🚨 Break Into Tech From a Non-Traditional Background

Want to get into the tech industry, but aren’t sure if it’s possible because you come from a non-traditional background?

I was in the same position as you not too long ago, but after tons of research, trial & error, failed interviews, and successful interviews I’ve been able to compile a bunch of resources and tips that will help you on your journey.

What Is a Non-Traditional Background?

When I mention a non-traditional background, I’m usually referring to someone that fits into one, or many, of the categories below:

• No “formal” education (No college/university degree)
• A degree in an unrelated field
• Wanting to transition from an unrelated industry
• Attended/Attending a coding bootcamp
• No coding experience

These differ from software developers who have come from traditional backgrounds. This usually means they’ve gone to college, participated in internships, completed formal education in a quantitative subject like Computer Science, and have some type of experience with coding.

Do I Stand a Chance?

It may seem overwhelming at first once I start to dive into everything you should know, but trust me and 100’s of others, it’s not impossible. You just have to make sure you’re passionate and committed to achieving this goal because it’s no easy feat.

I don’t want to scare you off, but I think it’s important to set realistic expectations upfront. There’s a ton of people you can find online that’ll tell you to just do xyz and eventually you’ll make it in. While a lot of advice online is accurate, I think much of it comes across as easy to accomplish if you just put the time in.

Nothing worth something in life is easy, but if you really want to make it into this industry I guarantee the hard work, sweat, and tears will be worth it.

The Roadmap

I’d like to preface this advice by saying this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything you should do. If anything, it should be considered an essential list of things you should learn/complete.

Some people may argue that you don’t need everything on this list, which could be true in certain situations. However, coming from a non-traditional background means you need to put in that extra time and effort to make yourself stand out.

I’ll go into greater detail on each of these, but here’s a quick list of everything I think you should look into:

• Learn relevant skills for your target roles
• Build projects along the way
• Create and maintain an online presence
• Solidify your resume and cover letter (FREE resume and cover letter templates provided below)
• Network
• Interview prep

Learn Relevant Skills

The first step to obtaining your dream role is to learn the skills needed to be successful in that position. The tech industry is vast and there’s a ton of different positions, so I’ll specifically be focusing on web development skills you should learn.

You should become comfortable with the following for front-end development:

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript (look into ES6)
• A JavaScript framework like React or Angular (check job listings near you to see what employers are looking for.)
• Interacting with APIs
• Git & GitHub

If you wanna go full-stack, then you’ll also want to learn:

• SQL
• A back-end language like Node.js (easier to learn since it’s JavaScript)
• Databases

Again, this is not an exhaustive list, and the technologies employers are looking for can be heavily dependent on location. However, the ones mentioned above will allow you to qualify for a large portion of roles.

These are also aimed at web development. If you want to go into, for example, Data Science, then you’ll want to become really good with Python, data modeling and analysis, etc. So make sure to do some additional research about the skills needed for your desired role.

Build Projects

You should build projects in parallel with your learning journey. This is the surefire best way to learn and grow as a developer. For example, while you’re learning HTML and CSS throw together some simple websites and learn how to host them online.

Once you start learning JavaScript, figure out how to add some interactivity to your websites. You’ll want to spend a good amount of time becoming comfortable with JavaScript because it’s the building block for the additional skills I mentioned.

Once you’re comfortable with JavaScript, pick a framework like React or Angular, and start building some websites and web applications. Also, you’ll want to learn the benefits of using a framework versus plain vanilla JavaScript. It’s common for interviewers to ask about the pros/cons of using these.

Once you’re feeling good about your skills at this point, start working with 3rd party APIs. Try to fetch their data and render it on a page. This GitHub repository has an awesome list of APIs you can choose from.

Along the way, learn how to use version control with Git and GitHub. This is a very common toolset that employers look for to show you know how to manage and collaborate on projects.

Congratulations! At this point, you’ve developed enough skills to call yourself a Front-End Developer. Now if you want to go the full-stack route, just follow the same outline I mentioned above with the remaining skills needed. Learn, build, repeat.

Your Online Presence

An appropriate online presence can be a big plus when trying to get your first job in tech. Notice how I said APPROPRIATE. It’s fine if you have a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account where you post whatever your heart desires, but keep those accounts private.

Twitter

I recommend having an active Twitter account where you tweet about industry-related topics and where you can interact with professionals in the same industry.

GitHub

Having an active GitHub account signals to recruiters and hiring managers that you’re consistently putting in work. Whether it be on a personal project or some open-source contributions. You don’t have to try and make commits 7 days a week, but aiming for at least 3–5 is a good number I think.
It also shows that you’re genuinely interested in the work.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be an amazing tool if utilized correctly. I’ll probably create a separate post just talking about optimizing your LinkedIn profile, but here are some top things I think you should do:

• Have a professional-looking profile photo
• Have a detailed About section
• Display your resume and portfolio website in the Featured section
• Add other professionals who have the job position you want
• Mirror your LinkedIn Experience section with your resume experience
• Same goes for the education section
• If you have any licenses/certifications, make sure you have those on there as well

The awesome thing about LinkedIn versus your resume is that you’re not limited to how much content you can add. While you’ll want to keep your resume pretty concise, you can fill up your LinkedIn with anything you think may be applicable or will help you stand out.

Resume & Cover Letter

These 2 items are crucial and are where you should focus a good amount of time making sure they’re as perfect as possible.

Your Resume

You should keep this document as simple as possible, especially if you’re applying through online job portals.

I’ve seen a ton of resumes that are extremely creative and cool looking, but then when they’re submitted the ATS systems can’t parse them and they just end up discarded. I’ve gone through dozens of iterations of my resume and found out what works best. I decided to create a template of it so that anyone can download it. I’ll link it at the end of this post.

Don’t get me wrong, those creative resumes can really help you stand out, but save those for when you’re directly in contact with someone. This way you know they received it.

Since I’m linking my proven resume template below, I’ll just go over some resume highlights you should be aware of:

(Keep in mind these are for U.S. based companies. I know that resume structures can differ around the world)

• Keep it to 1 page.
• Do not include a photo of yourself.
• Use a 1-column structure.
• Make sure the entire document is uniform. Periods at the end of every bullet point, previous experiences are organized in the same manner, same fonts, same spacing, etc.

You’d be surprised at how many applicants get overlooked due to small issues with their resumes. This can come off as not being detail-oriented.

You’ll also want to place more emphasis on your projects and any related experience since you may be coming in from an unrelated background.

• Include your most impressive projects with links to deployed sites and source code if possible.
• Include links to relevant social media and contact info (Email, Phone, GitHub, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Talk about the impact you had in previous jobs, not your job’s description. For example, you could say something like “Decreased reporting times by over 40% by implementing a Python automation script.”

Those are some highlights, but I recommend you just check out my resume template.

Your Cover Letter

Some will argue how worthwhile these are and if you should even submit one. I’m also on the fence, but as long as it’s written well, it can’t really hurt you. Like I mentioned, getting into this industry is not easy so you should do everything you can to stand out.

I also have a cover letter template that’ll be included in the same link below, so I’ll just go over some quick highlights:

• Keep it short. No more than half a page if possible.
• This is where you want to briefly talk about how your skills relate to the job you’re applying for.
• You also want to try and display how passionate you are about the potential position through your writing. Hiring managers may be more likely to take a chance on you if they can sense your passion.
• Read through the job description to find out what they’re looking for and try to include those details in your cover letter.

Networking

Networking is HUGE and is often touted as the best way to get your foot in the door.

This is where LinkedIn can really come in handy. You’ll want to connect with people who work in the position you want and just ask them if they have time for a quick chat about what they do, their company, etc.

You don’t want to directly ask them if their company is hiring, but it may come up in conversation, which is perfectly fine. The main goal here is just to make that connection because the more people you talk to, the more you’ll learn, and if a job opportunity pops up you could possibly reach back out to them for a referral. Who knows, they may reach out to you too!

Companies are more inclined to hire off of a referral versus going through hundreds of random resumes. You’ll likely still have to go through the standard interview process, but having a referral behind you can really be the difference-maker.

Interview Prep

Now we’re getting into interview prep….everyone’s favorite (not really).

The main things you’ll want to learn and focus on here should be:

• Data structure + algorithm problems. You can use platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeSignal to practice these. These types of questions will often be what’s sent to you before a company brings you in for an interview. You might also see them during additional interview rounds. I would try and practice these for a few hours a day if you can.
• Assuming you already have some projects on your resume, practice talking about them out loud. What technologies did you use? Did you face any challenges? Why did you choose that tech stack? Can you walk me through a portion of your code and explain what’s going on? What did you learn?
• Utilize interviewing platforms like Pramp. They will match you with other individuals who are also prepping for interviews and you’ll do mock/practice interviews. This helps a ton because you’ll get exposure to potential questions, you’ll get used to speaking with strangers, you’ll learn what you need to improve and what you’re good at, and you will likely feel a lot more confident going into real interviews.
  You can also take this same approach with a group of friends as well.

These tasks are likely going to take up a good portion of your time, so I would try and develop some type of schedule to space everything out. This way you reduce your chances of getting overwhelmed or burning out.

Maybe do LeetCode for 2 hours on Mondays and Wednesdays, mock interviews on Tuesdays, and study your existing projects Thursdays and Fridays. Tailor your schedule to what works best for you and focus on your weaknesses.

Make sure you take time off too. This not only helps your brain solidify all the new things you’re learning, but it’s just good for you.

I’ll be writing more detailed posts about some of the topics I went over, but that’s about all I have for now!

As promised, below is the link to where you can download my resume and cover letter templates. Using these has helped me get interviews with tons of companies, including Google and Amazon.

FREE Resume + Cover Letter Templates

Thank you and good luck!