The rising demand for non-tech workers in tech companies
It’s no secret that tech companies are expanding their operations across the world. Many of these companies have earned reputations as great places to work, with high salaries, great corporate perks, and prestige as well. But they’ve also earned reputations as companies for tech workers only: software engineers, data scientists, solutions architects, and the like.
But according to a recently released Glassdoor report, that’s far from the case. In fact, over half (54 percent) of the jobs at tech companies are non-technical roles.
As the tech industry has matured, so has its workforce. As tech companies grow, they need to hire sales and marketing teams to transform technology into revenue. As they expand into new office locations, they need operations teams. For job seekers, this means that you don’t have to be a software engineer in order to get a job at a tech company — they are hiring non-tech workers too.
Top tech companies hiring non-tech workers
Before you start sending out job applications to every tech company you know, though, be advised — some employers are hiring more non-tech workers than others. Among the employers with the most open roles for non-tech employees are:
- Salesforce: 83% non-tech roles
- SAP: 66% non-tech roles
- Oracle: 55% non-tech roles
- Amazon: 55% non-tech roles
That being said, nearly every tech company you look at will have at least some non-technical roles, so if you’re particularly interested in one, it never hurts to look at their open jobs!
Tech isn’t a mystery
Like any other skill, tech skills can be learned on the job. These days, a lot of job training is done informally, through observation, interactions with co-workers, and hands-on projects.
In tech, you’ll get all three. Smart people with good learning skills can apply for any job, especially entry-level jobs. Most tech companies are always seeking candidates for positions in business intelligence. Think project managers, product developers, or business analysts. These positions are great ways to leverage your current skills and learn more tech-specific ones on the job.
You won’t be another cog in the machine
The number one benefit of working in technology is the ability to create products and solutions that impact many people’s lives – all in a short period of time.
Generally, tech is a younger industry, which impacts its culture. If you snag employment in one of the major tech hubs – San Francisco, New York, Boston, London, Tel Aviv – there is a powerful networking community and a breadth of social activity in which to be involved. You’ll truly be part of a community.
No one has experience in their first job
Many companies hire people because of their great execution skills in the first place. Such skills rarely can be learned. Experience, on the other side, can be gained.
If you’re smart, curious, interested to learn, and have been a hard worker in your non-tech background (or not have any yet at all) you should definitely try to land your first job in tech. For many companies, it makes sense to make an investment in developing an employee’s experience in exchange for talent.
For example, many people start working in tech sales without experience, but with the ability to convince the recruiter that they can take the risk, self-assess, improve, and, therefore, be successful in what they’re doing. Before searching for work, many prefer to join tech sales training like the one that Uvaro provides. But even without any prior training, most learn by getting constant feedback on how they’re doing – lots of chances to improve.
All hiring persons need to see is that candidate is smart, has fast learning skills, and strong execution abilities.
Get your foot in the door
If you’d like to land your next job at a tech company, here are 3 quick tips:
- Do some self-learning. There are plenty of resources out there to help you learn basic tech skills on your own. MOOCs and other online courses can help you to build a repository of the basic information you can showcase on your resume. But remember, there are many non-tech jobs at tech startups that may be a better fit for you. Consider marketing, social media, finance, accounting, or human resources.
- Be aggressive. You need to showcase your desire to hop into tech. That may mean going above and beyond in the hiring process by turning in a video or infographic resume, attending networking events, or setting up informational interviews with executives you admire. Be loud about your desire to join the industry and people will notice.
- Agree to lower wages – at first. Building tech skills takes time. The industry is worth billions, sure, but you can’t expect a high starting salary out of the gate. While you should always be paid fair wages, expect them to be lower until you learn and master the skills you need.
Tech offers a great opportunity to get involved in a booming, creative, and fulfilling industry. Even if you don’t have the current skills, there’s nothing stopping you from gaining them. So get out. Make the tech revolution work for you. What are you waiting for?
