Introduction
In the late 1990s I read an article with a quote that stayed with me till date. It stated that “in the future, the world will be divided into two categories of people, those that are tech savvy and those that are not!”
The tech savvy ones will become leaders in every facet of life, that prediction has come to being and the domination of tech expert in socio-economy life continues the increase.
A tech revolution is upon us now, there’s no better time for you to pivot into tech than now. Although the prediction in the article is correct, it failed to identify that the tech industry will need a lot of human resource, much more than any other industry to see the systemic change. The good news is that the is room for anyone who wishes to make that career change to tech.
Why switch to tech now?
The industry has grown faster than predicted, new product never imagined before are being developed, tech has changed the way we interact, do business, socialise, govern citizens etc. the implication of these changes means there’re opportunities everywhere. There are opportunities in every industry from government agencies, banking and finance, entertainment, medicine, travel, and the list goes on. The increased demand to use tech in delivering goods and services has led to demand and supply imbalance, there are more tech roles that tech skills – meaning you
Another incentive to move to tech is the pay and flexibility of working in tech. tech experts are well-paid and have better work-life-balance. On average, a people in tech get paid better than accountants, medical doctors, and non-tech engineers.
It is easier to become a tech professional and the learning curve is shorter than most white-collar professions. You don’t need to go to university to study and work in tech, you can write professional exams, do an online course, find work experience or internship programs and fine yourself in a tech role within months.
The different tech roles you can pivot into
There are different role type in tech, from technical roles like frontend and backend developer, semi-technical roles like database analyst or software testing and non-technical roles like business analyst , digital project manager or digital marketing. You can research which categories of technicality suits your background and find a role you may wish to pivot into.
How to switch and build a career in tech
Career switch can be a complex and stressful process. Not knowing where to starts and steps to take to make the switch can be frustrating. To take the complexity out of the process, I have listed 10 steps below, which if followed and guide you through the process of your career switch.
1. Research which IT career may match your current skills and experience
When considering building a career in tech, the first step you need to take is to do your research. Tech industry is very broad and wide, there are several role types to build a career on. In conducting your research, it is important to consider your academic background and skills you already have before picking the career of your choice.
2. Conduct GAP analysis of your knowledge and skills
GAP analysis helps you determine the gap is skills (hard and soft), experience, network, qualifications, and anything needed for the job. Once you have determined the gap (download one page gap analysis template) in these areas, you will become aware of the task ahead of you and possibly what you need to do to close the gap.
3. Create a career switch plan
You can create a basic plan that will include task that need to be completed for career switch, timelines and milestones with the budget you need to execute the plan. The plan may include training and online subscription fees, books and other materials you need to develop new skills or up-skill existing ones.
4. UpSkill: Find training, bootcamps and internship programs
Finding a trusted training institution, bootcamps or internship work experience can be a daunting task. If you don’t get this right, it could derail your plan and cost you more. But if you can find a good institution who not only train you, but you get the mentoring you need, your transition can be accelerated. (click here to register for Advance Careers – career acceleration masterclass)
5. Get certificated by professional bodies
You may need to build a stronger professional brand by writing professional exams to authenticate your new skills, fields like project management has several globally recognised bodies and qualifications like PRINCE2, PMI and PMP. Major Business Analysis bodies include IIBA and BCS (British Computer Society) who are not just responsible for Business Analysis qualification but also Software Testing, DevOps, Agile Scrum, ITILL etc. Including professional certificates on your CV boost your employment chances
6. Network with professional in the industry
Find and join network groups to learn from experts in the field and also meet people like you who may also be transitioning. You can find network groups online on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook (Meta) or register as member of professional bodies and attend online and live event. You can also find network from existing friends who are already in the profession you are switching to.
7. Find yourself a tech role and build your career
Finally, put out your CV on employment website, LinkedIn and any other platform that could help push it to employers. Your CV must have been rewritten to meet the requirements of the new tech role. Once your CV is out on job boards, get ready for the new career in tech.
Summary
There has never been a time better than now to switch your career to tech. The opportunities out-perform the resources yearly which means you can pivot within months. To switch and build a career in tech, you can follow the steps listed above to stand a great chance of success.
I wish you all the best in your career goals (David Ageba)
