of the country’s highest salaries. In the US, the average yearly salary can go from $123,000 in Seattle to $63,000 in El Paso, Texas. But all tech salaries in most cities are over 200% higher than the local average for other professions.
These are only averages; it can be much more depending on the career, but it won’t be much less. An entry-level front end developer makes $50,000 per year, and a software engineer manager makes $163,000. So, you will be doing something you like while still making a lot of money. Plus, the tech industry gives many career development opportunities so you could be in leadership positions in a few years.
Ease of Acquiring Skills
You don’t magically acquire the skills to become a tech professional; that’s why you must know how you can learn what you need. Luckily, for these careers, there are multiple options. First, you can enroll in a degree or certification in computer science, software engineer, or any other related field.
This option takes at least three to four years of dedication and an extensive budget. University degrees are expensive, and not many people can afford it. You can still get a loan but you will graduate with student debt, and nobody wants that.
Second, you can enroll in a coding bootcamp. Coding bootcamps have become very popular in the last few years, and even companies like Amazon and Google hire bootcamp graduates. These are intensive courses that are meant to teach you every skill needed to enter the industry. Because they are intensive, they only last up to eight months and can be as short as two months.
The advantage of coding bootcamps is that they give many financial options if you can’t pay in cash. You will still be graduating with some debt but only $10,000 to $20,000 instead of $100,000 or more in a university degree. And it depends on the course you choose because some of them cost as low as $3,000.
The last option is to learn by yourself. This means you do research and learn the basics on your own or even enroll in free courses. The difference is that most free classes don’t give a certification, so you have to prove your knowledge with your past projects when looking for a job.
Flexibility
Another reason why many people consider the tech industry is because of the flexibility in the work environment. The tech industry has become a leader in a more modern office culture where employees have a more relaxed dress code and schedule. They left behind the nine to five, 40 hours per week schedule.
Instead, many companies allow their employees to work whenever they want and are most productive. As long as they show results, they are free to come and go as they wish. Plus, companies have also implemented the benefit of letting employees work from anywhere. This only increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it was a regular benefit before the virus too.
Work That Matters
At last, you will be working with projects that are changing the world right now. Most tech companies work with products that have a real impact on our society, so you will see your work as something that matters. This is in contrast to what many companies do where their projects only benefit the company’s bottom line.
Plus, the tech industry has an environment of constant innovation and creativity. This means your ideas are not only encouraged but could potentially become a real product. Wouldn’t be incredible to create something that your friends and family uses every day and make their life better? This is your chance.
In Summary
The tech industry has the best aspect that people look for a career. You will be working on projects that have a real impact on people’s lives while still having outstanding salaries. Plus, you will always have new job opportunities because the industry is only growing. Let’s not forget the environment is much more flexible than other sectors, and you will feel more autonomous in your job.