Nowadays, many people change careers even after the age of 30. And most of them become content and more satisfied with their new job roles. People switch careers due to various reasons. However, the primary reason for a career switch is often the feeling of unfulfillment in a current job or lack of growth opportunities.
Career Switch to IT
Changing your career can offer various advantages – financial and professional. It can boost your skillset, provide a better work-life balance, improve your career outlook, and offer several other lucrative benefits. But deciding on a specific field remains a crucial task – one that aligns with your skillset and capabilities.
Nowadays, the IT industry is booming with thousands of new, emerging job roles and subfields. What’s best is you can easily switch to a career in IT without a degree. But you must research, analyze, and determine the right IT career that suits your soft skills. Moreover, knowing the correct way to market yourself to the hiring managers is another skill you must possess to cement your career in IT.
Fortunately, you can enter the technology field despite having academic credentials and work experience relevant to other fields. But it will serve you tremendously to develop specific tech skills. After improving your tech-related skills, you can apply to tech jobs without a degree to kickstart your career.
Now, let’s discuss some tips for making a career switch to the technology field.
1. Talk to Professionals Working in your Desired Job Role
Carefully research and decide the job role you want to pursue in the technology industry. Reach out to professionals in your LinkedIn network or talk to friends and family already working in your desired job role. It will help you gain insight into the position you plan to pursue. Moreover, it will give you an idea about the steps to follow to get into that specific job role.
Additionally, you can join a professional organization and approach a mentor. They’ll efficiently guide you on how to make a seamless switch to your desired career. Mentors can also help you contact the right people while you improve your skills and search for relevant jobs.
2. Network
In addition to finding a mentor and learning from people already working in your desired job role, you should widen your network by communicating with as many IT professionals as possible. LinkedIn is an excellent tool for digital networking. However, professional association events, conferences, and networking seminars can be a great way to network in-person.
Knowing the right people in the IT industry is crucial to getting introduced to hiring managers and startup entrepreneurs who can offer positions in their organizations. So, keep adding the people you meet at networking events to your digital LinkedIn and Glassdoor network.
3. Rewrite your Resume
Most hiring managers spend mere seconds skimming through a resume. Therefore, it is crucial to make an excellent and captivating resume that gets the attention of recruiters. Research and choose the best kind of resume template or consider the services of a professional resume writer to prepare a flawless resume.
Matching the language of the job advertisement will also boost your chances of appearing on the applicant tracking system. Moreover, highlight your skills or experience pertinent to the one mentioned in the job posting. It’s also necessary to highlight your transferable and soft skills, alongside adding more tech-specific skills to your resume.
4. Consider Getting Certified
The IT sector offers various certifications to prepare you for a specific job or key position. Get the certifications that are most relevant to your desired job role. Research and enroll in certifications that will help you build essential tech skills and advance your career.
What’s best is that you’ll immediately grab potential employers’ attention by mentioning certifications on your job profile. So, determine which certificates will prove worthwhile for your career switch and make the most of them.
5. Get Hands-On Experience
After getting the required certifications, start practicing your skills. Get hands-on experience from volunteer positions, part-time jobs, internships, and apprenticeships. You don’t necessarily have to work in a full-time, paid position to gain practical experience.
Research and contact companies that can benefit from your current skill set and allow you to learn on the job. Some IT jobs offer paid training at the beginning of your career. Consider looking into those jobs. Employer-sponsored training is another way to get authentic hands-on experience. Overall, your goal should be to get as much experience as possible to improve your skillset.
Conclusion
The IT industry is booming – offering high salaries, job stability, and development opportunities. As a result, many tech enthusiasts want to switch their careers to IT. Making a career switch to technology is easier than in other fields. You can be from finance, management, healthcare, or any other career and can easily switch to a career in IT even without a degree.
When making a career switch to IT, ensure to widen your professional network, seek mentorship, get the required certifications, gather as much practical experience as possible, and upgrade your resume. Eventually, you’ll effortlessly land a lucrative career in the IT field.