Jobs for Career Change
Changing careers and setting off on a new career path can be extremely daunting, especially if it involves transitioning to a completely new field. Luckily, with the right amount of support and determination, the light at the end of the tunnel can be more rewarding than you think.
The tech industry is one of the hottest sectors in the market these days. With so many career options and entry routes, tech jobs are very appealing to people hoping to start down a new career path. Read on to learn everything you know about the most appealing jobs for career changers and how to make the transition.
When Is It Time to Make a Career Change?
Changing careers will affect many areas of your life, so it is a decision that requires a great deal of planning and consideration. To help you decide, we have compiled a list of some common signs it might be time to consider changing career fields.
1. You feel trapped in your current job
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No one expects to be happy 100 percent of the time in their career, but sometimes the small frustrations and bad days grow to the point where you start to feel trapped. If your negative thoughts about your current role greatly outway the positives, a change might help.
2. You’ve lost motivationÂ
Losing motivation is very common, and it can happen for several reasons. Not all of them mean that you should give up on your current industry. Factors like an unpleasant work environment, a bad boss, or general boredom, can often be solved by switching companies rather than pursuing a whole new career direction.
On the other hand, if you have lost your passion for what you do, and no longer feel motivated to succeed in your current career, a bigger change and new career goals might be necessary for your mental health.
3. There’s no opportunity for growth
If you have reached the point in your current career where there is nothing left to strive for, it will be hard to remain motivated and interested in the work. If you feel that you don’t have opportunities for growth at your current position, and you’d like to have a new challenge, it might be the perfect time to look for another profession.
3 Reasons Why You Should Make a Career Change into Tech
There are a lot of factors to consider when looking into alternative careers. If some of those factors for you involve increasing your current salary, a new challenge, or more advancement opportunities, a career in tech might be perfect for you. There is such a wide variety of job roles in the tech world, almost anyone can find one to fit their interests.
1. You need a higher salary
If you’re not happy with your current salary, tech careers like computer programming and full stack development are known for being well paid because the skills are in such high demand across so many industries. Moving into these roles requires preparation and effort, but with the right knowledge base, landing a position with a high annual salary is definitely within reach.
2. Work-life Balance
According to a recent survey conducted by FlexJobs, one of the most common reasons people switch to tech careers is because of work-life balance. Most computer scientists regularly work from home and some work 100 percent remotely. Being able to create your own boundaries between your personal life and professional life can be great for your mental health.
3. More Job Opportunities
Since there is always a demand for tech talent, companies are willing to pay more for tech experts and will offer opportunities for career advancement. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), computer scientists will experience an increased demand of 15 percent from 2019 to 2029.
10 High-Paying Tech Jobs for Career ChangersÂ
The tech industry is a great place to start if you’re looking to make a career change, even if you are starting at an entry-level position. The sector has a high employment rate and incredibly diverse job opportunities. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the highest-paid tech careers and look at how you can transition to them.
1. Data Analyst
- Median Salary: $86,200
- Job Outlook: 25%
A data analyst is a research professional with a high average salary who utilizes raw data to discover meaningful insights that can be used for decision-making. The job duties of a data analyst include collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data to find trends and patterns. They then share their discoveries with other members of their team through data visualization.
Career changers from a finance or science background will have an easier time transitioning to this position because they’ll already understand fundamental math and statistics concepts and have excellent organizational skills. You can become a data analyst with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, attending a coding bootcamp, or an online course.
2. Digital Marketing
- Median Salary: $141,490
- Job Outlook: 6%
Digital marketing is another in-demand and high-paying career. The average salary for those working in advertising and marketing is $141,490 and is likely to be higher for digital marketing managers. It’s perfect for those who are passionate about mass communication, social media management, market research, and advertising.
To succeed in this position, you must have good attention to detail, exceptional communication skills, and strong problem-solving skills. A digital marketing professional’s primary duties will require them to understand market trends, and basic marketing concepts like crowd segregation, developing strategies, and how to monitor their performance.
3. Web Development
- Median Salary: $77,200
- Job Outlook: 8%
A web developer is an IT professional who builds online platforms from scratch. They develop the backend and front end structure of a website by using programming languages like HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and SQL.
Web development is highly in-demand and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future, according to BLS statistics. To succeed in this role you need a combination of good technical knowledge and exceptional communication skills.
How to Change Careers into Tech: A Step-by-Step Guide
Everyone has to make their own path when they are working on a career pivot, but there are a few common steps you’re likely to need to take if you are hoping to find your dream job in the tech industry.
1. Earn a College Degree
Having an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree can open many doors in your career regardless of your profession. Gaining a school diploma will demonstrate you have a foundational level of education and prove to employers that you are serious about your career choice.
However, getting a college degree or higher from a traditional educational institution can sometimes be more expensive than it’s worth. It’s worth looking into alternative education pathways for your chosen career path, especially if you already have a few years of work experience to bolster your resume.
2. Join a Coding Bootcamp
Formal training can be a great way to break into tech. However, for midlife career changers, it might be challenging to go through a four-year college to get an advanced degree. If you want to gain skills in a shorter period of time, attending a bootcamp might be a better option for your career transition.
Coding bootcamps are short-term job training programs that give you extensive experience with in-demand tech skills. You can learn the skills to quickly become a software developer, project manager, data scientist, market researcher, or digital marketer.
These job training programs are different from formal training because they often take less than a year to complete, and only cost $13,500 on average. In addition, several bootcamps offer job placement assistance to help you start your career as soon as you complete your program.
Remember that graduating from a bootcamp instead of gaining a traditional degree doesn’t mean the jobs available to you will have lower base salaries. The average salary after completing a coding bootcamp program is around $70,000.
3. Work on Your Own ProjectsÂ
Before applying for a job, you can strengthen your resume by working on your own projects. This will provide you with something to add to your portfolio that will show employers you have some relevant experience. Depending on the career you are interested in, you might want to create your own website, or build your brand on a social media channel.
4. Submit Your Resume
Once you are fully trained in your new career and have projects to show on your resume, you can start job searching. Networking will be a great help in your journey, so try to stay active on LinkedIn, and attend tech-related events and meetups.
Tech Jobs for Career Change FAQ
Before you start a major career change, you will want to contemplate your current role, and determine what needs to change for you to feel that you have a meaningful career. If a major change is in order, the best place to start is to evaluate your current skills to decide what other career fields they might be useful in.
It is never too late to make a major career change. Talents you have picked up in your current job, such as problem-solving skills and writing skills, can be more transferable into new fields than you may realize. Many employers value life experience and transferable skills, so never limit yourself by thinking that you’re too old.
There isn’t a specific formula to determine how hard your transition will be. It’ll depend on several different factors like what career you are transitioning into, your finances, and family support.
Yes, not having extensive industry experience doesn’t have to be a limitation for you. There are many resources online for you to gain the skills employers are looking for, and not all jobs come with a degree requirement. Many hiring committees in the tech world care more about your skills than your job history.
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