How to Start a Tech Career in Less Than a Year

Benefits of choosing a tech career

Before we get into how to start a tech career in less than a year, let’s discuss the benefits of starting a career in tech:

1. Remote work available – For many jobs in tech, you can work from home. This is beneficial for many reasons: you can work for a company that is outside your commutable range and expand your opportunities for employment, have schedule flexibility, and work from the comfort of your own home. 
2. Location – Alternatively, if you like to work from an office, there are many different cities that tech giants are moving their quarters to. This presents an opportunity to move to a specific place for a job opportunity or opens up opportunities for you as tech companies move nationwide. Some companies, if they hire you, will even pay to have you relocate to their location.
3. Flexibility – Many tech careers offer you the flexibility to work on your own time. You can do freelance work and work entirely on your own schedule, or work for a company that doesn’t restrict you to typical 9-5 hours. Of course, this isn’t accurate for every company, but it is more likely in this career than others.
4. Opportunities to move up – As the tech industry expands, more and more opportunities to grow within your career arise. Even if you start your tech career with an entry-level position, with the right mindset, mentors, and tenacity you can move up the ladder.
5. Industry advancement – The tech industry is not going anywhere and it’s  only moving forward. As the industry advances, opportunities arise for everyone working within the sector. Now is a great time to start your career and advance with the tech industry.

Do you need a 4 year degree?

No, not really. Companies in the tech industry are more interested in what candidates have to offer them than the degree  obtained. Tech giants such as Google and Amazon no longer require their employees to have a college degree, with many other companies following suit. However, this does not mean that potential hires don’t need to have the knowledge. Training is still required in order to learn the skills that companies want to see in order to start a tech career. Fear not, because you can still get the training and start a career in tech in less than a year. How, you may ask? Let’s talk about it. 

Starting a tech career in less than a year

Choose an area of tech that interests you – Your career is (ideally) for life, so make sure whatever you choose interests you. Do some research on different areas of the tech industry in order to find what part you’d like to contribute to. Some popular careers in tech are:

1. Software Engineer – This is probably one of the more recognizable tech careers. Software engineers do everything involving software, from developing, designing, coding, and building software applications. This is a broad job, and one that can be done in the office or remotely. To become a software engineer, you should be proficient in programming languages like Java, Javascript, and Python.
2. Mobile Application Developer – Mobile devices become more and more capable each day, and become even more of a tool for companies to use for communication and other work duties. Mobile application developers are needed constantly, and could be a lucrative career choice for someone creative and passionate about software development. Learning programming languages such as C and Swift, along with iOS development and Agile development are all skills that will help in training for your new career. 
3. Data Scientist – Data scientists use machine learning to analyze data and predict future data. This role is invaluable to many tech companies. Because machine learning is developing, so is the role of the data scientist. If things like making data sets, identifying issues in data analytics, and all things large data interest you, a future in data science might be a good choice. In order to be a data scientist, you must know programming languages like R, Python, and SLQ, as well as being familiar with data mining techniques.
4. Cyber Security – Every company who exists online needs protection from hackers. The more company data that exists online, the more valuable it is to have someone to protect unwanted visitors from stealing information. That is the primary role of cyber security specialists – keeping a company’s information safe. This ranges from analyzing a company and making security recommendations to responding to new security threats. You can become a cyber security analyst by completing a cyber security degree or completing different certifications such as the Security+ CompTIA certification or the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Get the training – After you decide what tech career interests you, you should look into a way to train on the skills:

1. Training program – There are tons of training programs out there. From two-year and four-year degrees, bootcamps, and certified programs, there are many options for you to choose from. Different careers require different levels of training, so it’s important to spend some time finding a training program that works with your schedule and level of training necessary. 
2. Apprenticeship – Apprenticeships are a great way to get training and start your career in less than a year. As apprenticeships become a more popular way to find talent in the tech industry, more opportunities arise for specific jobs. WOZ U participates in a federally recognized apprenticeship program that matches talent with employers. This option is great for someone who wants to learn and gain real world experience at the same time and start a tech career in far less than a year. 

Interview process – Perhaps the most intimidating part of starting a career is the initial job search and interviewing process. To prepare for the interview process, you should make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date, and you are an active participant on

the platform. Starting this process while you are in the training program will help you prepare for the job application process so that by the time you’re finished with the training, you can find a job in no time and start working your job in tech. in less than a year from when you started training. If you participate in an apprenticeship, you ideally will be offered a position at its conclusion. Otherwise, you will have that experience to add to your resume, and of course your LinkedIn profile!

WOZ U

WOZ U offers hands-on training in many different sections of tech. In addition to the training programs, eligible candidates can apply for the Woz Registered Apprenticeship Program and train for a career in while working within different apprenticeship opportunities. To learn more about training for tech skills with WOZ U and one of our partners, click here.