How to find a tech job outside of the tech industry and possibly find better pay, benefits, and balance in work and life

Sarah Doody [00:00:00]: How to find tech jobs outside the tech industry? That’s the question we’ll discuss today, and I think my answer will help you think outside a box you might be stuck in. So stick around to find out. Now in case we haven’t met yet, I’m Sarah Doody, founder of Career Strategy Lab, the career incubator for UX and product people who are Herman, to grow their careers in the field of UX and product development. And inside of CSL, We help high achievers strategically improve their career materials, like their LinkedIn profile, portfolio and resume so that they can stand out in a crowded sea of applicants, feel confident going in interviews and ultimately get their dream job without wasting their time applying to hundreds of positions. Now today, I’m gonna give you 3 actionable ways to find companies that are hiring so you can broaden your job search strategy. I know hearing about layoffs can be pretty scary. Many people are unexpectedly looking for jobs while others are uncertain about their job security. During times like these, it’s important not to jump to conclusions.

Sarah Doody [00:01:27]: And instead, you need to look at the big picture. It may not be as bad as you think. I promise. See, the tech industry employs skilled workers such as computer programmers, product designers, product managers, and data scientists among many other positions. And in addition, tech companies also need individuals in other capacities like marketing, HR, sales and finance. So regardless of your role at a tech company, your skills and expertise are valuable and can transfer to many other industries. Just because your last job was at a tech company, that doesn’t mean you can’t get hired in another sector. And, honestly, maybe even with a salary increase.

Sarah Doody [00:02:22]: So the reframe I want you to consider today is to redefine what it means to work in tech. So stay with me. See in a recent interview, Julia Pollock, chief economist with ZipRecruiter, said that despite layoffs in the tech industry, there is still strong demand for tech talent in a wide range of industries from government to retail to agriculture. Those industries for the past years have been left in the dust. And the thing is, candidates often have a really narrow minded aspiration of working at well known tech companies including Amazon, Netflix, Google, all of those traditional FAANG companies. Right? And they believe Working at these companies can mean job security and instant credibility in the future. And The allure or clout of working at these companies has made it difficult for lesser known companies in other industries who are desperate to fill tech roles to attract qualified candidates. In my research regarding struggles companies face hiring tech workers.

Sarah Doody [00:03:42]: 1 hiring manager at a company that provides employee benefits and payroll said, in the current market, it’s difficult to find someone with experience who is interested in a smaller unknown company. And this theme is true of many companies that are not household names. Take for example the health care industry, which is projected to grow a lot in the next couple of years. According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Over the next decade, the health care industry alone will add 2,000,000 new jobs to the economy. And beyond the obvious need for jobs such as nurses and doctors and physical therapists, There will also be a need for tech workers to support the websites, the apps, the software related to all the areas of health care such as electronic medical records, insurance, and staffing software. So The takeaway I hope you realize now is that finding tech opportunities in other industries is not going to be as hard as you think. And if you can check your ego at the door and be open to working at companies that you hadn’t consider before or maybe have never even heard of, you’ll be applying sooner than you think.

Sarah Doody [00:05:08]: Alright. Grab a piece of paper because here are the 3 practical things you can do to find tech jobs outside the tech industry. First of all, expand your job search beyond tech companies. Tech candidates need to think outside the tech company box. They really need to use their creative and analytical minds to consider how their skills and experience might transfer to other industries. So for example, if you previously worked at Amazon, You might look to other lesser known companies in ecommerce who are hiring for a variety of tech roles, such as chewy.com, vista.com, or thumbtack. 2, leverage your previous experience. This is especially true for tech workers who had prior careers and are maybe switching industries.

Sarah Doody [00:06:09]: The rise of tech boot camps and education programs led many people to switch careers to tech from industries such as teaching, health care, journalism, and a lot more. If you had prior experience before switching to tech, you wanna consider looking for a tech job in your previous industry. So a real life example. If you were a teacher who switched into tech, consider trying to find a tech job at an education company such as Paper, Amplify or Study .com. That way, you will be able to leverage your existing knowledge of the education industry and be way ahead of other candidates who may not have any knowledge of the education field. Alright. And number 3, use job boards that give you more control. Finding jobs in different industries is called if you don’t know the names of companies to look for.

Sarah Doody [00:07:15]: Right? And a great resource to discover companies in different industries is a job board called built in. They allow you to filter by industry or categories, something that many other job boards don’t offer. And this will allow you to easily discover companies you didn’t even know existed and find jobs in industries where you maybe have existing experience or expertise or you’re just interested in. Your skills as a tech professional are in demand at companies outside of the big tech giants. And if you expand your job search to other industries, you’ll discover incredible companies that are desperate for skilled tech professionals. And you may even find these companies have a better work life balance and offer higher salaries to retain their talent that for them is really hard to find. Okay. So those are the 3 ways to find tech jobs in different industries.

Sarah Doody [00:08:20]: Let’s do a quick recap. Number 1, expand your job search beyond tech companies. Number 2, leverage your previous experience. Number 3, use job boards that give you more control. And don’t forget to ask yourself if you need to redefine what you think it means to work in tech. Because there are way more companies than just FAANG companies out there who want talented professionals like you. Okay, friends. That’s all for today.

Sarah Doody [00:08:56]: I’m Sarah Doody, founder of Career Strategy Lab, and this has been 3 ways to find tech jobs beyond the tech industry. If this content has been helpful, please consider leaving a 5 star review, giving us a like, clicking the button below, and sharing this resource with others that you think could find value in it. You’re always welcome to learn more about Career Strategy Lab by visiting careerstrategylab.com. Or to learn more about the job search, resumes, portfolios, interviews, etcetera, You can check out my articles at careersstrategylab.com/articles, my YouTube page, grab quick nuggets of wisdom on my Twitter or check out my Instagram or my LinkedIn. Alright. Have a lovely day, and I will talk to you soon.