3 Steps to Transition to a Career in Tech
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I’ve had a lot of friends in the non-tech world with relatable skills ask me how to get into tech (and one recently made the transition from financial to Fintech!). With more and more questions coming in, I decided to lay it out for everyone.
- Build your network
2. Schedule informational chats
3. Ask for warm intros / projects / opportunities
How to Build Your Network
- Join Slack Communities
2. Join Facebook Communities
3. Sign up for LunchClub — this platform lets you fill out a networking profile based on your background and your goals, then matches you for Zoom lunch dates with relevant people.
How to Schedule Informational Chats
Post in the communities and let people know a little bit about your background, why you want to pivot or transition, and how they can help. There are a number of ways to do this. Here are a few samples taken directly from the communities.
- As you start chatting with people and building rapport in the communities, request Zoom calls and accept all offers for Zoom calls. People will offer! You’ll be surprised.
How to do a 15–20m informational chat
1 min, Engage: Take a minute to get excited about them because they’re giving you their time, but make sure you have a genuine reason to be excited. Read their social media, LinkedIn, etc. and have something interesting to say about it.
- “I’m excited to meet with you today! I saw that you [______ …helped launch x / have the best food blog / watched every episode of GoT / recently posted about x].”
2 min, Them: Move the conversation forward. Keep it about them first, but set the clear expectation that you’ll talk about something interesting and give them a way to engage with you so that you’re not wasting anyone’s time.
- “I’d love to learn a little bit more about you and then talk [_________... fashion tech / machine learning / FinTech / content marketing].”
2 min, You: After they give you their bio or story, use whatever you learned about them to organically move the conversation to you, and bring the passion.
- “Your framework for x is exactly what I’ve been thinking about. I ________…[this is where you give your 1–2 minute bio]
1 min, Passion! Now it’s time to talk about what you want and why you want it. What you want at this stage might just be to learn, and that’s okay, too. Whatever it is, say it with passion and sincerity
- “And now I’m looking to get into ________ because _______ [talk about your skills / observations / deep mission / vision / life goals / burning desire, etc.].”
10 min, Listen: They’re here because they can help you. Now the stage is set for them to show you how they can be the hero, tell you the inside secrets, or what you need to know to be successful in their field.
2 min, Ask: You’ve got rapport, excitement, and shared passion for _____. You’ve been hanging on their every word, taking notes, and asking smart follow up questions. Now let them know exactly how they can help you. They may offer before you can ask, which is even better.
- “Who should I be talking to right now to get into ______?”
- “Do you know any teams looking for ______”
- “Are there any projects to get involved in that will help me get into _______”
Wrap up: Thank them and let them know you’ll follow up with notes on the action items. For warm intros, you may need to send an email to them that they can use to loop in said person.
Post call: Send an email with a genuine thank you, but don’t over do it, you don’t want to throw off the power dynamic. You are always just as valuable as they are, so you don’t want to use any language that fluffs them up. Include action items or any major notes from the chat.
What else you need to know
- Get your LinkedIn in shape. Everyone will check it out before they meet with you.
- Get your 1–2 minute bio down pat so that you don’t have to stress about it before calls.
- You can still hit the pavement and start applying, but networking and warm intros is one of the most effective ways to get a job in tech.
If any of this makes you nervous, just start with the first step and join the communities. Once you’re there, the rest will start to happen organically. Reach out anytime if you’d like to chat: malinda@lessonsup.com
