Grossing billions of dollars a year in the United States alone, the tech industry is one of the most innovative, profitable industries to get into. But many people get deterred from going down that path because they don’t have the tech skills they think everyone needs in order to get into the business.
You don’t have to be a technology wizard to become a part of the rapidly growing industry. Here are five non-tech skills everyone can learn that will help get you hired at a tech company:
1. Communication Skills
Knowing how to talk to other people is a skill that everyone should master since it’s used in virtually every facet of business worldwide. But there are many people in the tech world who can easily create, say, a program, but have no clue where to start when it comes to teaching people how to use it.
That’s where you would come in. There is a demand out there for people with strong public speaking skills who can take an otherwise confusing app/program and break it down into easy-to-digest pieces so customers who may be relying on it every day will know how to use it.
2. Writing Skills
While you may not know how to program, being able to write about it is a skill for which the demand is starting to increasingly grow as more and more companies enter the arena. If you have a specific company in mind, you could have a shot at creating more technical work, such as user guides and product specifications.
Many companies already have a top-notch tech team but lack the skills to promote their product. If you have a background in PR or marketing, you could get the chance to write press releases, blogs, social media content, and more to help a company reach their maximum potential.
3. Project Management Skills
Often seen as one of the most difficult jobs in the business, a project manager is tasked with bringing a product from conception to completion. A PM will often have to juggle multiple projects in different stages of development at the same time, which makes it tough to get the hang of. This job involves a more in-depth understanding of the product/product space, but once you master the skill of project management, it is relatively easy to apply it to any industry you work in, tech included — and because it’s so demanding, there is rarely a shortage of jobs.
4. Recruiting Skills
The technology industry is fast-paced and constantly changing. Therefore, the people companies hire must be able to keep up with those changes and stay on top of the latest trends. Recruiting takes tons of time and loads of work, so the founder of a growing startup won’t always have time to hand-pick his hires. While this is a tough job, you should be able to shine if you have tons of contacts in the industry and have a good eye at spotting great technical talent.
5. Analytics
This might be the most important job in the tech industry: the ability to track sales, crunch numbers, and see where the market is headed is an invaluable skill that any company covets highly. Making sense of thousands of lines of data and putting it together to tell a story not only helps your company understand where it’s at in the marketplace, but also if you get really good, you can point out strengths/weaknesses and predict trends that will make the business stronger.
The tech field isn’t for everyone. While you may not necessarily need the technical skills you thought you would to flourish in the industry, you must be passionate about it and stay on top of trends if you want to succeed. If you have that drive and people see it, then you’ll have no problem finding your dream career in tech.
What other non-tech skills helped you land a job in the tech industry? Share your story below!