How to Pivot to a Technical Role

Tech needs you. Period. Your perspective and experience can bring valuable assets to the tech industry that’s shaping the future of humanity.

But how do you transition into tech from a non-technical role? I interviewed Anna Miller, career coach and founder of Second Careers, for her best tips. Her top advice for job seekers:

Network Strategically 

“If you feel afraid to network, change your mindset from I'm bothering people to I'm helping people help me — you’ll be surprised by how much people want to help you.”

Strategic networking is connecting with people in tech so you can open conversations with companies that are hiring before you directly apply. This is a great way to get to know people, learn about specific roles, and get a better sense of whether a company is actually a good fit for you.

  • Be open to building relationships. Don't be afraid to message a lot of people at once. Aim to connect with at least 20 new people every week!

  • Be curious. Ask your connections about the day-to-day tasks, the big challenges, and who the role works with to understand how you might work with them. 

Leverage Transferable Skills 

  • Learn the lingo. Find technical terms through courses or certifications to help you apply transferable skills. For example, searching for a “Project Manager” title in tech won’t yield as many results as “Producer” even though many of the job responsibilities are the same. If you’ve already identified some transferable skills such as facilitation or people management, you could focus on finding relevant roles. 

  • Research and review job descriptions, complete relevant certification courses, and focus on essential skills for your desired roles to narrow in your job search and hone your resume. 

  • Connect with people already working in your desired roles to understand what matters most and how you can highlight your experience to bring immediate value to companies looking for talent. 

You’ll be surprised by how much people want to help you.

Level Up

  • If possible, accept contract work. Large companies often hire with a temporary contract for specific projects or limited budgets. It doesn’t always lead to a full-time position, but it can be a great opportunity to meet people and add to your resume. Some local options to find contract employment include Creative Circle and 24/7 Talent. 

  • Start a Girls Who Code club! They’ll provide you all the resources to learn computer science skills with their at home programs. No experience required. 

  • If you’re looking for a computer engineering role, consider a coding bootcamp like The Tech Academy or Thinkful. 

Tweak Your Resume

All of the information learned through strategic networking, industry language and newfound familiarity can be applied to your resumes. Yes, resumes. 

As a best practice, have one resume tailored per desired role that says why you’re a fit and why they would want to hire you. Here are both technical and non-technical resume examples. 

Find Community 

One way to learn more about taking the next step into the tech industry is to find other people who have successfully transitioned.

Which of these will you put into practice first? Whatever you choose, be sure to join the PDXWIT Slack community and join our next networking event.

 

Jana is a Technical Producer at Wizards of the Coast with a focus on human-centered design and development. She is passionate about ensuring tech and gaming are inclusive and foster belonging in their experiences.d She has been volunteering with PDXWIT since 2019. Her trusty sidekick is a 5 year old goldendoodle named Mabel.

You can find her on LinkedIn, on Instagram (@macjayallday), or on her blog.

 
Isabel J. Rodriguez