Choosing a tech career path

With the industry constantly evolving and opportunities abounding, choosing a career in tech can be challenging. However, considering a few key factors, you can decide which path is right.

2023 is finally here, and I’m sure you’ve set your goals for the year. For some people, transitioning into tech is one of the most important goals.

With the industry constantly evolving and opportunities abounding, choosing a career in tech can be challenging. However, considering a few key factors, you can decide which path is right.

In this article, I’d like to explain the most important factors for choosing a career path, highlight different career paths and discuss how you can develop your skills in the field.

Table of Contents

Principles for choosing a tech career path

When considering different tech careers, some general principles can help you decide which technologies or careers will be most in demand in the future. Here are a few things to consider:

Consider the skills in demand: Some tech skills, such as programming and software development frameworks, are consistently in high demand and have a relatively low risk of becoming obsolete.
Consider your interests and passions: Ultimately, choosing a tech career should be about more than the prospect of a high salary or job security. Consider what you are most interested in and passionate about, and find a career that aligns with those interests. For example, if you have a penchant for art and design, you may choose UI / UX design.
Consider the long-term growth potential: New technological tools are constantly being developed in the technology industry. It is important to keep learning and upskilling continuously to stay competitive and ensure long-term career growth. Choose a career that offers opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.
Consider the job market: Research the job market in your region to get a feel for what technical jobs are in demand. Choose a career with a high demand for skilled workers in your region, as this will increase your chances of finding a job and negotiating a competitive salary. Choose a field where you can work in different industries, such as finance, healthcare and marketing.
Consider your desired work environment: Different tech jobs offer different work environments. Some jobs involve working in an office, while others offer the opportunity to work remotely or as freelancers. Consider your preferred work environment when choosing a career in tech.

Tech career paths

There are many different career options in tech for those interested. Some common career paths in tech are software development, data analytics, cybersecurity, product management, design, software testing, etc. Below is a closer look at each of these careers, including some of the skills and responsibilities involved:

Community Management

Tech community managers are responsible for building and maintaining relationships with a company’s online community. This includes moderating online forums, responding to customer inquiries and feedback, and creating and distributing content that engages and informs the community. They also work with other teams within the company, such as product and marketing teams, to gather customer insights and feedback that informs product development and marketing strategies. In addition, community managers in tech often organize and plan events, such as webinars and meetups, to further engage and grow the community.

Community managers use tools such as Trello, Notion, etc., for their daily activities.

Introduction to Online Community Management on Udemy is a good resource for beginners in community management.

This job is for you if you’re good at motivating others, have good interpersonal skills and can stimulate conversations within a group.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity professionals protect organizations from cyber threats such as hacking and data breaches. They work in various roles, including network security, cybersecurity analysis and incident response. Cybersecurity professionals are responsible for identifying vulnerabilities in an organization’s systems, implementing security measures to prevent attacks and responding to security incidents as they occur.

Suppose you have strong skills in communication, problem-solving, and attention to detail. In that case, teamwork, adaptability, leadership, time management and stress management in the field of cyber security may be of interest to you.

This Introduction to Cybersecurity course is a great way to get started in this field.

Data science, analytics and engineering

In the field of data, computer programs and mathematics are used to examine and understand large amounts of data. In the data field, there are data engineers, data analysts, data scientists, etc. Here’s what they do:

Data scientists process and analyze data and use the insights gained to solve problems or make better decisions. For example, a data scientist might examine data about traffic to help a city figure out how to reduce congestion.
Data analysts use statistical and analytical techniques to gain insights from large data sets. They work with data from various sources, including social media, customer databases, and financial records.
Data engineers develop systems to collect, manage, and transform raw data into actionable information. This includes creating databases and data pipelines, setting up cloud computing systems, and writing code to process and transform data.

The tools used in this area are Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Excel, and SQL to manipulate and visualize data. Programming languages such as Python and R are also used for more complex analysis and development of machine learning algorithms. You can learn about this field on Dataquest, Datacamp, etc.

Do you like statistics, mathematics and working with numbers in general? Then, you might be interested in this career path.

Developer relations

Developer Relations (DevRel) is a field focused on building and maintaining relationships between a company and its developer community. The goal of DevRel is to create a positive and productive relationship between the company and its developers by providing them with the resources, support, and training they need to succeed. They are also referred to as developer advocates or developer evangelists.

A developer relations team is typically responsible for various tasks, including Building and maintaining a developer community, creating and sharing content intended for developers, providing technical support, and organizing and hosting events.

Developer Relations could be just what you’ve been looking for if you are passionate about technology, understand and can communicate with developers, and have excellent communication and presentation skills.

DevOps

DevOps engineers are responsible for designing and implementing the infrastructure and tools that support the software development process. They work closely with developers and operations teams to automate the deployment, testing, and release of code and to monitor and maintain the systems that run the code in production. This includes tasks such as setting up and configuring continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, designing and implementing infrastructure as code, and monitoring and troubleshooting production systems. They also play a key role in building and maintaining a culture of collaboration and communication between development and operations teams. Get started with DevOps with this e-book.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a way for businesses to promote their products or services through the Internet and digital devices. This can include creating and distributing online ads, email marketing, content marketing, and social media marketing.

Digital marketers think of fun and creative ways to show people the products or services that a company has, and they use the internet to make those ideas come to life. They try to get people interested in what the company has to sell and make them want to buy it.

Do you love selling products and services? Then this might be the profession for you. With this fundamental digital marketing course, you can start immediately.

IT Support

IT support professionals help businesses troubleshoot and resolve technical issues. They work in various roles, including technical support, network support, and system administration. IT Support professionals are responsible for installing and configuring software and hardware, managing networks, and providing technical support to end users.

Product Management

Product management involves deciding what products or services a company should produce and ensuring they are made and sold correctly. This means researching what customers want, working with a team to make and design the product, and figuring out how to sell it. Like a chef developing a new recipe, ensuring the ingredients are fresh and ready to use, that it’s served on time and that it tastes good.

The product manager role is a good fit for you if you are good at organizing teams and products. This YouTube course on Introduction to Product Management is an introductory package for beginners in this field.

Software Development

Software development is the process of creating and maintaining computer programs. Software developers use programming languages to write code that instructs a computer to perform specific tasks. They are also responsible for debugging code and troubleshooting any issues. In software development, you can be a front-end developer, back-end developer or full-stack developer. Below are their responsibilities;

Front-end developer: A front-end developer creates and designs the part of a website or application that users can see and interact with. This involves using languages to create a website or application’s layout, design, and behaviour. Front-end developers work on the buttons users click, the text they read, and the images they see.
Back-end developer: A back-end developer builds and designs the part of a website or application that users can not see. This includes creating and maintaining the servers, databases, and other systems that power a website or application. Back-end developers use languages such as Java, Python, and PHP to create these systems.
Full-stack developer: The full-stack developer performs the role of both the front-end and back-end developer. In other words, full-stack developers are skilled in software development.

Software development tools can be found here. This is a good path if you are innovative and love to develop projects. Here are resources for front-end, back-end and full-stack developers.

Software Testing

Software testers are responsible for ensuring that a software program works as intended. They test the code and identify potential problems or bugs, which they then report to the developers so they can be fixed. A software tester’s duties include testing various aspects of a product before it is released to ensure that it meets quality standards and customer expectations. This includes testing functionality, usability, performance, compatibility with other applications or devices (if applicable), and security measures against threats such as viruses or malware.

Software testing is a great job option for people who enjoy finding solutions to technical challenges while collaborating with other team members. Find a full course on software testing here.

Technical writing

In technical writing, information is explained so non-specialists can easily understand it. It is used in various fields, such as science, engineering, and computer science. Technical writers use clear, simple language and lots of pictures and diagrams to help people understand the information they are writing about. They write user manuals, online help articles, or scientific papers.

If you are good at writing, editing, researching, and communicating and can understand and explain complex technical concepts in simple terms, then becoming a technical writer is for you. You can follow my blog for technical writing tutorials and updates.

UI/UX Design

UI /UX design is the design of websites and apps that are easy to use and appealing. UI stands for “user interface,” and it refers to the design and layout of a website or app’s buttons, menus, and other interactive elements. UX stands for “user experience,” and it is about designing a user’s overall experience when using a website or app. The job of a UI /UX designer is to make sure that websites and apps are not only easy to navigate but also visually appealing and provide a good experience for the user.

The qualities of a UI / UX designer include communication skills, visual communication and user empathy.

Tips for growing in your desired tech field

As you begin your journey into tech, it’s important to be consistent and climb the career ladder. You can grow in any field by following these three tips:

Keep learning and stay current: The tech industry is constantly evolving, so you must keep up to date with new technologies and trends. This may mean taking online courses or participating in continuing education programs to learn new skills. Technology and software development is constantly evolving, so it’s important to keep up with new trends and developments. This may include learning new programming languages, frameworks, and tools, as well as learning about best practices and industry standards.
Network and build relationships: A strong network of contacts in the tech industry can help find job opportunities and stay informed about new developments. Attend industry events and conferences, join online communities and forums, and make an effort to connect with other professionals in your field.
Look for new opportunities: Look for opportunities to take on additional tasks or new projects that will challenge you and help you advance in your career. This could include volunteering for leadership roles, seeking new assignments, or requesting a promotion.

Conclusion

Regardless of the career path in question, those interested in a tech career generally need to have strong problem-solving and analytical skills and the ability to work well as part of a team. Some tech professionals also have a degree in a related field, such as computer science or information technology. However, a degree is not mandatory, as many others excel without one. With the right skills and experience, tech professionals can find rewarding and lucrative careers in various industries.

I hope this article has helped you find career paths in the tech industry. Share your career path with us in the comments section or on Twitter.