I know hearing about layoffs can be scary. Many people are unexpectedly looking for jobs while others are uncertain about their job security.
During times like these, it’s important not to jump to conclusions, and instead, look at the big picture. It may not be as bad as you think.
Tech industry workers aren’t limited to a specific knowledge area; their roles are easily applicable to other industries. Whether you’re a skilled worker such as a computer programmer, product designer, product manager, or data scientist, or if you work in capacities like marketing, HR, sales, or finance—your skills, expertise, and experience hold great value.
Just because your last job was at a tech company, that doesn’t mean you can’t get hired in another sector; you may even get a salary increase.
You need to redefine what it means to “work in tech”.
In this article, I’ll look at the state of the industry and offer tips on how to find tech jobs outside of tech.
- Is there a demand for tech talent in 2023?
- Top 3 ways to find tech jobs outside the tech industry
- Key takeaways
Is there a demand for tech talent in 2024?
In a recent interview, Julia Pollock, chief economist with ZipRecruiter said that “despite layoffs in the tech industry, there is still strong demand for tech talent in a wide range of industries, from government to retail to agriculture.”
Candidates often have a really narrow-minded aspiration of working at well-known tech companies, including Amazon Network, Netflix, Google, and all of those traditional FAANG companies, right?
You may believe working at these companies can mean job security and instant credibility in the future.
The allure or clout of working at these companies has made it difficult for lesser-known companies in other industries who are desperate to fill tech roles to attract qualified candidates.
In my research, regarding struggles companies face hiring tech workers, one hiring manager at a company that provides employee benefits and payroll said “In the current market, it’s difficult to find someone with experience who is interested in a smaller unknown company,” and this theme is true of many companies that are not household names.
Take, for example, the healthcare industry, which is projected to grow a lot in the next couple of years.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, over the next decade, the healthcare industry alone will add two million new jobs to the economy. Beyond the obvious need for jobs such as nurses and doctors and physical therapists, there will also be a need for tech workers to support the websites, the apps, and the software related to all the areas of healthcare, such as electronic medical records, insurance, and staffing software.
I hope you realize now that finding tech opportunities in other industries is not going to be as hard as you think. And if you can check your ego at the door and be open to working at companies that you hadn’t considered before or maybe have never even heard of, you’ll be applying sooner than you think.
Now let’s cover the three practical ways you can find these tech jobs that exist outside the traditional tech industry.
Top 3 ways to find tech jobs outside the tech industry
1. Expand your job search beyond tech companies
Tech candidates need to think outside the tech company box. You need to use your creative and analytical minds to consider how your skills and experience might transfer to other industries.
As an example, if you previously worked at Amazon, you might look to other lesser-known companies in e-commerce who are hiring for a variety of tech roles, such as Chewy.com, Vista.com, or Thumbtack.
2. Leverage your experience
This tip is especially true for tech workers who had prior careers and are looking to switch industries.
The rise of tech boot camps and education programs led many people to switch careers to tech from industries such as teaching, healthcare, journalism, and a lot more.
If you had prior experience before switching to tech, you should consider looking for a tech job in your previous industry.
As an example, if you were a teacher who switched to tech, consider trying to find a tech job at an education company such as Paper, Amplify, or Study.com.
You will be able to leverage your existing knowledge of the education industry and be way ahead of other candidates who may not have any knowledge of the education field.
3. Use job boards that give you more control
Finding jobs in different industries is difficult if you don’t know the names of companies to look for. Right?
A great resource to discover companies in different industries is a job board called Built In.
They allow you to filter by industry or category, something that many other job boards don’t offer, and this will allow you to easily discover companies you didn’t even know existed and find jobs in industries where you maybe have existing experience or expertise, or you’re just interested in.
Key takeaways
Your skills as a tech professional are in demand at companies outside of the big tech giants and if you expand your job search to other industries, you’ll discover incredible companies that are desperate for skilled tech professionals.
You may even find these companies have a better work-life balance and offer higher salaries to retain talent which for them is really hard to find.
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