If you’ve read any of my previous articles, it’s pretty evident that I’m what most people call a “techie” or “computer geek”. In the coming semester, I’ll be finishing up my Computer Science degree. I’ve already been active, though, because I managed to already get a job where my talents are appreciated. I’m currently working as a Web Developer, and I’m really excited to already put my experience to good use before even finishing my college degree. One thing that I’ve noticed out of the freshmen that wander into the hall where Computer Science classes are taught at Jacksonville State University are that they are all confused about how to get started in tech, as well as what actually goes on in the tech world. A lot of them tend to be the type that either wants to hack their friend’s Facebook account or they think that they have a great idea for an app and want to make it a reality. I can always tell the “average” people who have these ideas in mind when they pursue Computer Science because they think that it will be easy to just drag and drop an app into existence. On the contrary, this is one of the most difficult fields to get started in, so I want to give anyone truly interested in tech some tips to attain the skills necessary to succeed.
The best way to get started is to realize that the “tech” world is comprised of various different fields, all of which have slightly different career paths. Here are a few of them with a short description
Programmer
A programmer, or coder, is someone who can write code to execute on a computer. The programmer is usually focused on getting the program executing on a computer and not interested in high-level design.
Computer Engineer
A computer engineer is focused on designing and creating the hardware for systems to run computer code. Some may do some programming, but most are usually solely focused on designing the hardware for the system to run optimally. *Requires a college degree
IT - Computer Repair
This is the traditional idea that most people have when you tell them you work “in tech”. This is why when I say I am a Computer Science major, everyone always asks if I can fix their computers. *NOTE: This field is DEAD, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
IT - Networking
These are the guys who set up entire networks and try to make sure that packets aren’t being dropped. They are the ones responsible for getting the Internet back up when there are internal network issues. While this is a necessary job, it’s not one of the most sought-after positions.
*Requires earning certificates or a college degree
Development - App, Web, Desktop, API
Software Developers have jobs that are very similar to a programmer’s job, but there’s a subtle difference between a programmer and a developer. Developers have more of a sense for high-level design to try to maximize the programs or applications that they build. This is the most popular job because these jobs are usually jobs at the popular companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, and more.
*Requires a college degree
These are just a few of the jobs that are available in tech. There are more, and I advise anyone interested in tech to research the exact type of job that they are interested in.
Once you’ve figured out what type of job that you’re most interested in, it’s a great idea to get some insight about the type of job that you want from professionals. If you have any tech companies in the area, see if you can speak to one of their employees about the day-to-day of his or her job and try to get more of an idea of what exactly you want out of the job. Many places will allow you to job shadow and follow someone through their daily job to see exactly what an employee goes through with their job. An important thing to keep in mind about tech jobs is that, while tech jobs offer the highest employee satisfaction, in most cases it’s also a high-stress environment. It’s best to try to select something that you will be most comfortable with to minimize your stress level. Also, it’s important to know whether you want to attend college or not. While in most cases it’s important, jobs like Networking can be acquired by having either certifications or a college degree.
There are some things you need in order to be successful in tech. You have to have a real drive and determination for tech and not just “like computers”. You won’t survive if you aren’t extremely passionate about it and truly enjoy it. I say this because computers can be really frustrating (even for us tech people) and if you aren’t excited about it, then you’ll give up at the first obstacle. While I wouldn’t say it’s a requirement, I would say that having a mathematical and logical mind makes it easier to understand some of the complicated computer logic. Naturally, you need a decent computer to install software or test things with. You really need to be self-sufficient, able to solve problems on your own. This is where I have to semi-joke about being an expert at Googling things, but it is truthfully a vital part of the success that I’ve had with my career already. If you don’t already have great knowledge of how to Google your problems, don’t worry, because eventually, you’ll master it if you practice enough. One of the most important things that will help you be the best developer possible will be having an extreme work ethic. Most people might think that computer geeks are lazy, but it’s quite the opposite in most cases. The best developers or computer geeks will always want to expand his or her skillset. The biggest thing that gets most people get wrong about tech is that you’ll be working alone all of the time. You’ll always have to deal with people in one way or another, so getting used to that even when you despise human interaction is vital. It also helps you think better because you can see the problems that people are going to cause with your software/hardware before you even design it. If you want to get started in tech, you have to figure out what you want and hack it until you own it.
