How to Break into the Tech Industry with Limited Experience

Get Your Foot in the Door with 5 Key Tips

*The POP app is used for rapid prototyping to test and validate ideas using low fidelity sketches.*

Read my story on how I got into the tech industry in my previous article, "The Power of Saying Yes: My Journey into Tech and Tech Education".

I've tried to distill my whole personal journey into the industry with 5 key tips that can help you launch your career.

1 Be a lifelong learner.

Set aside your ego. It's impossible to know everything in-depth – and you don't have to. But you should always be hungry to learn more – show that to others.

Take a part-time course, go to a workshop or panel – you'll meet people (who may have connections to opportunities) and you'll learn a lot about what area to dive into.

Resources to help you get your foot in the door:

In-Person Events:

BrainStation hosts workshops and info sessions on how to get involved in the technology industry. We host panel discussions, networking socials, information sessions, part-time and full-time courses, and weekend workshops that are geared towards beginners who want to build their digital skills or break into the tech industry.
Meetup.com is also a great place to learn more about tech and also to connect with other professionals. There are lots of tech groups and companies who host events and speaker series for free, and it’s a great place to meet people and learn.

*Throwback to Konrad's booth at TechFest Toronto run by TechVibes – 2016*

Resources to Stay in the Loop with Technology + Business:

The Next Web – is a tech media company that focuses on cross-generational groups to help them get the most out of tech through remarkable stories and insights.
Fast Company – is the world's leading progressive business media brand, with a unique editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, and design.
Wired – allows readers to get in-depth coverage of current and future trends in technology, and how they are shaping business, entertainment, communications, science, politics, and more.

TechVibes – Techvibes is a leading digital destination for technology, digital culture, and modern lifestyle content.
TechCrunch – is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news.
Product Hunt – surfaces the best new products, every day. It's a place for product-loving enthusiasts to share and geek out about the latest mobile apps, websites, hardware projects, and tech creations.

Online Resources to Read Up on UX:

InVision Blog – Thoughts on users, experiences, and design.
Designer News – is a community where design and technology professionals share interesting links and timely events.

Nielsen Norman Group – conducts groundbreaking research, evaluates user interfaces, and reports real findings.
Quora – Read answers of any question edited and organized by a community of users.

Great Books to Get into UX and Product Design:

2 Be nice.

Be likeable to everyone even if you don't want to be. You can't afford to burn bridges with your peers if 90% of people land jobs through someone else's recommendation or reference.

Something about being nice to everyone because you don't know who they might know in high places. If someone gets along with you and likes you, they'll most likely refer you to opportunities.

The same logic works if someone dislikes you – they'll most likely hurt your chances. #highschoolbulliesbeware

3 Make an impression.

You need to have a website and some sort of online presence. It's a digital era, and this site is an employer's gateway to you.

Setup a simple Wix, SquareSpace, CargoCollective, Format, WordPress, or even Tumblr page – you don't need to know how to code to make a site! Show off your creds, your work, and who you are. Even if you don't have work, a compelling bio will paint a great picture of what kind of team player you are. You should also showcase any personal or passion projects you’ve worked on – this includes small UI challenges, any kind of graphic design or marketing work, and even student work created at a workshop or part-time course!

Another great way to have a presence is to start a professional blog, re-tweet your favourite companies or share LinkedIn articles.

Employers are looking for 50% skills and 50% culture fit. Having technical skills, knowledge and experience is only half the battle – they need to feel like you can gel with their team.

Resources to help you build a website and online portfolio:

Portfolio Inspiration

Website Builders: One-Time Fee

Website Builders: Subscription Charge

Website Builders: Free

Get exposure from designers who want to follow you, provide an accessible space for directors to view your work, and share across LinkedIn, your professional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Behance, or Dribbble.

4 Make meaningful connections.

Ask a director, manager, or consultant out for a casual coffee (this is a thing, I swear!) People are more likely to help you – heck at the least meet up with you – if you don't harass them on LinkedIn and outright ask about job openings. They'd rather talk to you like a human being, not as a recruiter.

Don't come in with an agenda or expectation of landing a position. Instead, get to know the person, their role in the company, the company's work life, ask about how the hiring process is like, how they enjoy working there, if they have any advice or tips. They'll remember you because of the meaningful conversation they shared with you.

Don'ts

Do not treat this like an interview and interrogate your coffee date.

Do not ask them to provide feedback for your portfolio or a piece of work on the spot.

Do not try to pitch an app idea to them.

Do not give them your resume unless they request for it.

Do's

Do pay for their coffee, because they took time out of their day to help you.

Do exchange business cards.

Do say thank you.

Do follow up with an email a day later saying thank you to: a) be cordial and b) jog their memory.

5 Have confidence.

The greatest challenge you'll ever face is yourself. As cheesy and cliched as that sounds, you are your worst enemy.

It’s human to doubt yourself, to be hard on yourself, to lack confidence in the work you produce, or to turn down opportunities because you don’t believe you’re good enough or don’t have the skills. These fears have prevented me from applying to certain positions and design agencies in the past.

But what I always hear is, "I don't have 3 - 5+ years of experience" or "I want to apply for this UX Design position, but I don't know JavaScript" etc and etc. This shouldn't scare you into applying, because although their ideal candidate has 3 - 5 years of experience, knows Python and can build websites and do usability testing, it doesn't mean that's what they'll find or accept all the time.

Also, beware of HR reps or recruiters who have no idea what they're talking about – especially when looking for a UX Designer who is also a Visual Designer, Web Designer, User Research Specialist, Web Developer, Information Architect, Usability Expert, etc.

It's good to be a generalist as a UX Designer – but it's also ok to not know how to code extensively! That's not your main job – it's a nice to have.

That being said, you should try to expand your knowledge and know basic HTML/CSS or JavaScript. It will make you a huge asset.

Companies and recruiters will be searching for candidates by keyword – especially on LinkedIn, so make sure you're including UX skills and terminology in your profile.

Apply everywhere! And when you do, make your interactions and communications with these companies PERSONALIZED. Do your research. Talk about their work. Show them your "why". And don't be intimidated. I’ve learned that there is nothing to be scared of, (especially rejection!) and the only thing preventing you from taking risks and ultimately growing is probably yourself.

Live to LearnMandy YuAugust 29, 2017Tech Industry