If you want to land a job in tech, you have a bit of an uphill battle, but it is not impossible. Indeed, the tech industry is booming with new businesses, innovation and thought leaders. If you have always wanted to get in on the action, now is the perfect time. If you don’t have a degree, there are a number of things you can do. It is important that you remember two things. One: you want to be where the innovation is happening. If you aren’t in the thick of things, you won’t have much of a chance. Moreover, you want to be sure that you show that you have value – if you don’t show your true value, it will be difficult to land something. Here is how to land a job in tech without a tech degree.
Go Where the Action Is
Of course, you want to go where all of the action is happening. There are a few tech pulse points around the country. For instance, you could head to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. You could also head to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. It is important that you are in the middle of all the innovation.
Find an Internship
When you are in the middle of things, you can start networking and looking for internships. Getting an internship is a great way to get your foot in the door of the tech world without a degree. When you are working at an internship, you may have to run out for coffee and you may have to do grunt work, but it will certainly be worth it if you want to work in the tech industry.
Show Proof of Another Type of Degree
If you received USC’s master in communication degree, or a business degree from Carthage College, you may be able to land a job in the tech industry. Employers in the technology sector are looking for individuals with collegiate educations. If you have a business degree or communications degree, you could work in the tech industry as a publicist or in advertising. You don’t necessarily need to be a programmer or coder to work in the tech world.
Learn Coding and Programming
Of course, learning coding and programming won’t hurt. If you want to make it far in the tech world without a formal education, you will need to show that you have basic knowledge of various coding platforms. If you don’t, it will be very hard to get very far. Almost every tech employer will want to know if you can code.
Start Your Own Tech Business
On top of everything, you may want to start your own tech business. If you have a great idea for an application or website, you may want to find a coder and an investor. If the idea is really great, you could be on to something really big. In the end, it will be a challenge to start your own business, but it may be worth it.
