Career Girls

At barely 18 years old, we’re asked to make decisions that dictate the courses we take for the next four years, or even longer, depending on the discipline we choose. Often, our college major informs our professional life for many years after we leave university, and of course, there’s nothing wrong with a conventional career path. Those who know from an early age that they want to be a doctor or a lawyer, a dancer, a social worker or a teacher, for example, have a clear path. The good news is, that for those of us who take a bit longer to find our passion, the professional world considers not only our background and experience, but the confidence, energy, and intellectual curiosity that we bring to the table.

 

The tech industry is a great example of this. It’s growing fast and many people entering it are not necessarily coming from a tech background. Sure, you have your developers and coders and your engineers, and, yes, those positions typically require specific degrees, but then there are sales people, marketers, and product managers. These roles exist in every company that sells a product or service, and I can tell you that in the company I work for, few of the folks in these positions came from a high-tech background. 

 

Take me as an example. I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue when I was entering college, but I knew that I loved traveling to visit my extended family in Spain and that I was very interested in Latin America as a region. So, I majored in Spanish and minored in Latin American Studies. In retrospect, that wasn’t a particularly marketable combination, but I was only 18 and didn’t consider my decision with career possibilities in mind.

 

I served in a fine dining restaurant throughout college, which helped build my confidence and communication skills. Customer service, sales, teamwork—they’re all an essential part of the job. Then, after a brief stint in cellular/wireless sales, I applied for a sales position with a tech company that designs and manufactures industrial computers for customers around the world. Although I lacked the technical background they were looking for, my previous experiences had equipped me with other important skills, and I was hired! There was definitely a steep learning curve, as I couldn’t have even told you what RAM was the day I started. I’ve since found my inner geek, though, and keeping up on new features and technology trends is no longer daunting, but exciting!

 

If you have love of learning and want to be a part of the innovations that drive our world, don’t let a non-tech background stop you! There’s a need in the tech industry for people with non-technical skills—including the same ones you build while providing the kind of service that keep customers coming back to that restaurant you’re working at in college!