Non-Technical Jobs That Could Get You A Foot In The Door To IT
If you want to work in IT, you may think that the best way to do this would be to go to university and get a degree in Computer Science. However, not everyone leaves school with the idea of working in tech. Some people don’t realise that they want a career in IT until later down the line. So if this sounds like you, you should know that various roles are easier to make the leap from. Want to find out more? Keep on reading to find out about some of the best non-technical jobs that will help you get a foot in the door to IT.
Product Manager
Product Managers identify customers’ needs and match them with the objectives that a product will help a company achieve. One of the unique skills of a Product Manager is the ability to articulate how the product will be successful and motivate a team to bring it to life.
As a Product Manager, you might talk about profit and loss, handle statements, forecast future developments and market a potential project. At the same time, you must understand a lot of technical jargon to communicate what the developers and programmers in the company are trying to tell you about the upcoming milestones.
Suppose you couple the extensive tech vocabulary you probably already have with your current exposure to technological development. Doing so will put you in an excellent position to transition to the world of Information Technology.
If you want to get your foot in the door and increase your chances of securing a technical role, it could be worth pursuing a technical degree alongside your current job. This is one of the best ways for you to impress hiring managers.
Visual Designer
The role of a Visual Designer exists in many different sectors. You may find a Visual Designer in nearly every industry imaginable, from styling clothing to email marketing and even construction.
Most Visual Designers use very powerful software to do their jobs. Working with such a program doesn’t mean that you have a tech role, but it can be an excellent launchpad to transition from.
Visual Designers can easily move into User Experience roles for mobile apps and software. Working in the sector of user experiences and UX design also makes it very easy for you to get into almost any IT role, so it is a fantastic way for you to transition.
Operations Manager
An Operations Manager is someone a company trusts to tie everything together. As an Operations Manager, you will be responsible for strategy, team members, and budgeting. At the same time, you will oversee a company’s day-to-day operations.
Let’s say you are an Operations Manager in a food store. You may not have much exposure to tech in your current job, but you can easily transition the skills you have into a more technical role. Even in food retail, you will likely oversee many subordinate tech roles. Doing so enables you to absorb information about IT, priming you for a potential career in tech in the future.
It is not uncommon to see an Operations Manager transition to a Marketing Operations Manager with professional certifications in Technical Support.
Account Manager
Every business depends on customers, and it is usually the Account Manager’s job to make these connections. Account Managers need to have fantastic people skills and be good at solving problems. Account Managers might work in non-tech roles but can gain a lot of exposure to tech.
For example, if you sell tech products, then try and develop a deeper understanding of the inner workings of those products. The knowledge you gain by studying the finer details will make you better at your job and help you transition from an Account Manager to a working IT professional.
You may find that you can also develop a lot of software experience this way, which many software development companies require.
Project Manager
Even though there are a lot of similarities between a Project Manager and a Product Manager, it is essential to know that the two are entirely different jobs. The main distinguishing factor is how long each role engages with a project.
A Product Manager will be primarily responsible for a product for however long it is around. For some systems, that may end up defining their career. That said, Project Managers know that the defining aspect of the project is the date that it ends, and they schedule this even before the product launch.
This somewhat temporary nature means that those who work as Project Managers will work on various ventures throughout their job, each offering a different level of exposure to the tech environment. Focusing on tech initiatives will give you the launchpad you need to transition from a job in Project Management to career paths in IT, even if it is a tech job with an entry-level position.
Technical Writer
Any company with a prime focus on marketing tech products or services will usually write their own product guides or user manuals. Tech Writers have to be skilled enough to absorb all the correct specs and then convert that knowledge into straightforward and easy to understand instructions.
Tech writers can have a background in IT, but this is not always the case. Companies often hire tech writers who do not have any formal training, as they presume they can provide a more relatable experience to readers.
So if you’re a writer but not from a technical background, positioning yourself as a writing expert can help you make the leap into a more IT-centric role. In your current role, you may find that to help yourself, you can ask for more complex projects and then use them according to your technical knowledge and your skillset. You never know; you may be able to use your writing skills in developing computer programs, so the possibilities are truly endless for a Technical Writer.
A Few Final Thoughts on Non-Technical Jobs That Could Get You A Foot In The Door To IT
One of the main problems faced by employers in the IT industry today is that they have more vacancies than there are workers to fill them. Therefore, employers are having to think outside of the box and consider applicants from non-technical backgrounds.
So, next time you’re surfing the job boards, don’t underestimate your suitability for a vacancy in the IT sector. It’s likely you have valuable transferrable skills to offer and a fresh perspective to bring to the table.
So after reading this article, are you keen to find out whether the non-tech skills you have might be transferrable to an IT role? If so, having a conversation with an IT recruitment consultant is an excellent place to start.
This article was first published on the Adria Solutions blog.
