What is a career switcher, and what does that have to do with tech?

What is a career switcher, and what does that have to do with tech?

1. What is a career switcher?
2. At what age can you switch?
3. How does a switcher start a career in tech?
4. Why do recruiters like switchers?
5. Which tech courses suit switchers best?

All of life is a chain of changes, and changing profession is a chance to start with a clean sheet and reshape your career outright. Statistically, one person in two thinks about changing what they do, and since the pandemic and the general move of teaching online, doing so has become far simpler and far quicker. In a world where information technology plays an ever more important role, a great many people are thinking about moving into tech and starting a career there.

What is a career switcher?

A switcher is someone who already has skills and knowledge in one field and decides to switch, changing profession outright for one with better prospects, even with no experience in it at all. Tech is one of the most popular destinations, since it offers both room to develop and decent pay.
Switchers most often come from manual trades — truck drivers, builders, engineers — and from office work: managers, marketers, economists, accountants.

At what age can you switch?

Most switchers are between 30 and 40, the period when a full understanding of your own needs and wishes arrives, along with a sense of what you are capable of. The reasons vary: some had a profession pushed on them by their parents, some moved to another country and are starting from nothing, some want to leave physical work and use their heads, some hit the ceiling in their field and see no further room to grow. But the main motivations for switching into tech are undoubtedly the desire to earn well and the possibility of working remotely from anywhere.
You can switch at any age, but not without a clear plan. Reaching the decision takes an average of up to 10 months, and learning a new tech profession and finding work can take another six to twelve.

How does a switcher start a career in tech?

Every switcher chooses their own route into a new field, but most carry on at their old job and start studying alongside it. That seems the least risky option and gives you a chance to judge whether the decision was right, though it does not let you concentrate fully on learning.
The alternative is to give as much free time as possible to study and move sooner to practice and to looking for work.
Moving into a new profession is absorbing and difficult at once. But it is better to take the risk and get the job you want than to live with endless stress and dissatisfaction in your current career.

Why do recruiters like switchers?

At first glance switchers might look like inexperienced beginners to a recruiter, but something sets them apart from other candidates: high motivation and a real willingness to put in the time and effort to show their best qualities against the competition. Their first priority is experience, so at the outset they do not ask for extravagant sums, which suits employers.

Which tech courses suit switchers best?

Before switching, it is worth going through the professions available and their prospects over the coming decade.
For a switcher, it matters to choose courses that will give you the key skills and knowledge for a successful tech career. The main directions that usually suit a start in tech:

  1. Programming fundamentals. Start with courses that introduce you to programming. Languages such as JavaScript, Java and Python are usually an excellent choice for beginners.
  2. Manual testing. An ideal way into tech from nothing, since it requires no programming and takes the least time to learn. QA Manual courses teach you testing methods, writing test cases and documentation.
  3. Automated testing. QA Automation courses teach you to write scripts and use test automation tooling, an important skill in software development. Testing is an important stage of the development life cycle and specialists in it are always in demand.
  4. Web development. Web development courses let you learn to build websites and applications. You can start with HTML, CSS and JavaScript and move on to more advanced frameworks.
  5. Databases. Understanding how databases work matters in many tech roles. Courses in SQL and database management will get you there.
  6. UX/UI design. UX/UI design courses teach you to build products and interfaces that meet what users need. That covers researching user needs, designing interfaces and testing the experience.
  7. Mobile development. If building mobile applications interests you, mobile development courses for Android or iOS may be useful.
  8. Machine learning and artificial intelligence. These subjects grow more important every year. Courses in machine learning and AI will help you into the field.

Which courses you choose depends on your interests and your goals. It also matters to practise what you learn and take part in projects, so that your skills keep developing.

Do not be afraid to change your life. You could be the next switcher to bring new ideas and innovation into technology.

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