Joy Eneghalu: How to Make a Career Transition into Tech

The rush into the technology space has been unbelievable. Every other day, we get news of startups that are raising this fund and that fund. In fact, we are familiar with some terms like pre-seed and seed funding. For some other people, the idea of technology begins and ends with coding.

Many of us know a tech-bro or tech-sis who works from home, or goes to work in jeans and a t-shirt looking all fly. They earn good money or even in foreign currency. Some of them have travelled out of the country through tech opportunities. With these knowledge, you are asking “God when?”

So many people think that because of their background, they have no future in technology. Whether you are in banking, HR, law, medicine, you can make a smooth career transition into technology. Opportunities abound in spaces like product management, data science, advanced data analytics, UI/UX, cloud computing, animation, programming and so much more.

So how do you get into the technology space even if you have no background in tech?

Understand what role you want to play in the tech space

Knowing yourself helps to go a long way in choosing what aspect of tech you want to play in. This can come from your personality or your career background. For example, someone in the HR space may ordinarily want to go for Agile HR Analytics. Another person who is entrepreneurial in nature can fit into the product management space. Knowing who you are and/or where you currently are in your career plays a huge role in transitioning.

Pick a role that aligns with what you want or enjoy doing

If you are a lover of numbers, you most likely want to be in the data space. If you are the creative type, you may be eyeing UI/UX. These are things you have to enjoy. You should either have them as a skill or ensure it’s something you will be interested in learning. If you have no idea about which one to go for, you may want to look at the TrinT program where these skills are demystified so you can easily choose.

Start learning

You definitely need an upgrade in learning if you are looking to scale your skill. You also need a trusted tutor to help you learn these skills. I know of Utiva because they are an African platform that teaches these skills and the best part is that you get certified too. Talk about using one stone to kill two birds. My point is that you need a platform that can teach you these skills and offer after support to help you grow and stay relevant.

After learning, practice

The mistake some people make is to sit and wait to be served after learning. That’s a wrong mindset to have. After learning, you go ahead to create projects, which, in turn, will be good for your portfolio. Another thing you can do is to seek internship positions that will help you to get your foot in the door. Get your hands dirty, get real practical experiences, build relationships and get access to mentors.

Talk about your next step

Now that you have gotten an internship or maybe you are working on a project, you need to join communities where you find people in that same space as you. Put words out as regards where you are and what you are looking to achieve. You will be so surprised at how people will be excited to work with you. Go online and search for remote jobs. A platform like dynamitejobs is a great place to search for remote jobs. Be persistent and be patient as you build your skill in this space.

Now that you have the process of transitioning into technology, you need to take action. I’m not here to perspire your fire to aspire because this will take time depending on different things, including how committed you are. For some, it can take 4 months. For others, it can take up to one year. This is why I recommend the free TrintT program at Utiva where you can sign up and listen to people from different backgrounds who have transitioned and you have access to ask questions. It’s happening on the 17th – 19th June 2021 on zoom by 4 pm daily.

***

Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels