4 answers
Zach
Student
Grafton, Ohio
4
Questions
Asked
575 views
Is technology a good field to get invested in?
I'm a sophomore student athlete interested in building technology. Any job recommendations in that field would be helpful.
#Technology
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4 answers
James Panetti
Technical Writer
2
Answers
Carrollton, Texas
Updated
James’s Answer
I can second Tony's answer -- There's definitely been an uptick in banking demand for technology professionals. When I worked at CA Technologies and later Broadcom, one of the top bank brands was one of our biggest customers who invested heavily in software development. Tony is spot-on in mentioning insurance as well. When I worked at Oracle, they were in the middle of expanding into insurance software.
A lot will depend on what type of tech job you aim to start with. If you're interested in building technology by actually creating it from scratch, then programming can lead you into many companys' product development or quality assurance (QA)/testing teams. Also note that QA is a good jumping-on point for new coders that can lead into full software development roles down the road.
If you're starting off more as a technology generalist, then you will likely start in technical support. I spent 16 years in tech support before moving into tech writing, so I can confidently say: be very cautious if you go that route: support engineers are usually heavily overworked and underpaid and you will find yourself working many long weekends on "pager duty" for emergency calls. That said, if you're diligent and can stomach it for a time, you'll gain experience in a wide variety of technology very quickly. The first couple of years can actually be fun and exciting in that regard. Just make sure you treat the support position as a temporary stepping stone, because the longer you work in support, the less likely any other company will hire you for anything other than support. (I made the jump out of support myself, but it took a titanic effort to do so.)
That said, as long as you tread carefully and keep your "eyes on the prize" so to speak -- i.e. stay focused on your longer-term career goals, you can navigate the tech landscape just fine and eventually score a both well-paying and well-satisfying job -- possibly faster than you might expect. A lot of us eventually break out and go freelance too!
Most importantly, never stop asking yourself what it is exactly you want to create. Let that question guide you throughout your career. Even if you don't have a clear answer yet, you will soon enough.
A lot will depend on what type of tech job you aim to start with. If you're interested in building technology by actually creating it from scratch, then programming can lead you into many companys' product development or quality assurance (QA)/testing teams. Also note that QA is a good jumping-on point for new coders that can lead into full software development roles down the road.
If you're starting off more as a technology generalist, then you will likely start in technical support. I spent 16 years in tech support before moving into tech writing, so I can confidently say: be very cautious if you go that route: support engineers are usually heavily overworked and underpaid and you will find yourself working many long weekends on "pager duty" for emergency calls. That said, if you're diligent and can stomach it for a time, you'll gain experience in a wide variety of technology very quickly. The first couple of years can actually be fun and exciting in that regard. Just make sure you treat the support position as a temporary stepping stone, because the longer you work in support, the less likely any other company will hire you for anything other than support. (I made the jump out of support myself, but it took a titanic effort to do so.)
That said, as long as you tread carefully and keep your "eyes on the prize" so to speak -- i.e. stay focused on your longer-term career goals, you can navigate the tech landscape just fine and eventually score a both well-paying and well-satisfying job -- possibly faster than you might expect. A lot of us eventually break out and go freelance too!
Most importantly, never stop asking yourself what it is exactly you want to create. Let that question guide you throughout your career. Even if you don't have a clear answer yet, you will soon enough.
Dexter Arver
Senior Manager, Web Applications
232
Answers
San Jose, California
Updated
Dexter’s Answer
Hey Zach,
I worked with lots of IT people and I would say that communication in IT is a great field to get started in. There are so many companies that need help and guidance using things like Slack or MS Teams that I think it'd be a great start to an IT/Communications career. Of course, I would only recommend this if you enjoyed helping others will communications and if you're interested in corporate/enterprise communications.
No one knows the future, but given that most of our troubles as human beings are due to communication, being an expert in communication tools will prove you invaluable for years to come. Good luck!
--
Dexter
I worked with lots of IT people and I would say that communication in IT is a great field to get started in. There are so many companies that need help and guidance using things like Slack or MS Teams that I think it'd be a great start to an IT/Communications career. Of course, I would only recommend this if you enjoyed helping others will communications and if you're interested in corporate/enterprise communications.
No one knows the future, but given that most of our troubles as human beings are due to communication, being an expert in communication tools will prove you invaluable for years to come. Good luck!
--
Dexter
Tony Frank
Sales Professional
4
Answers
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Updated
Tony’s Answer
Just cuz we are both in Ohio....Progressive Insurance is one of the most progressive(sorry, but true), leading edge technology companies in Ohio, the midwest and frankly most of the US besides Silicon Valley. Banks and Insurance tend to be good IT industries...
Chitra Dharmarajan
CyberSecurity Leader
6
Answers
San Ramon, California
Updated
Chitra’s Answer
As a sophomore, I recommend you to apply for software internships in companies for summer 2021. This is the right time to tap internship opportunities, which will give you an exposure. If you are determined to build career in technology, try to align your coursework accordingly. If your college does not offer relevant course work, try with Udemy / Youtube. Lot of resources & self-teaching is the best way to learn
a) A programming language ( Go Programming / Rust Programming is in high demand today). Most tutorials are available for free
b) A good bootcamp of operating systems ( Linux tutorials - plenty available in YouTube)
c) Stay aware of all the technology happenings. I recommend tuning your Google News feed to fill you in with relevant news info
d) Once you do the above, enroll in hackerrank / leetcode and keep sharpening your programming skills.
A resume with a hackerrank score is much desired in the market.
You have a lot of time to prepare for real job market. With good motivation, nothing is impossible
a) A programming language ( Go Programming / Rust Programming is in high demand today). Most tutorials are available for free
b) A good bootcamp of operating systems ( Linux tutorials - plenty available in YouTube)
c) Stay aware of all the technology happenings. I recommend tuning your Google News feed to fill you in with relevant news info
d) Once you do the above, enroll in hackerrank / leetcode and keep sharpening your programming skills.
A resume with a hackerrank score is much desired in the market.
You have a lot of time to prepare for real job market. With good motivation, nothing is impossible