so you want to work in tech
Maybe you’ve seen your friend driving a new car or posting “office views” from exotic locations… but you have to admit that you’re curious about what life looks like in tech.
As a retired competitive opera singer turned full-time NetSuite consultant, I can tell you the journey isn’t always easy, but I firmly believe almost anyone can build a career in technology.
However, the hardest part is learning where to start.
One of technology's best and worst parts is that the industry is so vast and constantly changing. When folks ask me what I do… after a brief explanation, I am often waved off with a “that sounds complex and way over my head.”
I am here to tell you that it is truly not over your head. The internet has opened so many doors for so many people. After falling out of love with my passion career, opera, I have found a home in technology that has helped me build a life I love. It is flexible, yet stable. I live in a place I am proud of, I have opportunities for growth, my opinion is valued, I have space and time to learn new things, I can spend more time with people I love and care about, and I can build meaningful relationships. If you also value stability through flexibility… a life in tech may be what you are looking for.
So where do you start?
Explore. Try. Iterate.
Explore some tech’s many facets using free resources. Try some on for size through completing small courses or small projects. Iterate, an industry buzzword - meaning rise. wash. repeat.
Here are a few of my favorite resources and how to access them!
Disclaimer - I do not receive compensation or incentives for posting about these resources. These really are my favorites.
Linkedin Learning (Previously Lynda.com)
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/
Take courses on all kinds of technology, business, and creative topics. They even have learning paths and completion certificates you can add to your LinkedIn profile!
Pricing
Free through Hamilton Country Public Library when searched by Lynda.com. Check your local library’s eResources to see if you can get free access
OR
Get a subscription
Monthly subscription to LinkedIn Learning for $29.99, with the first month free as a trial period, or an annual subscription for $19.99 per month, with the first month free.
Sign up with
Your email
MIT OpenCourseWare
https://openlearning.mit.edu/courses-programs/mit-opencourseware
Take full college courses from one of the leading STEM colleges in the country. No course credit, but all the knowledge. So many options to choose from on so many different topics!
Pricing
FREE
Sign up with
No signup required
Now for a few resources in my own career area… SaaS products
SaaS stands for Software as a Service and many of these services have robust knowledge bases and training programs that train you on how to use and implement these softwares. I work with Oracle NetSuite, but through this work have come to know many of these solutions.
The certification process to be job eligible can be as simple as taking free courses and passing the certification exams. Cerification exams often cost $100-$200 to take.
Many of these do require a “business”" email to sign up. I got mine through purchasing a domain from google domains ($20/year) and adding a google workspace subscription ($6/month) for a total of ~$92/year.
Google Cloud
https://cloud.google.com/training
Microsoft
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/flexibility/training-and-certification-solutions
Adobe
https://learning.adobe.com/
Salesforce
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/career-path
Dell boomi
https://boomi.com/services/training/
Happy Learning and be on the lookout for more details on each of these resources!