A good career path is one that can survive catastrophes. Take COVID-19 for example. Its first onslaught caused employees to lose their jobs due to the pandemic. On the other hand, some of the businesses and employees that held on to their jobs opted for telecommuting. Remember when we had to use our laptops, tablets, including smartphones to maintain social distancing?
Technology can survive catastrophes. More than that, it has also revolutionized a lot of industries. It opened more opportunities, like working from home to save time and money wasted on commuting or being stuck in traffic. Hence, the question is this: Is technology a good career path?
Why is Technology a Good Career Path?
Businesses that adopted technology have enjoyed the benefits that it offered them. From improving sales to managing loads of data, technology is a great tool for reaching your business goals. Given the question above, let’s discuss why technology is the best option when seeking a career path. A lot of young professionals are pursuing it—find out why you should, too.
Advantages of a Career Path in Technology
A career path like technology has a lot in store for job seekers. Unlike other industries, technology will remain relevant in our lives and in most industries. Here are more reasons you should pursue technology as a career path:
Numerous Career Opportunities
A lot of companies aim to improve their tech facilities. This is because technology offers vast possibilities in business sectors. This results in high demand for tech-related careers. However, it also requires a lot from businesses, too. Its fast-paced growth requires the same among those who want to enjoy its benefits. Thus, they need to hire a lot of tech specialists. This, in turn, produces a lot of career opportunities. You will never worry about running out of jobs to apply for.
Good Pay Awaits
Businesses have high returns on investment when adopting technology. It plays a large role in improving their sales. You may have noticed yourself buying a lot of products online, unlike when you’re in a physical store. This makes it easier for consumers to purchase services or products. They want people to make that happen. Thus, good pay awaits tech specialists.
Relatively More Affordable Education
We all know how costly studying medicine and law is. Unlike these disciplines, however,, a tech-related course is not as costly. There are a lot of options available when starting a career in the industry. One option is taking an associate’s degree. Another is taking up an online course. A bachelor’s degree is an option too.
Conversely, you can also train these skills all by yourself. A lot of videos and reading materials are available online. Finally, having a good internship experience related to technology is a plus. With these, you can build a portfolio to showcase what you have learned to your employers.
Related Article: Career Advice for High School Students: The Key to Achieving Career Goals
Fast Career Growth
Technology has a fast-track movement in its growth. Hence, pursuing a career in tech requires you to keep up with its pacing. In other industries, career growth usually takes a while. However, there is rapid career growth in technology. Its fast-paced improvement means the same thing for its specialists.
Disadvantages of a Career Path in Technology
Are you getting interested in this path? If yes, then I am glad that you are. Now, a job seeker should also be ready for the disadvantages that might dissuade them. Here are a few of the things you should look out for when getting a job in technology.
Stereotyping Professionals in the Field
Stereotyping is prevalent among professionals in the field. You might have seen or observed it when people ask tech professionals to fix their computers. Some even ask to hack their partner’s Facebook account.
Irregular Work Hours
A work-from-home setup in the field is common. But, you may see many irregular work hours. This is because some workloads are unpredictable, regardless of the weight of the task. Some employers tend to forget the boundaries of their working hours. This is because of the accessibility that the remote setup offers.
Output-Driven Workload
You will take on a lot of tasks that involve innovation because the industry will require you to do so. There would be regular updates to keep up with the fast-paced growth. Behind it are developers who are working to keep your applications running smoothly. Maintaining optimization requires employees to become output-driven.
Unpredictable Workload
Computer systems are so complicated. It could be difficult to isolate problems. This does the same in finding the right fix. But sometimes the work may not be as tedious. Sometimes, errors go away once a device restarts. Most bugs may seem to share patterns. But in most cases, the fixes are different. Times like these will require lots of patience.
How to Start a Career Path in Technology
Tech-industry jobs probably have the easiest entrance as a career path. There are so many options to choose from. It may be harder to decide on which track to conquer, rather than the application process itself.
Here are a few steps you can start with in starting your path in technology. It does not matter if you are fresh out of college—including those who have been working for a while. This step-by-step guide will assist you in jumpstarting your tech career.
1. Do your research.
It is important to take notes of the factors that comprise the careers available. This way, you can assess which job position fit your knowledge and skills best. You can incorporate your former job experiences. You can do the same with your related courses in college.
2. Take online courses.
Any user of the internet can choose from a variety of massive open online courses or MOOCs, with focus on technology. Among the few courses that have pioneered the area are EdX, Udacity, Udemy, and Coursera.
Are you a working employee who may need flexibility in studying? Taking an online course is your best option. It allows self-paced learning to accommodate students like you.
Check out this list of free online certifications that might interest you to fortify your job credentials.
3. Build your portfolio.
Building the right portfolio is essential in your tech career. This gives your future employers a visualization of your skills.
Applying the practices and skills in technology may help you jumpstart your career. Having a portfolio can showcase your skills efficiently. It will help your employers see what you can offer.
Related Article: What is LinkedIn: A Job Seeker’s Guide in Navigating this Professional Networking Site
4. Learn relevant skills and experience.
Have you been an employee for a while now? Your established skills and experience may help you in your tech career. Technology is a well-rounded industry. Your experience may help you when pursuing a job position.
Are you coming from a different industry? If you are, you can check out this article on career change for practical tips on seamless integration into a new field.
Is Technology a Good Career Path: Careers in Technology
As an in-demand industry, technology requires strong skill set from job hopefuls looking to thrive in this career. Among the several jobs in technology, here are top three fields an entry-level job seeker can consider.
1. Data Science
Walmart became successful in its industry because of data science. They assess patterns in consumer behavior, while also conducting research and analysis from the observed data. Later on, the results of the study helped them improve sales. Under data science, job seekers can pursue entry-level positions which include data analyst, database developer, data scientist. An experience in the marketing industry may help your career in tech as a data scientist.
Average Salary
Good pay awaits those who pursue data science. Its importance in high-profile companies also predicts an increase in their pay because of the high demand among data scientists. In fact, according to PayScale, the average salary of a data scientist is around $69,000 to $136,000.
Educational Requirements
Normally, it requires a bachelor’s degree in data science for you to be qualified. Nonetheless, a related program in the field will also do. In cases such as these, take courses that focus more on the career.
2. Web and Mobile Development
Our reliance on modern devices offers a lot of job vacancies in web and mobile development. We use phones and laptops for almost everything, making them a necessity in the 21st century. Thus, there is a high demand for web and mobile development.
The pandemic has made the remote work setup the norm. This has made us more reliant on our devices. A lot of services became available in the palm of our hands, too.
Average Salary
According to PayScale, the average salary of mobile developers is ranging from $74,311 to $92,246 depending on the expertise. Moreover, the average salary of web developers is around $57,449 to $83,489.
Educational Requirements
You can pursue development with any type of training. There is no requirement for formal education when pursuing a job in this industry, though there are bachelor’s and associate’s degrees related to it. These include online courses that will equip you with the needed skills.
3. Information Technology
Information technology offers a wide variety of opportunities. It is involved in many computer systems, such as transactions, management, information, and others. This career plays a big role in growing businesses because of its ability to arrange huge chunks of data. Traditionally, these tedious tasks waste money and time.
Average Salary
According to PayScale, the average salary of an IT specialist is around $60,000 to $83,000.
Educational Requirements
A bachelor’s degree or any related course can help you become an IT specialist. While a related course will work when pursuing a career in tech, boost your confidence by taking online courses. If you are interested in expanding your expertise in the field, you can check out this list of online courses.
If you are eyeing a job opportunity in this field, you can browse our IT resume examples here for more resume writing tips to jumpstart your job search game.
Read More Expert Advice from Our Career Coaches
Going back to the central question: Is technology a good career path? Definitely! All the valuable information highlighted in this article aside, there are a lot of exciting and interesting things about forging a career in tech that await job seekers like you. For more career advice, browse our articles from Resume Professional Writers’ career experts today.
