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How to Find a Tech Job Without any Experience or a Degree?

You may teach yourself, but it is difficult to land a tech job without experience. The best thing to do is to take up tech-related tasks at your current firm.

By Student MattersPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
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Source: Google.com

Entering the world of tech.

Are you interested in the field of technology or are a computer science wizard but you don’t have any formal experience or degree to show for it? No problem! The field of technology values your skillset over everything else. If you have the needed skills to perform well in a particular technological sector then it will be easy for you to secure a job even if you don’t have a degree or any experience to back yourself up. A lot of people who end up working tech jobs or have a tech-based business of their own typically don’t have a degree. Even if they do have a degree it may not be in computer science or a tech-related field at all.

Finding what to focus on in tech.

However, computer science in itself is a very diverse field. Every tiny aspect of our lives is extremely dependent on information technology. If you want to succeed in the tech industry you need to pick a particular niche or a specific category within the broader subject that you are most interested in and specialize in it. It should not be too hard to figure out what you are the best at. Try focusing on what interests you the most about computer science and how you can grow more in that specific area of expertise.

Are you willing to put in the effort?

If you are willing to put an effort and work hard, a tech job may be the most rewarding experience and highest paid job that you can get. If you don’t have a degree but are you willing to use the internet to learn. Then a tech job should not be too hard to get. Several people who are coding masterminds were able to learn it on their own through tutorials online and studied how code was explained in public forums. It is actually a lot easier than it looks. All you have to do is stay focused and consistently committed to what you are learning and practice regularly.

Patience is a virtue when studying and learning computer science on your own, but it can be a very fulfilling experience to even write a simple console application on your own.A lot of people don’t get tech jobs because they do not know the first thing about the world of technology. This is because financial reasons or inadequate funding most likely hold them back from pursuing higher education in computer science or technology.

If money is what holds you back from pursuing your desired tech field, but you still have the passion to learn and study it – there’s a lot you can do. Several courses online that teach programming languages are free and they teach you from scratch where they assume you do not know the first thing about the world of computer science and technology. These websites even offer theory-based learning so you understand the fundamental principles and logical concepts that govern the field of technology. They even have quizzes and assessments to figure out just how well you know so you can refer back to a course if you didn’t understand it the first time. Put in the effort and yield the reward if you want a tech job without a degree or experience.

Know the basics of any job!

There are certain aspects of the tech-based knowledge that is fundamental to do well in any field of computer science. For example, knowing how to code is something that anything from a database manager to an IT analyst should be able to do. Similarly, knowing the basics of hardware, software, simple electronics, querying databases are all things that you should know anyway. Try practicing coding every day so that you can get into the habit of programming regularly. This will allow you to gain expertise and become a professional coder who does not make simple syntax or logical errors. Finding a tech job should not be hard at all once you are able to master these basic skills which should not be too difficult if you are passionate enough and genuinely like doing computer science.

However, when you first apply for a tech job without having any prior experience formally working in the field or having a technical degree in it you might face some challenges. First of all, even if you are a computer science mastermind who learned everything on his own you will still need to have something to show for it. Try attending hackathons with sufficient preparation if you think that is up to your alley so you can prove your tech-based knowledge. Or, try creating a piece of software on your own that will blow away the people conducting your interview.

For example, make a video game of your own or use your computer science knowledge to solve a real-world problem in everyday life like programming a robot that collects trash in your workplace. Such forms of experience under your hood will not only showcase that you are good at computer science but will also reflect just how interested you are in the field. It will allow the interviewers to recognize how you were able to overcome the odds to pursue your interest in computer science to secure a tech-based job and is bound to impress them.

Showcasing your passion.

Even if you don’t have a degree in computer science, information technology or a related field you need to show that you are interested in the field itself. If organizations see that you are passionate about the subject itself and are genuinely interested in it then they will be keen to hire you and help you grow and learn more on the job.

You need to understand that the first job that you score this way will not necessarily be a high paying one. For this reason, you need to be prepared to work your way up the ladder by proving yourself and your tech skills every step of the way. However, once you are able to secure your first job the hardest part has already been completed.

All you need to do now is to maintain consistency and constantly keep on improving your tech-based knowledge. Being part of the tech industry requires being competitive and being up to date with all the latest trends and knowledge about what is new and what is no longer new in the tech industry.

Have soft skills which are just as important as hard skills.

Finally, like any other job, getting a tech job is not just about being a computer science genius. While it does require technical skills or ‘hard skills’ it also warrants you having certain ‘soft skills’. For example, your CV/resume should reflect how you have sharpened communication skills which allow you to listen, write and speak well.

In the tech business, you will often have to pitch ideas in front of a large team of CEOs and business owners and will have to convince them that your idea is the next best thing. This requires the linguistic mastery of expression. However instead of simply stating that you have ‘excellent communication skills’ try explaining or proving to readers through some justification. Taught at a school? Write down about it. You need to show the people interviewing you that you are more than just a set of tech skills.

Having a personal profile of your own.

Finally, as a budding tech enthusiast, you must document all the work that you do and have it online to be shown to anyone and everyone. Maintain a personal profile of your own that highlights your interests, experience and what you are passionate about in the field of computer science. Use it as a means of demonstrating your skills and it might be worthwhile mentioning how you managed to achieve a lot despite never having studied computer science professionally or worked in a tech firm before.

Source: Techjobsfair.com

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