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The number of millennials making the leap from their current field into a technology job is on the rise and for good reason. Job opportunity has and will be exceptional for tech job seekers, along with the ability to expand skills, be challenged, and earn a higher income.
To get the lay of the land, I heard from General Assembly (GA) staff and alumni about their design, data, marketing and technology school. GA makes it possible for working professionals to make a pivot to break into the tech industry by equipping them with the skills that are in high demand today.
“The majority of our students have an undergraduate degree in liberal arts, business or in another non-technical concentration and have some prior work experience,” said Anna Lindow, VP of Partnerships at General Assembly, a design, marketing, technology, and data school. “According to our Student Outcomes Report, 60% of our full-time graduates reported having received an undergraduate degree, 14.3% reported having a graduate degree and .5% reported having a Ph.D.”
It’s important to note that many folks who are making a successful pivot into tech are already employed elsewhere and have a college degree in a non-related field. So often, the general public believes that working in a technical role is impossible without a four year computer science degree, or similar.
“Tech isn’t for everyone, but tech is probably the single greatest opportunity that exists for millennials today,” Mark Smukler, General Assembly alumni and Co-Founder of Bixby, a rental management platform. “There’s still a large shortage of technical expertise across most industry verticals and a career in tech can be one of the most rewarding jobs in many ways.”
Job Opportunity
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. Job opportunity has historically stayed very favorable and is expected to continue to be.
Further, even industries that have traditionally not been related to tech employ technical staff, as most companies do not thrive without cutting edge tools.
“ There were more than 250,000 positions open last year in the category known as ‘hybrid technical roles ’,” said Lindow. “These jobs not only offer comparably high starting salaries, they also present a path forward. The world of work will continue to evolve, and those who can demonstrate their ability to learn new skill sets with agility will be able to change with it and seize future opportunities.”
For millennial professionals who are eyeing up a career change to tech, there has never been a better time to make the leap. Between a shortage of qualified candidates and the competition that naturally comes with job-hoppers, finding a great job in the field has become much easier.
“This market is booming,” said Eric Haller, Executive Vice President & Global Head of Experian DataLabs, an innovative data analysis company. “Finding talent is a challenge and employers are starting to swarm the universities that are producing those they think are trainable or can come in the door ready to work. The supply/demand equation favors those on the supply side right now and it looks to be that way for some time to come.”
Skills Expansion
Whether a millennial plans to spend the rest of their life in the tech industry or they just want to expand their skills, they are making a wise move by leveling up. Gaining technical skills that make them stand out from the crowd will help them not only in searching for a technical job, but also in the future if they pursue non-technical roles. There is now a high value on professionals who can interact with, understand, and translate technical work.
“Millennials have always experienced an uncertain economy, and know better than any generation how quickly things change,” said Amy Lynch, Generations Consultant and Speaker at Generational Edge, a Generational Intelligence company. “Multiple skills mean multiple opportunities, and some of those skills should be tech!”
Income
This should come as no surprise. U.S. News ranked the nine best technology jobs in 2016, with all of the median salaries for these jobs coming in between $61,000-127,000. While money is not usually a determining factor for millennials, it certainly helps with paying back a generally heavy student loan burden.
“When I was job hunting with my humanities BA after college, no one would give me the time of day, even for jobs I felt I was overqualified for,” said Lindsey Curran, General Assembly Alumni and Software Engineer at GE Digital, a digital industrial company. “But as a web developer, there’s such high demand. Moving up a few income brackets doesn't hurt either. But most of all I actually enjoy what I'm doing now.”
Challenge
Millennials are likely to leave jobs that they do not feel challenged in. The draw to tech can often be credited to the challenge that comes with highly technical roles. There is always a new problem to solve or tool to create.
“Making that choice to pivot my career into tech was a huge step though and a biggest internal hurdle to face,” said Curran. “It's scary to commit to something so different from what I studied in college, especially because I never thought that I would ever pursue a career as a web developer.
While individual motivations for a career pivot into tech may vary from person to person, what is clear is that there is ample career opportunity for anyone with the skills or drive to acquire necessary skills for the job. Further, the opportunity to be pushed to the limit with new challenges and gain additional skills should be a big draw for millennials. If nothing else, the higher salary doesn’t hurt!
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