Why it’s a great time to look for a job in tech in 2022

(Photo Credit @jasongoodman_youxventures)

You might be wondering - should I take this leap? Am I really interested in pivoting to a career in tech? How can I feel more confident in making this move?

It’s ok to wonder - in fact, it’s a smart move to think about the reasons you are making a change.

(This is actually a great skill to develop to work in tech - challenging your assumptions...more on that later.)

Here are 3 insights to help you understand why it’s a great time to be looking for a job in tech (Updated for the 2022 Job Market Outlook):

1. There is considerable growth in all kinds of jobs in tech companies.

• As you can see from the first chart, the number of net tech jobs is increasing year over year (despite the pandemic, or in response to it).

• Chart #2 dispels the myth that all of the available jobs in tech are related to coding — in fact, 43% of jobs at tech companies fall into the ‘non-tech’ category!

• And chart #3 shows that there is long-term growth in the tech industry so if you pivot now, there will still be many jobs for you to occupy for decades to come.

CompTIA Cyberstates 2022 Report

CompTIA Cyberstates 2022 Report

2. Tech values many of the same things you do

Me using my Google Glass to think extremely hard about the students I worked with every day

• If you are someone who values creativity, innovation, dynamism, flexibility, navigating ambiguity, and data-driven decision-making, the tech industry is for you! 

• Core values are a driving force behind a company’s day-to-day activities and are an essential building block for creating culture. As you look to transition into tech, start looking at the core values expressed on the website of your potential employers, and see if they resonate with you. 

• When I started working at Google, I loved the core value “Focus on the user, and all else will follow.” I appreciated that by listening and focusing on the needs of the person in front of you, big strategic decisions would naturally become clearer.

3. Tech companies have really great compensation and benefits packages.

For many people, the first thing that comes to mind with ‘tech company perks’ is the image of the ping pong table. It’s an iconic representation of the benefits that come from working in tech…but it’s not nearly the most important one.

Instead, here are 3 key points on the money side of things to consider when looking at working in tech:

1) Depth & Breadth of benefits options: Take a look at all of the benefits that are standard for some of the largest tech firms, like Google, Facebook, Adobe and Salesforce. Some of these benefits packages can be valued upwards of $20,000 each year!

• https://www.techrepublic.com/article/12-tech-companies-with-impressive-benefits/

• https://tech.co/hr-software/best-companies-employee-benefits-perks

• You can use this tool to compare the benefits offered: https://www.levels.fyi/benefits/

2) Flexibility with Remote/Hybrid Options: Tech companies are also more able to support remote or hybrid working options. The number of technology and IT jobs offering remote work has boomed by 77% in two years, with more than a million tech roles offering hybrid or WFH options in 2021.

3) Higher than average salaries: Tech also has a significantly higher median wage than the national median wage.

CompTIA Cyberstates 2022 Report

These are just some of the great reasons that you should consider a job in the tech industry. Reach out to me if you’d like to discuss how we can work together to help you pivot into a great new career in tech!

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Want personalized career guidance? Take a look at my Career Strategy Session options.

Interested in working with a small group to support each other during your tech career pivot? Check out the Digital Orchards Fellowship.

How to start learning about tech

So you’re probably thinking…I know that I want to work in tech…but where do I start?

I hear this question A LOT from my students.

Many come from other industries that operate differently or don’t have much overlap with tech - and it seems daunting to learn a whole new industry. You’re not alone!

Here are a couple tips to get you started:

1. Start with the tech you engage with every day.

   • Are you a huge fan of using Instagram or Snapchat to document your day? Consider whether you want to work for a tech company that runs a social media platform. Or maybe consider working for an ad-tech firm that helps its clients develop marketing strategies on social media platforms.

   • Did you enjoy helping your previous employer train your team on how to use Salesforce? Consider whether you would like working for a large B2B cloud platform like Salesforce or Workday to help other businesses run their Sales or HR operations more smoothly. Or maybe consider working for a company like Gainsight that helps other companies integrate many tech tools together in one dashboard to help improve their customer’s experiences (very meta, I know).

   • Do you enjoy comparing personal finance tools and making recommendations to your friends? Maybe fintech firms like Intuit (that runs Mint.com) or Paypal (that runs Venmo) might be worth checking out. Or you could consider working for a big bank like Goldman Sachs on their Marcus platform.

2. If you see a term that you don’t know, look it up or ask someone to help explain it.

   • Do you know what B2B means? Business-to-Business

     • What about ‘machine learning’ or ‘fintech’?

   • While I’ve provided some links here, I highly encourage you to use your trusty Google search bar to look these topics up for yourself to get used to developing your own tech knowledge base.

   • Most people I know in tech are always looking up new terms and educating themselves because they find these topics fascinating and likely they will want to help you understand them too - if you just ask.

   Note: if you have done some research and still don’t find a tech topic interesting, that’s a great piece of feedback for yourself. Add it to your ‘not interested’ list - and consider that a helpful way to narrow your focus!

If you spend some time doing both of the suggestions above, you’ll be well on your way to making your tech dream a reality! The Tech Search Compass course will also guide you through this learning process too.

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Want to learn about tech but not sure where to start? Take a look at my Career Strategy Session options or my course, ‘Tech Search Compass’ for step-by-step support.

3 Secrets to finding a job in tech

If you have ever searched for a job before, you know that it’s not just as easy as clicking ‘apply’ and BOOM - the job offer appears. If only…

Instead, what usually happens is that you apply for a ton of jobs via LinkedIn and Indeed and <insert platform> and wait...and wait...and wait for a reply.

In fact, you’re probably still waiting…

While companies are trying out new types of technological tools to help accelerate the job application process, most of them have not gotten there yet. Instead, some of the traditional search methods still apply -- but with a few modern twists. 

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Here are a few secrets to help you better navigate your tech career search process. 

1. Having a specific career vision/direction

• While this may seem obvious, you’d be surprised at how many job seekers skip over this part and jump straight into applying to any job that looks interesting. 

• It’s critical that you take some time to ensure that you know something about the industry, role(s), key skills, and career trajectory -- and that these items all align with your goals and preferences. 

  • You need to know all of these items before you can adequately prep for any interviews -- practiced interviewers can tell when a candidate doesn’t have a destination or goal in mind. 

  • Don’t worry if this sounds like a lot - we’re here to guide you!

• If you’re really not sure what you want to do with your next steps in life, I highly recommend checking out the book/site Designing Your Life and doing the exercises included in the book. 

2. Having a plan to execute on that career vision

• Once you have a direction that you’d like to aim for, it becomes much easier to build a personalized plan for how to execute your career search. 

• There will be a few common steps that all job seekers must take - but given how rapidly the tech industry changes, you need to build your own flexible career search plan. 

3. Having the confidence and support to achieve the vision

• This is critical to the success of your search - and often it hinges on whether or not you took the time to think about item #1, and articulate your career vision. 

• Job searching is a process that involves a lot of learning. Unless you have some type of compass direction heading that’s guiding you, it’s easy to lose confidence when you struggle or when you face a decision about when or if to pivot to a new role.

• The other piece that is critical is your support team. You need to identify people you can trust to help you when you’re unsure of what to do or to cheer you on when you get that first interview!

The Tech Search Compass course is optimized to help you with items #1 and 2, and by completing the course, you’ll also increase your confidence and identify supporters to help you along the way.

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Want personalized job search strategy tips and career guidance? Take a look at my Career Strategy Session options.