Want to get into tech? Spend your days dreaming of that one perfect job? Too scared to act because it feels like there are just too many obstacles standing between you and your dream job? You’re certainly not alone, and maybe we can help you overcome one or two of those obstacles so you can go for your goal and secure that great tech role after all...
1. You’re short of cash
When you want to break into tech, you often need to buy expensive equipment like MacBooks or invest in pricy coding courses that will equip you with everything you need to know to be the person you want to be, right? Wrong.
Although some formal coding education at a decent high school or online cyber school alongside algebra lessons and all that jazz, may help you a bit, most tech jobs are all about talent, and that means you can teach yourself. There are so many free and low-cost courses that will enable you to do so, and actually, if you have the drive and passion to learn everything yourself, well that is only going to impress employers more. Oh, and you absolutely can get started on a cheap laptop or whatever.
2. You don’t have the time
You have to work your day job, take care of the kids and look after the house so there’s no time to break into that dream tech job, right? Once again you are wrong. We all have the same 24 hours in the day, so if other people have successfully broken into the tech industry before you, many of them single parents struggling college students, or people working several jobs just to get by, so can you.
What you need to do is take a good hard look at your schedule and get rid of anything that isn’t necessary. Can’t do that? Get up an hour early and work on building your tech portfolio then. Sure, it may take you a little longer, but if it means getting to do your dream job, then it has to be worth it, right?
3. You don’t have any contacts
There’s this misconception that everyone in the tech industry knows everyone and you can only get a job if you have an in with someone. Sucks for you if you don’t know any tech people, right? Again, wrong. This really doesn’t have to be an obstacle. The great thing about the tech industry is that it is always looking for talented people, so although it may be easier to find an opportunity if you know a guy, it isn’t essential.
Work at building your skills and creating a killer portfolio, then reach out to people. Show them your stuff, and if it’s good, there’s every chance that they will consider you for a position.
Alternatively, you could just go freelance and start making money your way on your terms without any gatekeepers in the way to stop you at all.
As you can see, those obstacles you thought were preventing you from getting your dream tech job, aren’t obstacles at all, so go get it!