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Want a High Salary? 10 Tips to Get a Job At A Tech Company

07.23.2020 by admin // Leave a Comment

how to get into IT, how to get a job at a tech company, how to start an IT career

The more money you make, the easier it is to save money and make more money through investing or starting your own business. You can achieve financial independence quicker and decide if you want to retire early or keep working and have a nicer lifestyle. So, how do you get that high salary? One way to get a high salary is to get hired by a tech company. The IT industry is known for high salaries. According to Indeed, the average base salary for a software engineer is almost $110,000. That doesn’t even include bonuses or RSUs. CNBC highlights 11 jobs that pay $150,000 or more at Amazon including product management, technical program management and solution architect.

A common misconception is that you need to know how to code to get a job at a tech company. This is not true. There are plenty of jobs in operations, sales, marketing, finance, HR and additional departments that don’t require you to be an engineer. The hardest part about getting a job at a technology company is getting your foot in the door. So, how do you get a job in IT? I reached out to a few bloggers to share their stories on how they got their jobs in IT.

Apply To a Leadership Development Program

This is my story of how I got a job in IT. I started at a IT company by applying to a leadership development program during my senior year in undergrad through career services. I was a senior in college during the Great Recession, majoring in business management. Wondering, what jobs exactly does a business management major apply to? I spoke to career services and they recommended I apply to leadership development programs. These programs allow you to have multiple different jobs over the course of 2-3 years and is a great program for people that don’t know what they want to do for work. One of the [business operations] leadership development programs they recommended was at a technology company that recruits on campus.

As luck would have it, the recruiter happened to be in my same sorority at another school. We immediately hit it off. I knew nothing about the IT industry. But, before the second round, I happened to read an article about how cloud computing was the next best thing. I brought that up in my interview, the panel was impressed and I got the job.

My advice to getting a job at a tech company: apply for a leadership development program if you are graduating college or a masters program, and read a couple articles about the next “big thing” in tech right before your interview. CIO magazine is a good place to find a few of these articles. When you’re in your interviews, look for ways you relate to each person you interact with. Do you like the same sports or sports teams? Do you have a similar hobby? A lot of acing any interview is to be liked and deemed that you’ll be a good fit. Sometimes it’s as simple as having a similar hobby.

Self-Teach Yourself to Code

Money Mage shares their story on how to get into IT by learning how to code:

I learnt to code in my bedroom as a teenager and got my first job aged 16. It paid my way through University. I studied Computer Science at undergraduate, and specialized in Computer Games postgraduate. I’ve always been into games! I now work for one of the biggest companies on the planet, in an engineering role that’s also customer-facing. I love my 9-5, I know that’s not a popular view, but it’s awesome. I’ve been fortunate in my career, finding a low cost of living area that has high employability. Starting early really helped, as University was a breeze. I’ve also got to work with some amazingly talented people in the Games industry.

Employability in tech is high at the moment. It’s highly white-male skewed, and many companies are positively discriminating to correct the balance. Tech-bro culture is horrid. The correction means it’s a great time to get into tech, you can start self-taught and work your way up. I’d strongly recommend brushing up on the fundamentals, data structures, algorithms, even performance and optimization. It’s so easy to get hung up on the latest frameworks and language trends. The fundamentals are lasting. The big companies select for fundamentals + fit, not frameworks.

Take Digitally Focused PR Classes to Gain Technical Experience

Madison, from Best Company, shares her tips on how to get into IT in a digital marketing role:

Although I work in tech, I’ve always considered myself as a creative. One that loves to create something out of nothing. My journey as a creative started by filming weddings, but in recent years i’ve pivoted into my current job—a digital marketer in the tech space. How did I make this huge leap? Well, the most crucial decision was my college major, Public Relations. My program did not teach “traditional PR” but instead had digitally focused PR classes. We learned about SEO, social media listening, content creation, blog writing and how to structure Google AD campaigns. My college program showed me that the tech space was more than just software engineers. Creatives had a niche to showcase their technical and creative skills through digital marketing. My major’s unique digital initiatives allowed me gain technical experience in college and land jobs in the tech industry that fit my skills and interests.

Join The Military in a Cyber Security Role

Eric, from FireTheMillennial, shares his story of how he got into tech through a Cyber Security Analyst role within the military:

My name is Eric, and I started working in tech when I turned 18. I enlisted in the military and was given the job of Cyber Security Analyst, which sounded exciting on paper but was just policy enforcement. We were required to obtain the CompTIA Security+ certification to graduate from our technical training. That certification is a requirement in the cybersecurity field. It shows a base level of understanding of information security and networking concepts. I left the military after 5 years and worked for a couple of the top 10 defense contractors as an information systems security officer and have been working for them ever since. A few tips to get a foot in the door:

Figure out what exactly your end goal is. Do you want to go the security route? Networking? Penetration tester? – Get a baseline certification. Whether that be Security+, Network+, you’re going to have to show recruiters/the company that you have at least a base knowledge of the field
Do you want to work for a defense contractor? You’re going to need a security clearance. Nine times out of ten, you won’t get considered without one. The easiest way to get one is to join the military, but that’s a commitment you have to think about.
If you want to work for the tech giants (Amazon, Microsoft, etc), start working on their cloud certifications. Whether that be Azure (Microsoft) or AWS (Amazon), cloud technologies are huge right now and they’re not going anywhere. They both provide online study resources for their certifications “

Leverage C++ Skills To Land A Job As a Junior Developer At A Software Company

Adam, from Awesome Personal Finance, shares his journey on how he got into IT through a Ph.D. in math:

My journey into tech is unconventional. It starts with a Ph.D. in math. While this is a great accomplishment it initially limited my employment options because I had no significant experience. From California, I tried to initially work in finance in New York. The timing couldn’t have been worse as Wall Street banks were melting down. I was standing in Times Square when Lehman Brothers announced their closure.

Having decent skills in C++ from some mathematical modeling classes I looked for a job as a junior developer at some software companies. Jobs were still very hard to find back then and competition was stiff. I had to finally settle by taking a professor job. The pay was low and it was not what I wanted to be doing, but I had my own office and was back to looking for tech for jobs. After one year of looking I decided I needed help. Hours of sifting through the internet led me to find a senior Amazon Engineer who offered tech interview coaching. I paid him $199 and he got me pointed in the right direction over the phone.

Being sick of online resume submissions I decided to try some job fairs in major cities. It was literally the last person I gave my resume to that pulled out a cell phone and offered me an interview that day. I nailed the white board interview and have been working as a software developer ever since.

Get A Technical Job At a Non Tech Company and Leverage That Skill Set To Move Into a Tech Company

Moving and Baking shares their story on how they moved into IT from working in tech at a financial services company:

I grew up with computers before it was cool. I probably wrote my first program in Basic around age 7, and built web pages for extra credit in high school. Then, I went on to major in computer science and math in college. Coming into the job market after the dot com bubble burst, I took the only offer I got with an online financial services company. I spent 13 years in financial services technology in NY and CA before moving to Texas in 2016. At that point I was ready for a change, and connected with recruiters at several technology companies here. The skills I had built in tech and product management translated well to a tech company. Though different in business purpose, the problems are surprisingly similar and I’m enjoying this role tremendously.

Work with a Recruiting Agency Who Can Help Find Tech Jobs That Match Your Background

Zero, at Walking to FIRE, shares her story of how she got into tech with a background in Special Education and using recruiting agencies:

I graduated in May, 2014 with an M.Ed. in Special Education. As a senior in college, I was diagnosed with a rare vascular condition in my brain that required me to have brain surgery. Because of my background in special education as well as newfound personal interest in working to improve the living conditions of people with disabilities as a newly disabled person myself, I moved to NYC with a few thousand in the bank, a lot of enthusiasm, and no experiences to actually get me in the door.

I was job hunting for half a year, sending hundreds of resumes to every disability advocacy nonprofit and service organizations in the city. Unfortunately, my half-year sublet to an apartment was ending, and I still didn’t have a full-time job, paying my bills by juggling multiple gigs (babysitting, tutoring, working as therapist for boy with down syndrome). It was either go back to my hometown to try to find a job there, or find a full-time job ASAP to justify a new lease.

In the last month of my job hunt, I found out that recruiting agencies existed, and what’s better – they’re free! I submitted my resume to multiple recruiting agencies, and unlike the hundreds of resumes that probably went unread, I got calls immediately. Within days, I was interviewing with a consulting firm who needed to fill a client’s IT Helpdesk Engineer role. The caveat was that the client wanted a Japanese/English bilingual, and those are very hard to come by. “We know you have no technical backgrounds,” the recruiter said. “And though we can’t teach linguistic skills, we can teach technical skills. Would you be interested in trying a help desk role?” And that was how I began my journey that got me from a Special Education teacher to Helpdesk Engineer to SysAdmin to working freelance as a Technical Writer!

Major in Marketing? Learn to Code to Differentiate Yourself

Forrest is a Digital Marketing Manager at a restaurant technology company and blogs at Don’t Work Another Day shares his story about how he majored in marketing and learned how to code:

For me, getting a job in tech was not planned. I have always loved technology and having the latest gadgets, but it was not to focus of my education. Instead, I received my degree in marketing and taught myself web development throughout college. This enabled me to build websites for others, bolstering my career into digital marketing. Tech is highly dependent on your skills rather than education. If you have the skillset, you’re likely to receive a job offer even without a college diploma. Because the vast majority of marketers are unable to write code, this positioned me in a good place to work as a digital marketer, combining my skills in marketing and web development.

If you’re interested in working in tech, I encourage you to learn as many coding languages as you can to set yourself apart. There are many free resources available to help you. Most of my knowledge came from YouTube videos and a few books, all of which are free.

Become a Consultant That Partners with Tech Companies

Jordan, at One Cricketeer, shares his story on how he works with tech companies in his current role:

I had access to a computer as long as I remember. I played PC games that honed my problem solving abilities at a young age and excelled in STEM classes throughout school. Next, I got accepted to the highest ranked undergraduate engineering school in the US. I graduated with double major in Software Engineering and Computer Science, with a double minor in Math and Computational Science (using computers to do modeling and solve complex math problems). After graduation, I applied to a bunch of companies and accepted my current one that a professor had worked for and recommended me to.

I currently work in a boutique consulting firm, which then partners with larger corporations like IBM, Google, Amazon, etc and then I work at their clients for a few months to years at a time. I can rotate whenever a job is finished or talk to my manager about where my interests exist, and we work on a plan such as certifications or job shadowing.

Get An Interview At A Tech Company Through A Referral

Steve at NW Outlier shares his story of how he started working in IT through a referral with a high school diploma and a drive to succeed:

Getting into tech in the late 90’s was different than today. When I decided to finally make that move, I chose to work in a used computer store. I always was on time, worked hard, got noticed… was promoted to manager. Fast forward a couple years when my sister in law was working as a contractor (temp worker testing software) at Microsoft and called me one day at the store and asked “do you want to work at Microsoft?” I did not hesitate to interview. At the time, Microsoft would hire less knowledgeable workers to point out difficulties that users would experience with their software. I started as a temp worker making $18/hr working on Windows 98. I would spend my time writing the best defects, with high levels of accuracy and detail for the developers.

Over time my knowledge was sufficient or significant to be considered an engineer, but still not hired as a full-time person. After 3.5 years I moved on to a dot com that failed within a year, then interviewed at Microsoft and my current employer. My objective was to move towards full time employee, and I was open during my interview with both to let them know this was my goal/objective. I ended up being there through a couple mergers for a total (my temp work and full-time employee work) of just over 17 years. While building that career, I kept the same work ethic, I was in early and stayed late – I loved technology, so it was easy for me. When I started as an employee at my current employer, I was an entry level person, from there over the years I worked myself up to a Principle Solutions Architect.

All this was accomplished with just a high school diploma. I will admit, part of me wishes I spent some time in school to get a 2-4 year degree to compete with some of my peers. Towards the end of my career I was working shoulder to shoulder with PhD level network architects. Working this hard, for this long is for sure going to burn anyone out, so please – be sure to be saving a significant portion of your income. So, when the time comes you can shift down and maintain the same lifestyle. I have started following the personal finance blogs, and the FI/RE crowd – this saved my life! We’ve saved and invested almost enough to not worry about having a W2 or day job income, but I still have a few more years…. Stay Tuned.

How to Get Into IT Summary

There are plenty of ways to get into IT, this only includes examples from 10 different people! Some people pursued the route of learning how to code and others leveraged their skill sets in other areas like marketing and operations to get jobs in those respective divisions. Another got their foot in the door through an employee referral.

Technology companies pay well and can help you achieve your financial goals faster. You are able to earn a higher salary and increase your savings rate. If you work in tech now, how did you get into IT originally?

How to Ask for a Job Referral

06.29.2020 by admin // Leave a Comment

asking for a referral, asking for employee referrals, how to ask for referrals for a job, job referrals, asking for a job referral etiquette, how to ask for a job referral sample

Fast track your job search by asking for a job referral. Being referred by a current employee is a great way to stand out when applying for a job. Asking for a job referral may seem like asking for a favor, but many times the employee can get a bonus if you get the job. Below are tips for how to ask for a job referral and how to ask for a job referral email sample.

Why Ask A Current Employee To Refer You?

Employee referrals make up between 30-50% of hiring in the US. If you want to fast track your job search ask a current employee to refer you. This will increase your odds of getting that first interview. It’ll help separate you from the hundreds of other candidates where it is so easy to get lost. After that, you’ll also have the opportunity to ask them questions about the interview process, culture of the company and more. This will help you determine if the company will be a good fit and help prepare for interviews.

Don’t feel bad about asking someone in your network for the referral. Most people are happy to help. In fact, many people even get employee referral bonuses if they refer a candidate that gets hired. Employee referral programs are a benefit both for job seekers and current employees. Job seekers improve their odds of getting the job and employees have an opportunity to make additional money as well as help out their network.

How to Ask For a Referral For a Job

How you ask for a referral for a job depends on how well you know the person. If you know them well, you’re likely in luck. They’re able to speak to how qualified you are as a candidate and can speak to you as a person. But, understand that not everyone feels comfortable referring someone to a job. Always give someone an out, stating that you completely understand if they don’t feel comfortable doing so.

When you ask for a job referral, the more specific you are the better. Share which job you are interested in and provide the link to that job posting. That way, if the employee needs more information to refer you, like a job ID, they can get it from that posting. If you don’t know what job to apply to ask to meet with that person first. Have a discussion about what types of roles you’re interested in. Ask questions to help narrow down what departments to research more. Lastly, share that you’ll look at current job openings and ask if they will refer you if you find one you want to apply to.

When you are asking for a referral, don’t ask someone to do your work for you. Vaguely asking someone to keep their ears open if they hear of anything is unlikely to result in an opportunity. Especially in large companies, unless an opening opens up on their team it’s unlikely they’ll hear of most job openings.

Process of Getting Referred To A Job

First, find a job you’re interested in at that company. In order for someone to refer you to a job, they need to know what job you’re interested in applying to. If you’re not sure what company you’re interested in talk to a few friends about the companies they work for. Read recent articles on the top places to work like the Top Places to Work in 2020 from Glassdoor.

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of prospect companies, search on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to find open jobs. Then, search that company on LinkedIn to identify who you are connected to, or who is a mutual connection, that currently works there.

Reach out to them asking for the referral and share the job you’re interested in applying to. Make sure to have your resume handy and send it to your connection. Most companies have an internal site they have to submit the resume to, or they have to email your resume directly to the recruiter or hiring manager. They may have some feedback on tailoring your resume to the company, so make sure to have some time to edit based on their feedback just in case.

If it’s a portal, once your connection submits your resume you will likely receive an automated email. At this point, you will likely have to fill out additional information and confirm you are applying for the role. If your connection forwards your resume onto someone, you may just hear the next steps from your connection.

Don’t forget, being referred by an employee doesn’t guarantee you the job. But, it does make it much more likely your resume gets seen and that you get a first interview. From there, it’s up to you to excel in the interviews.

How to Ask For a Job Referral Email Sample

Not sure how to ask for a job referral via email? The formality depends on how well you know someone but a job referral email can follow this general example:

Hi [Name],

How are you doing? [Add something personal to connect with them, perhaps asking about their kids, or mentioning a sports team you both enjoy]

Recently, I’ve been thinking about my next career move. I started browsing job openings on LinkedIn and saw this opportunity for [job title at company] that I found really interesting. By chance, do you still work there? If you have some time, could I ask you a few questions about what it’s like to work for this company? If it sounds like a good fit, I’d really appreciate if you could refer me to the role through your company portal. I completely understand if you prefer to not send a referral for the role.

I hope you and your family are well.

Best,
[Name]

How to Ask for a Job Referral Summary

Don’t submit your resume directly through the application portal. Stand out by having a current employee refer you and increase your chances of getting the job! Many companies leverage their employees networks to recruit. Getting referred to a job will increase your chance of getting an interview. And, if you get the job the employee that referred you may even get a bonus. But, to be successful do your homework. Know what companies you’re interested in applying. Find people in your network that work at those companies. Figure out which jobs you want to specifically apply to and ask your connection to refer you to that job.

Have you ever been referred to a job by a current employee?

What to Do When You Lose Your Job

04.19.2020 by admin // 1 Comment

You’ve just been told you’ve been laid off or furloughed. It’s horrible news on top of everything else going on right now. It’s hard, and finding a new job will be tougher than polishing off your resume. If you’ve been furloughed you now need to understand exactly what that means and realistically when you’ll be able to go back to work with full pay again. So, what do you do when you lose your job? First, create an immediate plan for your finances. Know what unemployment benefits are available to you, especially new resources through the CARES Act and take action to reduce your expenses. Second, create a short term and mid term career plan. Lastly, take steps such as reaching out to your network and identifying companies to apply to and put that plan into action.

Know What Unemployment Benefits Are Available For Laid Off and Furloughed Workers

Before you even formulate a plan for your career, apply for as many unemployment benefits as you can. And, understand what benefits you still have through your employer and for how long. Is your company offering you a package or not? Do you get to keep your health insurance and if so, how long? Does your household qualify for the $1,200 per adult and $500 per child financial stimulus through the CARES Act? There are differences between being laid off, pay reductions, hour reductions, and being furloughed. For example, some companies are continuing to pay healthcare benefits during furloughs.

Additionally, the CARES Act extended unemployment benefits to include gig workers, self-employed and independent contractors. The United States government also included an additional $600 / week unemployment until July 31st. Make sure you understand your situation and what benefits you qualify for.

Do A Thorough Review of All Your Expenses and Take Action

You now find yourself in a situation where you’ll have less cash coming in and uncertainty about what income you’ll have coming in in a few months. It’ll be easier to focus on your job search and develop your short and mid-term career plan if you know where you stand on your finances. It’s important to do a thorough review of all of your expenses and understand where you can start cutting back immediately. Not sure where to start? Here are 12 Ways to Save Money and Cut Expenses During Coronavirus.

Create a Short Term Career Plan

The situation we’re in won’t last forever but it will impact the short term and possibly the next few years as well. Even when the shelter in place guidance is lifted things still won’t return back to normal. It’s unknown how consumer demand will react. People may not feel comfortable traveling or going to sports games for awhile as an example. There will likely also be guidance that remains in place around social distancing and limits to how businesses reopen. As a result, your plan should take the macro level environment into account.

Evaluate What Industries Have the Highest Growth Potential

The industry you worked in before you got laid off or furloughed may not be the industry you work in next. Are you in an industry that will be struggling until a vaccine will be created? Or, are you in an industry which should bounce back quickly once shelter in place is lifted? You can still find opportunities to do what you love, but you may have to switch industries in the short term. The industries with the lowest risk right now are those that are considered essential such as IT, e-commerce and distribution of essential items like food.

Know Your Skill Set

Next, review your skill set. Being able to manage a pipeline, maintain good customer relationships, and turn prospects into sales are great skills to have no matter the industry. If you’re in hospitality sales now and furloughed explore sales opportunities in the technology industry.

This is true for many other skill sets. If you are good at managing inventory and running inventory sufficiency analysis in retail, look for opportunities to for these roles at e-commerce companies.

The jobs available to you are likely much broader than you think. Being able to clearly articulate your skill set and how these skills are valuable to the jobs you apply to will be key. And, if you don’t have the skills yet to do your dream job? Now is the perfect opportunity to learn those skills.

Know Your Passions

Were you doing what you were passionate about before? If you were in your dream job and that dream job is in an impacted industry other jobs you see may not excite you at first glance. Take a step back and really understand what about your last job you were most passionate about. Was it the product you supported? Your team? Certain projects? Then, look for those same qualities at other companies. If you’re still stuck, look at what employees say about the company in their Glassdoor reviews.

Develop Your Short Term Career Plan

Take your analysis on industries that have the best opportunities for growth right now, your skill set and your passions and combine that all together. Where do these intersect? Is there an industry that stands out, or a particular role within that industry?

Combine this new information with your existing career plan. What level role are you looking for? What salary and benefits are you looking for? Are you interested in being an individual contributor or a manager? The jobs available may not meet all of your criteria so it’s important to be flexible but also mindful of looking for roles that can still put you on the right path. Don’t have an existing career plan to add to? Build a career plan using these tips.

Execute Against Your Short Term Career Plan

Now that you have a short term career plan it’s time to turn that plan into action.

Identify Which Companies You Want To Work At

Start your job search by focusing on the industries that are considered essential. While there have been a lot of news articles about hiring in the front lines such as grocery workers there are plenty of jobs that need to support those jobs too. For example, recruiting, HR, distribution operations, etc. Information technology is a great industry to be in and there are plenty of jobs in IT that don’t require being an engineer.

Next, find companies within those industries that you’re interested in working at. What companies in that industry made the list of top places to work? Do you have friends or former coworkers that work at those companies? It’s always great to get feedback from current employees directly about what it’s like to work for that company.

Update Your LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social networking site for job searchers. But, did you know that 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn as part of their candidate search? There are plenty of ways to use your LinkedIn profile to help with your job search. This includes updating your profile with a profile picture, relevant headline and your latest experience and skills.

Lastly, be sure you’re connected to former coworkers and friends on LinkedIn. This will help you identify where you already have connections at companies you want to apply to. It’ll also show you what mutual connections you have with hiring managers and more.

Leverage Your Network To Get Your Resume Seen

Your network is critical during your job search. It’s easier to get a job through an employee referral than it is to apply to a job without that recommendation. Reach out to your mentor to get guidance on what other jobs your skill set may be conducive for. Talk to your career sponsor and ask if they know of any jobs they can refer you to or strong connections they can put you in contact with

Invest In Yourself Through Free Skills Training

Perhaps you find this is an opportunity to completely reinvent yourself. Maybe you didn’t enjoy what you did before or you liked what you did but you wanted to earn more money. Instead of viewing this situation negatively, view it as a positive and take advantage to come out of this situation stronger. There are plenty of free learnings out there to help improve your skill set.

Free Skills and Interview Training Offered by LinkedIn

LinkedIn Learning has a one month trial period for free. This site offers a wide variety of courses including how to rock your LinkedIn profile, cloud computing courses, sales courses and project management courses.

Free Skills Training Offered By Kahn Academy

Kahn Academy is a non-profit that offers personalized learning and trusted content. There are plenty of courses to chose from including courses on computer programming, entrepreneurship and careers.

Free Career and Interview Training Offered By States

Know what other trainings and career resources your state government offers. For example, Illinois has virtual training which includes webinars on interview techniques, starting your business in Illinois and changing long term goals due to disruptions.

Take Advantage of Free Time

Often it feels like there is not enough time in the day. Now that you’ve been laid off or furloughed you’ve been given some time back. This is the perfect opportunity to learn something new, spend time with immediate family, or do household projects. You will get a job again and when that happens you’ll be really busy getting ramped up. Take advantage of the downtime now because that too will pass.

What advice do you have for people that have lost their job?