Welcome back to the career change series. The previous 4 entries were centered around large scale decisions and circumstances to account for that could apply to anyone seeking a career change. Part V on will be a lot more tech-specific, starting with a very basic question: why should you choose the tech field for a career?
Demand: Tech Is Massive And Still Growing
Technology jobs and careers are in very high demand on a global scale. Every corner of modern civilization has a jarring need for tech employees. Government programs, large corporations, small businesses, individuals all have some need for varying services provided by tech professionals. Put plainly, there is hardly any corner of society that the tech industry in some capacity isn't necessary for the continued development and growth of that area. This has created a strong global-wide demand for professionals in networking, system administration, engineering, coding, web design, game development, app development, cyber-security, among dozens or even hundreds of others which leads us to my second point...
Enjoyment: There Is Almost Assuredly A Niche You Will Enjoy
The entire tech field is loaded with the possibilities, and you are only limited by what specific skills you want to go out and acquire. In addition to the vast number of different skills you could acquire, tech is also field agnostic, every company everywhere has some need for tech professionals. So not only can you increase your appeal to everyone, but you also gain valuable skill(s) to break into a specific field as well.
In addition to being more hirable, tech is flexible! Want consistency? You can find an on-site job. Want to travel? There are niche's where you will constantly be assigned to different sites, locations, or even countries. Wanna avoid the workplace? Remote work is widely available.
And finally, the wide range of different skills and jobs all but assure you can find something you will enjoy. Like working with your hands? Engineering may be for you. Have a flair for the artistic? Web design and/or Wordpress may be your thing. Like problem-solving and helping people? IT support is a surprisingly fulfilling role. Enjoy games? You may enjoy them a lot more if you learn to build them. Do you have a ton of ideas, but not sure where to start? Learning a programming language (or 15) may help you unleash a level of creativity you didn't know you were capable of. Like protecting people? Cyber-security is the choice. Hell, if we're being honest even your friendly neighborhood crime syndicate needs a hacker or someone skilled at traversing the dark web or a bookkeeper to help clean up some of that dirty money! The vast amount of choices available to you in tech is astounding and seemingly never ends.
Compensation: The Pay Is Pretty Good
It's hard to find precise numbers and report them confidently because salary fluctuates a ton depending on location and field. But even the lesser skilled entry-level positions can reasonably expect pay upwards of $35,000 USD, with many more jobs paying $50k+. And these are the jobs on the lower end of tech, according to this article by Gabrielle Olya. Check out some of the salaries and opportunities elsewhere in tech while you're there and you'll notice salary goes up pretty quickly with even a little improvement in skills and/or experience in some cases.
Now, none of this is guaranteed, as salary has many factors like the ones mentioned above. But to a lot of people, even the lower end is a nice increase in salary and quality of life.
Satisfaction: Growth And Technological Advancement Ensure Fresh Challenges Regularly
If you like being challenged constantly, look no further than tech. Every day, something is changing and with those changes come new problems. Problems not only have you not encountered before, but you will be expected to resolve without breaking something else. Solving a problem in tech, in my experience, is relative to solving some of the most complex puzzles in a game like the Zelda series, you are both satisfied in your achievement and the fact you know more like this await you. Tech is a great field if you hate feeling stagnant.
Conslusion
The idea that "tech may not be for everyone" is an idea I whole-heartedly disagree with. While I do agree beyond any doubt that not every field in tech is for everyone, I think with a little research and open-mindedness anyone can find a niche they can get excited about. I don't think enough people know just how big a field tech really is, and most negative stigmas originate from that. For example, prior to studying coding myself, I confess my stereotypical image of a programmer was someone locked away in a room all day staring at lines of code so they didn't have to talk to anyone or deal with real-life. I took a big L on that one, nothing farther from the truth, and to this day the level of necessary interaction with other people reminds me how ignorant I was on that impression.
There is an enjoyable tech job out there for everyone!
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