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I’ve seen many people ask different questions surrounding picking up a tech skill like, “Hey, I want to get into tech, how do I get started?” or “how do I know which tech skill to learn?”.
The tech space is a vast one with numerous opportunities. If you are looking to start a career in tech, this article provides you with a step-by-step guide to choosing a tech skill and building a tech career.
1. Do Your Research: The first thing to do when trying to get into tech is to do your research. The same way you research well about an organization before going for an interview is the way you should research. There are various fields in tech, like programming, product design, artificial intelligence, software development, machine learning, and data science amongst others.
You will do yourself a big favor by exploring and reading about the various fields, what it takes, and the opportunities available in those fields.
As someone who is looking forward to getting into tech, Google should be your friend. If you read something and you don’t understand, ask questions. This is very important. Ask people you know that are already in the tech space.
2. Make your Decision: After you have researched the various fields in tech, you have to decide which one you want to stick with. The truth is that you know yourself more than anyone else.
I can say, “Hey, I think you are good at design” and you think you do not have a flair for it.
Weigh your strength and abilities. Not everyone will code. Yes, you heard that right. There are various fields in which you don’t have to write a single line of code like technical writing, product management, and many others. For example, it is popularly said that if you have a knack for colors, you could consider a career in design.
3. Get Started: After you have chosen a path, get started. Draft out a roadmap, find resources online, or join a boot camp to get started. You can also choose to get a degree in your chosen path if you are just starting.
You will have to dedicate your time to learning. Tech is not fraud or a get-rich-quick-scheme. Even though a career in tech pays handsomely, it still requires dedication, consistency, and hard work to get there. It is a process.
Be consistent with learning. Dedicate at least an hour per day to learning in your chosen path. Remember, Consistency is key.
4. Ask Questions: This cannot be overemphasized. Always ask questions when you do not understand any concept or you get stuck in your learning process. Ask questions no matter how stupid or irrelevant they seem.
5. Practice, Practice, Practice: Most times, people get lost in what we call tutorial hell, it is a case where people just watch tutorials without practicing what they have watched. When you learn a new concept or watch a video, try practicing what you have learned by building something on it. That is the only way you can be sure you know that thing. It also helps you to overcome imposter syndrome.
6. Get a mentor: An adage says that when you know where you are going and take the right path, you will get there. But if you know someone that has been there, you will get there faster. As you start your tech journey, having a mentor or someone to guide you is very important. Going online to download or read resources is okay, but you need someone who has started that path to put you through because there are tons of resources online and you can get overwhelmed trying to consume every resource you find.
7. Join a community: There are different communities for beginners in various fields of tech. These communities help you grow and improve. You also get to meet other beginners like yourself and build relationships.
8. Showcase your skills: One of the ways to do this is to leverage social media. As a newbie, people will not know what you are doing or the skill you are learning if you do not showcase it. Build in the open. Let people know what you are learning. Do not be shy to upload your projects or tell your story on social media. This way, you open up yourself and make yourself visible to recruiters and employers. You never know who is watching.
9. Build your portfolio and start applying for jobs: The next step is to build your portfolio, craft your resume and start applying for internship opportunities. Oftentimes, people want to wait to know everything before they start applying, but the truth is, no matter what you know, there are a lot of things you will learn on the job. Once you have like two or three good projects; no matter how little, that you can showcase to your recruiter, you can go ahead to apply for jobs. Overcome imposter syndrome.
Summary
Kickstarting a career in tech is very much possible if you follow these steps. You do not need any formal education or degree to get started.
Picking up a tech skill is one of the best decisions you will ever make because of the wide range of opportunities that come with it. It will not come easy but with consistency, perseverance, dedication, and commitment, you will pull through.
Thanks for reading.
I hope you learned one or two things from this article.
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