The Ultimate Guide to Breaking Into Tech
From my own experience
In the last decade, I’ve built software products at startups and public technology companies as a Product Manager. Pursuing a tech career has given me flexibility, growth, and fulfillment.
If you want the same, keep reading.
My Story
I graduated from the University of Maryland - College Park with a degree in Communication. Not a business degree, not computer science, not IT. Communication.
But I’ve always enjoyed building things.
From failed businesses to websites for my friends to flyers for parties, I enjoyed creating.
After graduation, I didn't receive any full-time job offers. So, I settled for a marketing internship and a part-time contract job while applying to hundreds of marketing positions.
Eventually, I received an offer from a marketing technology company in Maryland. But it wasn’t for marketing. The hiring manager noticed my portfolio included building websites, marketing for companies and designing logos. They asked me if I’d interview for their product management position instead of the part-time marketing role I had applied for.
At the time, I didn’t know what a product manager was. But they saw my hustle and offered to teach me.
After a few rounds of interviews, they sent me an offer!
The tech industry cares more about the value you bring than the degree you graduated in.
At the time, I was paid around fifty thousand dollars per year and lived in the Maryland suburbs with my parents to save up.
Fast forward to now. I’ve lived in NYC for the past 5 years (currently living a more nomadic lifestyle). I work for a cool company doing cool work. I earn multiple six figures. I travel the world, save and invest my income, and work remotely.
I don’t say this to brag, but to let you know that I’m one of many with similar stories.
Why This Guide is Important
At a macro level, I care about the collective wealth of the Black community. The income and wealth gap in the U.S. is only getting wider. According to the organization Prosperity Now, “By 2053, Black households will have a median wealth of zero.”
Progress can be made in two ways: earning more and saving/investing more.
With a career in tech, I’ve been able to increase my income, save more, and invest more. I know dozens of peers who have done the same. This guide will give you a starting point.
At a micro level, out of all the companies I’ve worked at, I’ve only worked with a few Black teammates. This is disheartening.
We shouldn’t be unicorns in such a transformative industry. This is especially true because we often are the consumers of the most popular products and contribute to its’ success.
There needs to be a change.
How difficult is it to break into tech?
Economy and Tech Industry: 2024
Economy
What’s going on in the economy and how does it impact the tech industry?
Interest rates were below 1% to stimulate growth for the economy (known as ZIRP) from 2008 to 2022, but now they've increased by a lot. Interest rates are currently around 5%. This means that borrowing money was very cheap, but now it’s not. When interest rates are high, investors care about cash flow more.
Despite this, the economy is strong, and the job market is strong too.
Yet, it doesn’t feel like it.
Tech Industry
Times have changed since 2021, which was the peak of hiring in tech.
Venture capital funding has decreased significantly.
Big tech companies are laying off employees despite high profits.
The job market is challenging.
The high interest rates are causing big tech companies to cut costs. They are doing this to increase profits. They care less about high growth and more about cash flow.
These factors directly impact the job market.
Can I break into tech without a technical background?
Short answer: Yes. I did! And I know many who have too.
But it’s not easy. Simply acquiring new skills doesn’t matter as much as your usefulness to a company.
Having the skills to do the job is a baseline. Are you helping to bring them money or save them money?
They don’t care about your skills; they care about the results you will deliver.
“Learn to sell, learn to build. If you can do both, you'll be unstoppable.” - Naval Ravikant
Steps to Break into Tech
Step 0: Change your Mindset
Change your mindset, change your life
Whatever situation you’re in at work or financially, there are many ways out of it. It starts with believing that you can do it.
Getting into tech and working my way up wasn’t easy. I lacked a technical background, certifications, and a graduate degree.
But, looking back, I see there’s a simple formula. And the formula starts with a concept known as “Be. Do. Have.”
When I first started, I read many books and listened to a lot of podcasts. I did this to become the kind of person who could work in tech and earn more money. I adopted a “growth mindset," and no longer wished for a job in tech, but I became the person I needed to be.
Then I took the steps that were necessary to get a new job. Anyone can give you the steps to achieve your goals. But, if your mindset stays the same and you don't change, your situation won’t change.
Another helpful mindset shift for me was viewing the companies I work for as a partnership.
I no longer work for my company; I work with them. They give me a salary, equity, and benefits in exchange for the value I bring to the table to grow their business.
That’s the partnership in its simplest form. They can end the partnership at any time. But so can I.
Step 1: What do you want?
The questions below are just a few categories to help you better define what it is you want from your tech career. Many people have asked me how to get a career in tech, but they don’t know what they want!
The first step is knowing what you want so you can develop a plan to get it.
Location
Are you willing to relocate?
The best jobs are in major tech hubs. They include Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, and San Francisco.
Yes, those areas cost more to live in, but you get paid much more. And there are ways to keep your expenses low enough to have a healthy income to savings ratio.
Compensation
Do you want to make $70K? $100K? $150K? $200K? What’s your number?
Keep in mind, salary is important, but there’s more to it than that. Think about 401K matches, stock options, RSUs, and commuter benefits.
These are all extra ways of getting paid. They are part of a compensation package.
Checkout Levels.fyi when doing your research.
Benefits/Perks
How much do you care about healthcare benefits? Maternity leave? Remote work policy? Etc.
Be very clear on what you want so you can filter out the opportunities that aren’t for you. Also, keep in mind that many times these policies and benefits do have a monetary value.
Take a look at the hiring page of the different companies you’d like to work for.
Typically, they mention their most important benefits. If you haven’t worked in tech before, some of the benefits will be completely new and will open up your mind. But don’t let the fancy benefits overshadow compensation!
Step 2: Figure Out What Roles Are the Best to Get
Know Yourself
Take a strengths test like the Clifton Strengths Test. And take a free personality test.
I’m an INTJ. This explains why I’m good at project management and strategizing. But, there’s room for improvement in my social skills.
Using a personality test or strengths test will help you understand what makes you tick. It will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Know the Market
When looking for roles you may like or that apply to you, search for keywords. Don’t discard roles you’re unfamiliar with.
Companies have different names for similar roles.
You only need 75% of what is required in the job description.
Don’t be afraid to apply if you don’t have all the requirements in the job description. In fact, if you have everything, the position may be too low for you, and you should set your goals a bit higher.
Do your research on the market. Here are some questions to search for:
What are the most in-demand jobs?
What are the most in-demand jobs that do not require a college degree?
What are the most in-demand jobs that aren't technical?
What are the highest growth jobs over the next five to ten years?
Remember, if the role won't help the company build or sell a product or save money, then don't consider it!
Bonus: Focus on a Highly Targeted Market
Be laser-focused on the niche, city, role, size, etc., when identifying the companies you want to work for. Then, learn as much as possible about them.
Learn about their mission, products, problems, and solutions.
Connect with people at the company and get insider information.
Show them that you’d be a great fit and someone who can get started on their team as soon as possible.
If you don’t get the job, keep trying and following up.
The benefit of doing this is that you begin to understand the problems and solutions in space. You can take that from interview to interview, showing that you know what you’re talking about. This gives you an edge over the other applicants.
Know how to transfer your existing skills
Technology is transforming every single industry.
Your industry skills and knowledge will be useful to tech companies in that niche. In fact, you might be more valuable to a company because you have insider knowledge.
Your responsibility is to recognize those skills. Then, demonstrate how useful you are by having them.
For example, my friend Erica is a marketing coordinator at a local hospital. She wants to transition into the tech industry.
She is great at marketing (social media, copywriting, etc.). She understands hospitals and the challenges that patients face.
She sees the pain that patients experience every day when they see their bill.
Erica can leverage her marketing and hospital experience. She can apply them to healthcare tech companies. She may need to improve at digital marketing.
But, she could apply to roles in product marketing, SEO, social media, and more.
Step 3: Upskill Yourself
The most important skill is learning how to learn.
Learn how to research, find answers, ask for help online, etc. This will help you get to where you need to be.
Become inquisitive.
Research.
Dig in.
Join a Bootcamp
Learning doesn’t stop after high school or college. You need to continue to invest in yourself.
Bootcamps are essential to learning as much as possible as quickly as possible. They design their curricula to help you secure a job. In fact, they’re incentivized to help you get a job and have partnerships to funnel talent into companies.
When considering a bootcamp, you need to compare the cost of learning on your own to joining a bootcamp.
It will take you double the amount of time to learn on your own than it takes to join a bootcamp. Why? They have people who have the job you want. They also have people who help you get hired.
Not only do you need the skills to do the job you want, but you also need the skills to get the job too. These are two separate sets of skills!
Get a college degree
If you don’t have a college degree, I’d consider it depending on the career you’re looking to pursue.
Are you interested in a role that's technical, like software engineering? Or in one that's in high demand, like cybersecurity?
If so, a degree likely won't be worth the cost. Degrees are a noisy signal that you’re somewhat smart. But so many people have them, and they cost a lot.
Only get it if you absolutely have to. And check with people who have the jobs you have to make sure that a college degree even makes sense. There are many universities offering degrees for jobs that aren’t necessary. Wasted money.
Teach yourself
Teaching yourself is possible, if you know what you need to learn.
You likely don’t know what you need to learn, though.
You can teach yourself. But it takes 2-3 times more time to learn useful skills. It’s definitely not the most optimal.
If I were you, I’d consider other options. Time wasted is also money wasted.
I taught myself how to build web applications, write SQL, run Scrum ceremonies, etc. But I'm not in a non-technical role. Those skills aren't fundamental to my job.
Step 4: Determine the type of company to work for
Work at a startup
Startups are the perfect place to become more useful.
There's so much work to do and so few people to do it. You'll be stretched thin, but you have the opportunity to learn so much.
Roles will open up, and you can take them. Founders care about people who are useful and moving their company forward.
The downside is you’ll get paid less money, and the odds that the startup will have a successful exit are slim. There’s a ton of uncertainty, and the stock will likely be worthless. But if you can wait 1-2 years, you’ll gain the skills to outperform workers at big companies.
I have worked at two small startups and two public companies. I've realized the decision is deeply personal.
The biggest question to ask yourself is: “What do I want out of this experience?”
If you want to gain a ton of experience and are willing to put in the work, then go the startup route. Be aware that your salary will likely be lower than at large companies. But it might be higher than your current salary.
Both startups I worked at were acquired, and I did not receive life-changing money for my stock options. But I know early employees who had worked there for 5+ years received a big fat check. Startups are a big risk that may pay off, but usually only after a long period of time.
When I was deciding whether I wanted to work at a startup, I did my research! Here are a few articles that can help. They're: Startup vs. corporate: What’s best for your career?, Startup Tradeoffs, and What to Expect.
Work in big tech.
There’s a term in tech called FAANG. It stands for Facebook (now Meta), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google.
These companies all throw a huge bag to their tech employees. They’re giants in the industry and dominate their competitors. These are great companies to aim for.
The companies are so large, they pay well, and it adds to your personal “brand.” They’re not strapped for cash. Not like a startup. But unlike a startup, it’s less motivating and you make less of an impact to your customers.
Hundreds of anonymous posts online say these employees earn $500,000 per year. They admit that they don’t do much and have lost meaning out of life. Not a bad position to be in. But that’s the biggest tradeoff.
If you want to earn the most money predictably, work for a FAANG company or another big tech company. Just know, you’ll likely feel like a “number” and won’t have much control.
You may not learn as quickly nor work on meaningful projects compared to startups. Projects move slowly. There's more bureaucracy. It's less motivating than making a big impact at a startup. But again, higher pay.
There are so many more tech companies that you could work for that may offer a better experience than FAANG. FAANG usually requires you to move to a “tech hub”. Many other companies might be near you or offer remote work. That is changing.
The main downside is that these companies were the first to make layoffs in the thousands. And they’re very hard to get into.
Here’s my personal take (I haven’t worked at a FAANG yet).
I’ve enjoyed startups, but I won’t join again unless I'm a director, VP, or in the C-suite. This is how you get the most stock options and more control over the company. In startups, there are a lot of variables to success and leadership is one of the main factors that’s difficult to gauge early on in your career.
If I had just graduated, I would find a promising seed stage or Series A startup with a great leadership team. I would work there for at least five years to build enough equity for it mean something if there’s an IPO or huge sale. That’s life-changing money.
Now that I’m older, I’d rather work at a FAANG or larger tech company for the slower development cycles and higher pay.
Work at a Non-Tech Company That Needs Tech Professionals
You don’t need to work at a SaaS company, consulting firm, or any other tech-forward company.
Many companies need good web designers, developers, account managers, project managers, etc. However, they aren't building the next Facebook. Companies we all use, like Home Depot, Macy's, and Target, need tech professionals. The companies will grow by becoming more tech-enabled. The pay may be lower, but you can get your foot in the door easier.
Before the job market shifted, I was against this option.
You don’t want to be in the “tech department” within an organization. Why? Because you’re not as important in the org. You’re the support. They don’t focus on your needs as much as whatever the revenue driver is.
For example, I love HBO. They make great TV! That’s their focus, quality TV. So they will pay the producers, writers, actors, etc. the most and care about them the most. Because that’s why people pay for HBO. HBO has a tech department. It covers IT, internal tools, the external marketing website, and streaming.
But if you want to work for HBO, work for HBO Max, their app. That makes them subscription revenue and thus is important. They’re making a huge investment there.
Go where the money flows.
Now times have changed. I recommend a company's tech department if you like the company and just need to get your foot in the door. And if you really like the company, make sure you understand why you like the company. Check your ego. Don't do it for the brand name.
Some of the best brands pay the least because they know how badly you want to work there. They’ll give you great perks, but compensate you less.
Step 5: Increase Your Surface Area for Luck by Connecting with the Right People
Join online communities.
Examples include Slack and Discord. They help you connect with people and grow your network. Many communities have channels specifically for job opportunities.
The more value you add to the community, the more you can receive.
Try to find a community specific to a niche you’re interested in and join them. Figure out the best way to contribute or receive value first. Ask for help after you feel the community's vibe.
I’ve joined an organization, Black Product Managers, that has already helped me with getting a job. I found potential coworkers in the community. They helped me with my interviews and salary negotiations. Many people do this, you may not know about it. Now you know.
Companies want diverse candidates. They even have quotas to meet. For example, they are partnering with platforms like Black Tech Pipeline to find you. My second job came from a platform, POC in Tech. Go where potential employers are looking!
Post on social media
Post on LinkedIn. Post on TikTok. Post on X. You should focus on it because it has a lot of engagement. It lets you be in front of potential employers and coworkers.
Build a portfolio
Show what you can do with a portfolio. A simple project demonstrates a problem. You present your hypothesis, your solution, and the impact. That's enough. Create a website using Squarespace. Now you can use their AI features, which create 70% of the site for you.
Go to conferences
I’ve attended many conferences so I could be in the room with people who were a few steps ahead of me.
Conferences like Afrotech opened my eyes to new possibilities. They showed me opportunities that I didn’t know existed. I also met like-minded peers who were on the same journey as me.
This is priceless.
Ask for introductions, referrals, and help
You're in a unique position if you graduated or are still a student. Most people want to help you because you remind them of themselves. Make it easy for them. Be clear, honest, and polite when asking for their help. We’re all busy.
Find an accountability partner
Connect with like-minded people on the same journey as you. Set weekly goals and hold each other accountable. Having someone to call your BS is important. Find one. They’re looking for you too!
Step 6: Apply, apply, apply and practice, practice, practice
It’s a numbers game. Keep track of the people you reach out to, connect with, and have conversations with. The more people you talk to, the higher the chance you have of landing an interview. You want to get to the interview stage—that’s the first priority. Practice your interviews with friends. Get so good at interviews that you can do it in your sleep. It will exude confidence and show that you know your stuff. Read books on interviewing too!
Quick Tips
Invest in Yourself. The best help often comes through paid education. This can be a boot camp, conference, online course, or an hour-long call with someone in the shoes you want to be in.
But don’t get scammed. There are tons of people who say they can help you get a job in tech. Be skeptical and don’t let your emotions get you scammed.
Move to a big city. Moving to a new city forces you out of your comfort zone and can help get you on the right track. Your environment might be holding you back, and a new city may force you to make the changes you need to land your role. There are more opportunities in big cities. For instance, examples are New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Dallas.
Don’t aim for the FAANG companies at first. They’re far too difficult to get into initially. They get tens of thousands of applicants. Also, they may not teach you how to work in a company that anyone can work in. FAANG jobs often limit skill development to company-specific roles. This approach hinders acquiring transferable skills useful across various companies.
Become technical enough to be dangerous. You don’t need to learn how to code, but you should know the basics of how things work. You should understand basic technical concepts. You may need to explain them, depending on your department. I don’t know how to code, but I know how to think about building products and features. I don’t know how to write SQL, but I know how to think about data analytics and reporting.
Non-technical skills are important too. They include how to take good notes and write effective emails. Additionally, how to manage projects, create presentations, and present effectively. Soft skills are arguably more important than technical skills, once you have them. The sad truth is that you get hired and keep your job because people like working with you.
Read popular articles about tech. Get into tech by staying informed about news. Learn about frameworks and popular ideas in your industry or role. Being able to talk about current events or popular tech concepts is important. It shows you’re an insider, not an outsider. Subscribe to a popular blog or website, like TechCrunch. Or, read the blogs of popular tech companies. That’s it.
Cybersecurity skills are in demand. The White House recently released a press release. It urges individuals to build skills in cybersecurity. This is for over 500,000 open cybersecurity jobs. This is one of the few positions where you need to develop skills and obtain certifications. Then, it should be easy to land a role since there are so many roles open.
Be realistic about remote work. You can still find a remote job. But, if it's your first tech job, consider going to the office. This enables you to learn more through osmosis. Being around people who eat, breathe, and sleep tech. You’ll learn so much by being in the office. Yes, there are microaggressions. Yes, people can be annoying. Yes, it means you can’t sleep in your bed while working. But it will pay off in the beginning, and you can land a remote role in your next job.
Learn to Use LLM/AI applications. Get ahead by embracing new tech like ChatGPT, Claude, Bard, etc. AI won’t replace you, but it may replace human AI users. I have boosted my productivity by at least 25% by using AI to write, perform math, research, etc.
BONUS: 30+ Resources for Landing a Job in Tech
I curated a list of 30+ links that will help you get a job in tech, improve your finances, etc. If you want the rest of the list, click here.
I hope this guide has given you valuable insights and practical steps to help you enter the tech industry. Remember, the journey may be challenging. With the right mindset, strategies, and resources, you can succeed.
If you have any questions or need help, or want to share your progress, email me. I'm here to support you every step of the way.
Your success is my success.
Best,
Gabe Williams