Technology is the future, and as a result, the demand for professionals in this field is increasing daily. This also means that there is plenty of room for growth and tech professionals to leave their mark. If you’re skilled in this area, then you should think about making a career out of your skills and passions. The next question that probably comes to mind is where you should start and how you fit into the tech sector considering your skills and interests. Here are prospective career paths that you could take as a tech fanatic.
1. Game Programmer
If you love games and want to work within that industry, there are many career paths you could choose to take. One is becoming a game programmer in which you’d be improving previously created engines so that you can advance. For making a designers’ vision come to life on a computer screen, you could earn a salary of $95,000.
To become a game programmer, you’re going to need a high level of math skills and a bachelor’s degree. To increase your employability, build an impressive portfolio that employers or prospective clients can look at. This career path could also put you in an excellent position to become a software developer.
2. Statistician
The good thing about tech businesses is they require a range of different roles to help them function. Having said that, in order to help them make sense of data they gather, they’d need a statistician. This is a career that would consist of you working with theoretical or applied statistics and using it to offer advice and solutions to your employer.
To pursue a career in this field, start with a bachelor’s degree in statistics. You can then look into Michigan Tech’s online statistics degree to further your education and career. This is ideal as it’s flexible and you can study while you work.
3. Software Engineer
Becoming a software engineer would also help you pursue your love for tech, so consider it if you enjoy design and development. You should note that there are different types of engineers and they all specialize in different areas. The two primary types you will find are applications software developers and systems software developers. If you’re wondering what the difference is, the former designs software for the end-user to interact with while the latter deals with more back-end engineering.
To pursue a career as a software engineer, learn the basics first and foremost. You could either decide to teach yourself the ins and outs of software engineering or get a formal education. What’s most important is that you have the right knowledge and are able to develop your skills fully.
If you do decide to follow the route of formal education, you should get a degree in engineering or related fields to start with. At some point, going on to get another degree should help improve your employability and create greater opportunities.
4. Web Developer
It is possible for you to read this article right now because of the work of a web developer out there somewhere. This is a great career for those who have skills or an interest in developing websites. This isn’t a career you need formal education to succeed in as it has a lot to do with your skills and technical know-how.
To become a web developer, start with the basics which means learning things such as UX, graphic design, SEO, user flow, scripting and much more. You can then advance to learn other aspects of web developing which include HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Version Control. These are things you can learn from scratch or go to an institution to learn. As a web developer, you can expect to earn anything from $51,000 to $150,000 depending on your knowledge and experience.
5. IT Manager
For those who are good at managing people as well as processes, becoming an IT manager is another career to consider. Expect to be in charge of planning, coordinating, as well as directing all activities that relate to the computer and information systems of the company you work at.
Before you can get a role as a manager, you typically need to have experience as an IT worker first. Many employers may also want to see that you have a bachelor’s in information technology or a related degree. As with any management position, being business savvy would also give you an advantage too.
6. Software Developer
Software is used in many organizations these days for several reasons. In most cases, it is working as a business solution and helping to make daily tasks easier. If you can develop software, you could be in for a successful career, so add this career to your list of prospective ones. To become a software developer, you need an HND, foundation degree, or bachelor’s degree. Choosing to study a subject like computer science would help you get the information you need to do well in this path.
7. Data Scientist
The career path of a data scientist isn’t amongst the easiest, so before deciding to follow this path, be sure you have a genuine interest. Online portals like Edx offer free data scientist courses, so perhaps give that a test run before pursuing a career.
In terms of education, you can start with a bachelor’s in science, math, physics or IT. You should then get a masters in a related data field and gain experience in your chosen niche area. Expect to get paid a median salary of $114,000.
8. Cloud Engineer
Becoming a cloud engineer could be a fulfilling job choice for anyone that can assess a business’ infrastructure and migrate different functions to a cloud-based system. This is a service that has a high demand as a result of how pervasive the cloud is becoming.
As a cloud engineer, you’ll be maintaining, building and linking to cloud services and as a result need technical skills, business knowledge, and experience at the least. Some programming languages that you should be familiar with are Java, AngularJS, C++, and Python. Knowing tech tool platforms such as Scala, Redshift, or SQL would work in your favor as well.
