Last month, I was invited by a local university (UMS) to give a talk to their students about what’s it like being in the Tech industry. I decided to share 10 insights that hopefully can help them navigate their first step into their Tech career.
1. Pay & Salary in Tech
You might have noticed that the salary range in tech industry varies quite a bit and this is influenced by the technology stack, experience and expertise required for the role. Certain skills and expertise are more sought after, thus commanding a premium. Some roles may include leadership or management responsibilities.
2. Your Value depends on the Company
Ultimately, your value will be a function of the company’s business model and your contribution. If you join a Tech company, you’ll be able to directly impact the business vs joining a non Tech company where you help improve efficiency and operations. In most cases, you get paid more when you help generate more revenue vs saving costs.
3. It’s not all about code
A common misconception is that a tech career revolve around coding and programming. This is not true and even Software Engineers spent a lot of their time doing non-coding things like documentation, meetings, collaboration and waiting.
There are also many types of roles in companies that benefits from your technical know-how. You can go into Product, Operations, Security, Data and Infrastructure just to name a few. Other than your technical skills, don’t neglect “soft” skills like communication, collaboration and leadership which are just as important.
4. Many paths to specialize
Even if you prefer to focus on coding, there are many options to choose from as technology is ever evolving. You could progress by staying on the Technical track as an individual contributor or switching over to the Management track to manage teams and departments.
5. It’s all about teamwork
In Tech, most of us will be working in a team and it may consists of people from different expertise and skill sets. These cross-functional teams tend to work better as it brings different perspectives to the table and reduce dependencies needed to get things done. Even if you do happen to work alone, always consider your superior / manager as part of your team and stay aligned.
6. Working Styles
You’ll also be introduced to concepts like Agile, Scrum and Kanban (most likely all 3), which are different ways of working together and getting things done. The idea of these frameworks are to help us adapt to change and scale up.
7. Constant Learning
With software eating the world, every company is a tech company. Coupled with consumer expectations of relentless new technological advancement, a career in tech requires you to accept that learning is the only constant. Never stop learning.
8. Priorities
Since everyone is expecting something new from tech, there will always be conflicting priorities to work on. Stay flexible, adaptable and agile. Keeping everyone on the same page will go a long way in staying aligned towards the goal.
9. It will be challenging
Almost everything in tech goes through the Hype Cycle and contributes to the struggles of the industry. Every new breakthrough goes through a cycle of inflated expectations and disillusionment before settling down. It’s very easy to get caught up with all the shiny things and drink the kool-aid.
10. Outsized Impact
Despite everything, technology have the potential to solve humanity’s biggest crisis like the climate/energy crisis. It could also help us undo the looming mental health crisis, which were caused by technology to a certain extent. If you are looking to make an impact in this world, a career in technology is one you should consider.
My aim for this talk was to hopefully shine some light on what a career in Technology is about and to enforce the message that this path can be extremely fulfilling and meaningful. If you want to share the slides with others, use this link https://bit.ly/expect-tech-career.
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