Do You Need to Have a Computer to Succeed in Tech?
I know you've been saving up to buy a computer, that dream computer that has "enough features" for you to finally kickstart your tech journey and succeed. But you haven't been able to purchase it because you're finding it difficult to raise money. Now, you're about to give up and do something else.
Hold on! Not too fast. Guess what? I was once like you. I couldn't save up enough money to get a personal computer to use in tech. So how did I get here? Can you succeed in tech without a computer? YES, YOU CAN! While getting a suitable computer is relevant at some point and can make your journey in tech easier, you do not have to wait till you have one before getting started.
Here are some of the things I did before and also recommend for anyone deciding to start out in tech without a personal computer:
- Focus on learning: Instead of waiting till you have a personal computer, make use of your mobile device to begin learning. Research the different career paths in tech, try to understand the concepts and what would be needed to begin learning them. For me, doing so was difficult because I had to look through tons of links, blogs and courses. To help reduce your stress, we have created a collection with useful resources. Check it out here. While making your research, be sure to jot down things you learn or plan to take action on.
- Write code with your phone: Did you know that you can now write code with your phones? Yes, you can. On Microsoft Learn, you can learn with your phone, check out this collection here, Trust me, I know a couple of friends who started off in tech writing code using code editors on their mobile devices and today, they’re practically thankful they did. All you need to do is head over to the store on whatever device you use and download a code editor for the programming language you intend to learn.
- Explore career paths that don’t urgently require you to have a computer: While researching different career paths, I realized there were paths that didn’t really require me to have a computer. Here are a couple of them:
- Program Management
- Community Management
- Content Writing
- Business Analyst
Getting started with these paths would go a long way in preparing you for opportunities later on, plus it helps you gain relevant tech experience you can add to your resume. - Find someone who could lend you their device or allow you use theirs for specific number of hours each week: Since I couldn’t get a computer, I had to regularly visit my department’s computer laboratory. I had access to the computers there for 3-4hours each day and visited at least 3times each week. Throughout that time, I learnt how to build websites with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. For you, it might be pleading to use a friend or sibling’s computer or even using the computer in a cafe or laboratory. Whichever works for you, don’t waste the free time you have to learn to code.
Yes, you can begin a successful career in tech without a laptop or personal computer. And just to mention, don’t wait till you have so much money to get an expensive computer before beginning your journey in tech.
Utilize the resources we have provided here, learn as much as you can and trust me whenever you finally get the personal computer of your dream, you would be glad you didn’t miss out now.
Additional Resources
Microsoft Student Hub - https://aka.ms/learnstudent
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FREE Advance Certifications for Nigerians - https://aka.ms/NGFreeCertification
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