Do you turn shades of green when you hear about your friend's fabulous job in tech? Honestly, you're not sure what sounds better: the perks or the pay. Or, maybe it's the insanely cool job description? After all, you don't know how to build apps -- and you love apps!
Bet you've convinced yourself that you're stuck being jealous for the rest of your life simply because you don't have the (traditional) background to even apply to a tech job. Yes? Well, then, here's some surprising news for you: No matter what you do, tech could be your calling, too. Yes, you!
You don't have to be a hardcore coder or a rockstar developer to find your place in the industry. Just like any other industry, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to growing a company. From business associates to public relations specialists to content editors, there are so many opportunities for people that you didn't even know existed.
So, check out these five signs to see if you actually do belong in tech.
1. You didn't graduate with a computer science degree
Bet you thought you read that wrong. But you should know this: Just because your studies weren't in computer engineering (or anything even vaguely related), that doesn't necessarily matter in tech.
In fact, having a background in a non-technical field can be an advantage since it lets you offer a fresh perspective as well as a more diverse skill set. Plus, you can still get the digital skills you need after the fact without taking on mountains of student debt or studying full-time.
Here's just a small sampling of the types of tech jobs available for non-computer science grads:
Advertising Associate, Mashable
Business Development Associate, Her Campus
Customer Support/Technical Support Specialist, mywedding.com
2. You're creative
Feel more comfortable crafting stories than lines of code? Great. You might think you can only use your creativity for traditionally creative fields like editorial, marketing, and public relations -- but tech is all about coming up with original solutions and unique ways to implement them. In other words, being creative is being tech-y. Bet you didn't see that coming.
The proof is in these available tech jobs:
Visual Designer, Peloton Cycles
Creative Team Leader, Hypertherm
3. You have a flair for communicating
You're the one your boss turns to author the company newsletter. Or even to proofread his emails. Also, your presentations rival the best TED talks.
This ability of yours to get ideas across isn't just useful in tech, it's downright necessary. Companies in the digital realm thrive on collaboration and communication -- with their customers, with other internal teams, and with press outlets.
Your skills ensure that communication inside and outside the company will always go smoothly; freeing up other employees from clarifying and deciphering confusing emails, presentations, and press releases.
Check out these tech jobs for communicators:
Junior Sales Representative, Bigcommerce
4. You're extroverted
The thought of spending your entire day isolated, staring at a screen in screen in silence makes you antsy. Good news! A lot of tech people (gasp!) feel the same way. So, throw that outdated stereotype out the window. You can get a job in tech without forcing yourself to change who you are and how you work best. In fact, there are plenty of tech companies that need people just like you.
Look no further than these listings to see extroverts have a place in tech:
Customer Service Representative, LivingSocial
Employer Branding and Community Lead, Medallia
Marketing Communications Associate, Hightower
5. You want to do good in the world
With all the talk of venture capitalists, acqui-hires, and overnight billionaires, you could easily assume that the tech world is only focused on making boatloads of money. But that's not always the case, and that means you don't have to sell your soul to make a living in tech. (Also, even the "soul sellers" often do good in the world.)
Many companies in the industry support charitable causes and ethical values -- and some even work directly toward making the world a cleaner, safer, and kinder place. Sounds nice, doesn't it?
You know what else sounds nice? These available jobs: