As cold as your career may feel right now, tech has never been hotter. Not a day goes by without an article about some sizzling new startup or the latest sexy perk that Google’s offering.
Too bad you’re stuck freezing on the outside, your breath fogging up the glass as you look in at that roaring tech fire. After all, what tech company is going to hire a non-programmer like you?
Turns out they all will. Because non-tech roles make up nearly 75% of all the jobs in the industry. After all, who’s going to support all those programmers by marketing and selling their programs?
US Internet workers by function; Source: LinkedIn
But first you need to figure out where you fit. And don’t worry, it’s not all just sales and marketing roles either. So here’s a cheat sheet to 5 scorching, unconventional jobs in the hottest industry around:
1) Tech Jobs for Consultants
As much as jean-clad techies like to make fun of corporate types and their suits, they hire ‘em by the boatload. Especially because it can actually be cheaper to “buy” a whole team of former consultants than rent them through their pricey firm.
So if you’re a strategic consultant, check out a role called Business Operations (AKA “BizOps”). These are the brains behind big decisions like which country to expand to or which new product to launch. Which means lots of opportunities to show off your wicked Excel and PowerPoint skills!
Sample role: Help Yelp figure out how to drive more reviews and revenue
2) Tech Jobs for Bankers
Just like traditional consultants belong in tech, so do their financial brethren. That’s because tech companies have an insatiable appetite for gobbling each other up. Whether it’s Facebook scarfing down Instagram or Microsoft slurping up Minecraft, M+A is all the rage.
Which is where Corporate Development (AKA “CorpDev”) comes in. Because if you’ve got experience leading similar deals in other industries, chances are you can do the exact same thing in tech - from sizing up opportunities to negotiating the perfect price.
Sample role: Ensure that LinkedIn snaps up the next hot startup
3) Tech Jobs for Partnership Builders
Of course, there are a million sales jobs in tech. But what if you love doing deals, but not necessarily carrying a quota? Is there some way to focus on creating a bigger pie, not just earning a bigger slice?
Welcome to the world of Business Development (AKA “BizDev” - notice a theme here? ;). This role’s all about doing deals between two companies where they both come out stronger. For instance, a BizDev manager at Google might have closed the recent deal with Ford to build a new self-driving car together. Or Airbnb might be doing the same with owners of large apartment complexes. Either way, a pervasive sense of optimism and a sixth sense for opportunity clearly come in handy!
Sample role: Partner with developers to help more apps make more money on Amazon’s Appstore
4) Tech Jobs for Highly Empathic People
Ever bought a piece of technology but watched it sit around and gather dust? Or get forced to adopt new software at work but had no idea how to use it?
If so, you might have the makings of a great Customer Success leader. So many SaaS companies rely upon recurring subscriptions these days (everyone from Adobe to Slack) that high churn rates (customers canceling, usually due to low adoption) can be a real killer. Which is why Customer Success is the hottest non-technical role in tech. Much more than just a customer service position, you work hand-in-hand with clients to understand their needs, get their users to actually use your product, and keep them renewing month after month.
Sample role: Advise early-adopting companies on how best to leverage Facebook’s new corporate At Work tool
5) Tech Jobs for People People :)
OK, so there are a bunch of hot jobs in tech. But they’re not going to fill themselves.
That’s where you, the Tech Recruiter, come in. Because the war for talent is raging across all fronts right now as firms fight for the best execs, programmers, and business people. And so if you’re quick with a welcoming smile and even quicker with a LinkedIn search, you can help any number of tech companies stay just one step ahead of the competition.
Sample role: Keep BlaBlaCar rolling with fresh talent all around the world
Which role is right for you?
Explore 10 of the hottest tech jobs + then get a resume review from yours truly!
There you have it: Five different paths all leading to a hot tech job. So no need to remain stuck on the outside, looking in. Come out of the cold and join the tech inferno!
