The future is here! With loads of jobs in tech, you must be looking forward to getting your first job. Is it possible? Yes, it is, but you would need to be prepared. In this article, I wanted to highlight 4 ways you can prepare to land your first job in tech.
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” - Seneca
Pick a path that interests you: The tech ecosystem keeps growing with lots of new paths, tools and technologies popping up each year. It can be confusing sometimes to pick a specific path. Here’s what you can do:
- Make some research. Take some time to check out the different career paths in technology. You need to look out for skills required for those specific path or roles and when you find the one that is right for you, take note of it.
- Next, take note of the tools and technologies you need to learn and succeed in that career path and confirm if you have access to those tools. For example, if you do not have a computer yet, it might not be ideal to select a path that would require you to have a computer.
If you’re finding it difficult finding the right path, you can start by checking out and learning more about the career paths in this learning collection.
Dedicate time for learning: Now you’re sure of what you want to focus on, it’s time to begin learning. Out there, there are tons of resources that can introduce you and guide you through the specific path. Here are a couple of those platforms I would recommend:
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Learn contains over thousands of modules and learning paths on various technologies to help you pick up new skills or brush up on old ones for free. We created a learning collection you can begin with and just in case the career path you intend to focus on is not in the collection, just search for it on Microsoft Learn and you will find some great resources.
- LinkedIn Learning: Founded in 1995, LinkedIn Learning is home to more than 13,000+ high-quality on-demand courses. You also get personalized recommendations that help you discover, complete and track courses related to your field and interests. To get access to these courses, you are expected to pay around $25 or $40 depending on which subscription service you decide to go with.
Build your portfolio: Building your portfolio means different things for different people in different tech paths. For someone learning web development, building a portfolio could mean building a personal website to showcase their skills. For someone learning data analytics, it could mean picking data, cleaning it, visualizing it and coming up with a great story to show relevant and unique insights gained. For someone learning data science, it could mean building models to predict the outcomes of specific actions.
Whichever path we decide to focus on, it is important to work on projects that help us better understand the specific paths we intend to settle for.
Get Certified: Certifications are a great way to stand out from others, they go a long way in boosting your confidence, help you land a new job, get a promotion or even attract more clients. Microsoft every year continues investing in students and rising developers. Currently, verified students in tertiary institutions can write all 8 Microsoft fundamentals exams for free.
This article explains how you can go on to apply for this: Free Microsoft certification for students
Finally, it's time to begin applying for jobs. Take note that going from Step 1 to 4 won't take a few weeks or months. In some cases, depending on the amount of time you're dedicating to learning and building projects and depending on how well you are able to assimilate the different resources, it might take a 6 or more months to get your first job in tech. Whichever case do not skip any of the steps outlined above. They're important and can make your journey in tech a lot easier.
Here are a few resources that would prepare you when applying and interviewing for your first role:
Additional Resources
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