Speedy Mentors       3 yrs ago

Most people spend a considerable amount of their time at work. This makes it crucial to start and be in a career where one could grow and progress. While jobs in the industries of banking, finance, and marketing remain appealing and provide long-term career development, the tech field is keeping up. Technology careers are booming, making the industry itself a hotbed for graduates and professionals seeking valuable career opportunities where growth and progress are deep-seated and where potential can be reached.

Here at Speedy Mentors, we believe that it is hard to go wrong with a technology career. Many of the coolest companies we know of operate in this industry, and a lot of brilliant professionals we have come across with are also in this field. Also, a big part of our operations is driven by technology. So, if you really want to find a good career, consider looking at tech.

In this article, we will explain:

• Why pursuing a career in tech is worth it.

• What are the best tech roles available today?

• What you can do to get hired for a tech role.

Why pursuing a career in tech is worth it.

By nature, technology evolves fast. Despite the late 1990s to early 2000s dot bomb era, technology has not slowed down. From social media and cloud computing to blockchain and artificial intelligence, it has radically changed our day-to-day lives and asserted its presence in all sectors, including finance, health, manufacturing, engineering, education and beyond.

Given the industry’s exponential advances, it is sparking growth in career and economic opportunities. Throughout 2019 in the US, information technology was the most open and opportune job market, with an estimated 12.1 million people in the tech workforce. There were 4.6 million tech job openings and about 13,400 tech startups launched in the same year. Add to that was the output of $1.9 trillion the industry contributed, which represented 10% of the national economy.

By these figures alone, it is safe to say that there is no better time to start or pivot towards a tech career than today. If you still need more convincing, below are other reasons why it is worth pursuing a career in this industry.

Tech is hiring and will continue to do so post-pandemic

Although the number of tech jobs dipped as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some labor economists and tech recruiters expect that hiring in the field will pick up and surge in 2021. This post-pandemic explosion is attributed in the growing focus on technological innovation, especially within startups. Likewise, the shift to remote work leads to demand for certain tech jobs. 

According to a tech job report by tech job database Dice, network engineers are ranked third for job postings in 2020 Q3. The report read that companies need to hire such roles in order to “build, maintain and secure” their network of employees that were dispersed as a result of the pandemic. 

Variety of career opportunities

Careers in tech are varied and they offer opportunities to work in a number of industries and work environment. For instance, you can work as a data scientist for an innovative tech firm. You may also pursue a career as a programmer for a fast-paced healthcare business. The point is that there are different career paths in tech, with each role having varying degrees of scope, depth and skills.

Talent trumps seniority

In majority of industries and work environments, seniority comes first before merit. But, for many companies in the tech industry, it’s the other way around. Where tech CEOs are in their late 20s or early 30s, the work culture leans more toward an employee’s performance rather than the number of years they are in the industry or company. This means that your growth and progression in a tech company is less likely to be stifled by giving favor to senior employees than when you work in another industry.

Excellent compensation package

As companies value tech practitioners for their competency in creating innovative products and services, they are willing to pay a premium for the right people. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the best tech jobs pay higher than the average median wage of $34,750 and have projected growth rates that are 11% faster than the average US job. On top of the salary, many tech professionals also receive non-monetary rewards that help them stay motivated, including flexible working hours, extra leave, more work autonomy, health and wellness programs, career development, and much more.

What are the best tech roles available today?

Technology goes beyond the confines of the IT industry. Consequently, there are numerous options in the employment market for job seekers in search of a career with excellent growth prospects and earning potential.

As with other careers, however, finding the right career in technology can be challenging. This is especially true considering that choices span a whole spectrum of interests, competencies, passions and qualifications. To help you start on the right foot, it pays to know what is out there for you so you can make an informed decision. Below are some of the best tech roles today, along with details on their median salary, according to Robert Half Technology’s 2021 Salary Guide.

1. Big data engineer, $166,500

2. DevOps engineer, $120,000

3. Information systems security manager, $149,000

4. Mobile applications developer, $135,750

5. Applications architect, $144,500

6. Data architect, $145,000

7. Database manager, $137,500

8. Data security analyst, $134,000

9. Data scientist, $129,000

10. Network/cloud architect $146,000

11. Network/cloud engine, $115,250

12. Senior web developer, $124,750

13. Site reliability engineer, $123,250

14. Systems engineer, $107,000

15. Software engineer, $123,250

This list is quite limited as it is narrowed down into jobs that are in high demand within the IT industry. Take note, however, that with the right technical competencies, you can work for companies outside of the IT industry. After all, just about every company today relies on some form of technology to operate, and they need tech professionals who can support them either in the creation and use of those technologies.

Although every sector you can think of can use the expertise of tech specialists, it is still the big tech firms that are always on the lookout for a fresh breed of tech experts. These include Apple, Microsoft, IBM, and Google, among others. 

Of course, there are also growing and up-and-coming companies that tap into the power of technology to optimize processes and deliver quality products to the market. These companies are not only filling technical roles for their teams, but non-coding roles as well that are key to their efficient and results-driven operations. According to The Muse, the following companies that continue to actively hire throughout the pandemic.

1. Samsung Electronics America

2. E*TRADE

3. MUFG in the Americas

4. CapTech

5. Splice

6. Brex

7. Appian

8. Facebook

9. The Washington Post

10. Intelliware Development

11. Vizio

12. Better.com

13. Shutterstock

14. Grubhub

15. Trustwave

16. HouseCanary

What you can do to get hired for a tech role.

By now, you are likely aware how competitive tech careers are. This makes it crucial to make yourself stand out from the crowd. A technology degree is always a good start to get into the field, and according to the Association of Colleges and Employers, computer science is the STEM major that usually receives the highest job offer and acceptance rate when it comes to tech roles. Beyond a tech-related degree, however, you should also consider doing the following to significantly increase your chances for securing a tech career:

Build your tech skills

As an aspiring tech professional, it pays to have knowledge on such areas as development tools, operating systems and programming languages. Although it is impossible for you to stay on top of all these, a good place to begin your professional development is skills that are in high demand such as Java programming languages, Linux operating system and Unix operating system. Likewise, picking up skills in various programming languages will put you in a better position to be considered for a number of high-paying tech roles. Consider learning Python, Objective C and Ruby. 

If you are busy, you may have little time to spare to develop your skills. Taking online courses is an excellent alternative that can deliver the results you want in a short amount of time. You may also want to look into getting into a mentoring relationship through a mentorship program. Speedy Mentors, for one, offers this opportunity through our platform. You can find and connect with different tech mentors and learn from their experiences and even receive tasks or projects based on real-life situations and data that will help keep your skills up-to-date.

Understand the market

In an ever-changing field like tech, you want to make sure that you are aware of the trends and challenges of the industry. This will not only make you an informed candidate, but will also allow you to determine the skills and principles that you need to either obtain or improve. Doing so will make you competitive once you start looking for a role. 

Develop a portfolio

While learning and building your skills, it is important to collate your work into a portfolio. This will serve as a representation of you and your skills and what you can bring to the table. You do not necessarily have to create a super impressive portfolio right out of the gate. Rather, you want to get the basics down and focus on the rest later. These basics include who you are, what you do and the work you have done, be they personal projects or outputs you have completed for others.

Create a compelling CV

Aside from having a portfolio, a compelling CV is also an ideal way to demonstrate your tech know-how and strengths. Find the appropriate format that will allow you to effectively highlight your experiences and is appropriate for the role you are targeting. Study the job posting and be sure to tailor your CV by incorporating important keywords. More importantly, back up your accomplishments with evidence and double check your CV before submitting.

Receive help direct from tech experts

Know that getting into and navigating a tech career can be tricky. While you might think that the best thing you can do is to jump right into the action and see how things go, it will be wiser to prepare for it to increase your chances for success. And for a lot of tech occupations, this means getting the right guidance, advice and support from someone who has “been there and done that.”