How to Transition from Non-IT to Tech

Breaking into Tech: A Personal Perspective on Paving Your Pathway 🚀💡 1️⃣ Harness Transferable Skills 🧠🔄: Every profession equips you with skills that tech needs. My journey taught me that analytical thinking in healthcare or finance can be invaluable in tech. What skills can you transition? 2️⃣ Network Intentionally 🤝💬: From my experience, it's about who you know as much as what you know. Join LinkedIn groups, participate in tech discussions, attend virtual webinars, and be visible in tech circles. Engage, ask questions, and seek advice. 3️⃣ Invest in Targeted Learning 📜📚: I've seen peers transition swiftly with targeted certifications or bootcamps. No need for a full degree. Focus on niche areas like cybersecurity or AI that resonate with you. 4️⃣ Seek Tech-Adjacent Roles 🌐🔗: My colleague transitioned from a finance expert to a fintech project manager, using her domain expertise as a unique strength. Where can your experience be an asset in tech? 5️⃣ Pilot Side Projects & Volunteer💡🔧: A friend developed an app solving a healthcare problem and that became his tech portfolio. Consider creating solutions in your current field or volunteering your skills. 6️⃣ Stay Engaged & Updated 📰💻: Tech is dynamic. I ensure I'm subscribed to key tech newsletters and participate in forums. What's your strategy to keep up? Transitioning might seem a mountainous task, but remember, every tech leader started with a single step. Your tech journey is unique and valuable; embrace it. 🌟 I'd love to hear about your transition stories or any additional tips you might have. Let's form a reservoir of shared knowledge and experiences! #TechTransition #CybersecurityFuture

Thinking about a career change? Here’s how to actually make it happen, step by step. I’ve spoken with hundreds of people stuck between “I don’t want to do this anymore” and “But where do I even start?” Here’s the truth: Changing careers isn’t about starting over. It’s about repackaging what you already know, and proving you can solve a new set of problems. Here’s how to do it (with examples): 1. Start with your story. What’s pulling you away from your current path—and what’s pulling you forward? ✅ Example: “I’ve spent 6 years in education, but what I really loved was designing systems and learning tools. I’m now pivoting into UX design for edtech.” Make the shift clear and intentional. 2. Identify your transferable skills. You’ve built real value, name it. ✅ Example: Sales → Relationship-building, persuasion, handling objections Ops → Process design, cross-functional collaboration, execution List your strongest 4–6 skills and align them with your new target role. 3. Learn the language of the new industry. Every field has its own lingo. Start speaking it. ✅ Tip: Search 10 job listings in your target role. Write down the top 5 repeated words/phrases. Mirror those in your LinkedIn, resume, and pitch. 4. Rewrite your resume to match the direction, not the past. Lead with relevance, not chronology. ✅ Example: Add a “Career Summary” section: “Operations leader transitioning into product management, with 7+ years leading cross-functional teams, driving process improvements, and delivering results.” 5. Build proof fast. Don’t wait to get hired to show your skills. ✅ Options: Freelance Volunteer Build your own project Take a short course and create a case study Demonstrate that you’re not just interested, but also taking action. 6. Apply smart, not just often. Instead of applying everywhere, focus on quality roles in flexible environments. ✅ Pro tip: Use DailyRemote to find legit, remote-friendly roles across industries. It’s especially helpful for career changers who want fresh opportunities and a bit more breathing room. 7. Network with purpose. Start with conversations, not asks. ✅ DM example: “Hi Alex, I saw your post about transitioning into UX. I’m making a similar shift from content strategy. Would love to hear about your journey, no pressure at all.” Career changes take courage. But they’re absolutely possible. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. Now package it with purpose, and go get what’s next.

Networking can help you make ANY career transition ↔️ I've made a handful of small/minor career pivots myself, and I have friends & family who have made even BIGGER career pivots. There is one common element that helped each career pivot/transition story, and that is NETWORKING ✨. This Forbes article by career expert Caroline Castrillon captures this element perfectly and discusses how strategic networking efforts can help you make a career change or pivot! Remember, networking should be a consistent effort, almost like a habit. Don't just start when you need a job or when you have some obvious agenda. When you try to network with an alternative or hidden agenda, it comes across as inauthentic and disingenuous. With that said, here are the high-level of Caroline's five tips for networking for a career transition and my take on them + real stories of how they actually work 💁🏻♀️ ~ 1️⃣ Give contacts a chance to help. Reach out to people you already know and let them know that you're transitioning, or even make a post about it on LinkedIn! Let the world and the universe know your status and what you're up to! You'd be amazed at the people that come out of the woodwork and want to help you. When I started putting it out into the world that I wanted to do more speaking engagements, opportunities started coming my way! Just try it and see what happens! 2️⃣ Get valuable career advice. When my Dad realized that law school was something of interest, after a full engineering career (30+ years, 2x PE & MBA), he talked to lawyers he knew, including one of his former colleagues at his previous job. A good question to ask, specifically if you're making a career change, is, "If you were just starting out, what actions would you take to kickstart your career?" 3️⃣ Meet other career changers. Talk to other people who have transitioned into your target career, and if you can, find someone with a similar path/trajectory i.e SWE ➡️ PM. This way, you can learn about proven, tested strategies that have actually worked for people. 4️⃣ Practice your transition statement. I like to think of this as an edited, curated version of your "elevator speech," and remember to frame it as a story. Storytelling is crucial in interviews, and when you're making a career change, it's important to tell that story in a compelling way. 5️⃣ Build confidence. I think Caroline captured it perfectly when she said, "...confidence is not an innate, fixed characteristic. It’s a skill that can be developed." When my mom was transitioning from civil engineering to real estate sales, she built her confidence by working under another broker and building her resume. I built my confidence through a product fellowship and 2 product management internships! TL;DR Build confidence through experience and projects! https://lnkd.in/gA8ihBtu

The fastest way to transition to a career in data. - Learn SQL - Learn Python - Hire a resume writer - Do 5 Kaggle competitions Just kidding. Those things don’t matter as much as people selling you things want you to think they do. Why? Because knowing SQL and Python syntax but lacking the fundamentals and business context to address problems and build solutions is useless. And a pretty resume won’t bring all the recruiters to the yard, unless what’s on it is compelling. Finally, Kaggle is cool and all, but the incentives are much different than the real world. Spending 4 months on a 2% accuracy improvement makes sense in Kaggle-land, but will likely get you PIPed in the real world. Career transitioners often want to abandon their old life and focus on their new shiny skillz. But you have something new grads don’t. Experience. Embrace the skills that only come with experience and use that context to make your projects, resume, and interview more compelling. Sure, you still need to learn new things, but don’t discount your experience and the problem-solving that got you where you are now. #experience #career #tipsandtricks

The biggest career transition myth is that you have to "start over." "I can't afford to go back to entry level at 42 years old." That's what Patricia, high school English teacher, told me during our first call. Her voice tight with anxiety, she described watching job opportunities pass her by because she couldn't see how her skills translated. Three months later, she landed a learning experience designer role at a major tech company with a 30% salary increase. This is very similar to my experience too. The "starting over" fear paralyzes talented professionals. Last month alone, 6 out of 10 of my consultation calls mentioned this exact concern. You are NEVER starting over. You're pivoting with a backpack full of transferable skills that most people never learn to articulate. Another client Sarah moved from project management to product management, she didn't discard her experience. She reframed it. "Drafting project charters" became tied to "user journey mapping." "project success metrics" became "user satisfaction indicators." Companies are hiring less and less for technical skills. Now, in the age of AI, they're desperate for problem-solvers who bring fresh perspectives. Your outsider viewpoint lets you see solutions nobody else can imagine. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 "𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀" 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲. You're never climbing from the bottom of a new ladder. You're making a move with your professional maturity and learning agility intact. Most of you reading this have AT LEAST 3 years of work experience, not to mention AT LEAST 18 years of life experience. The real reason this myth persists is because our brains crave certainty. The devil we know feels safer than the unknown, even when the unknown holds vastly more potential. Try this today: List 5 projects you're proud of. For each one, identify the skills you used that have nothing to do with your specific industry. Those are your transferable superpowers. Ready to gain even more clarity? Check out my new book, The 30-Day Career Reboot available for pre-order on Amazon. Link in comments. :) #careers #careerchange #creativity #innovation #careeralchemy

Before you enroll in that degree/certificate program for that new role or industry that you're thinking of #pivoting in, do the following: 1) 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. I know too many people who immediately enroll in a program because they were told that the need a certificate or degree for their line of work. They enroll, invest their time and money, only to find out that it's not really their jam. So, before you do this, talk to people in the role. Ask them, "what they did to get in their role? Do they enjoy their role? Did they have formal training in the role? What skills - both the hard and soft - do they use the most?" 2) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭. After speaking to those that are actually in the field, along with conducting your own research, conduct an audit on your skills. You may already have many or some of the skills that are needed for the targeted role. Identify what you have and what you need. 3) 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. You may need additional skills. You may already have the skills that you need. Wherever you are on the skills bank, you now need a plan. Your plan may require you to learn new skill; it may not. Maybe you just need to learn how to communicate the skill set that you have and meet people. This is what I recommend. Don't skip or jump any steps. Know where you are and what you have in relation to what you want. For those that have successfully pivoted, would you recommend any other steps? #thecareergem #ExecutiveCoach #careertips

Staying in your comfort zone can hold you back. I got my first role in tech at Facebook because I did projects outside of my role. Before Facebook, I was writing proposals for government contracts. But when the company needed a new website, I volunteered to learn wordpress and built it. When we needed to build an online course, I learned how to write a sales page and sold it. When we needed to start running some ads, I learned the basics of social media marketing and started testing. So when I interviewed at a tech company for a role on a team that helped advertisers use their tools, I had very relevant stories. Even though those stories weren't on my resume. And because I networked my way to the hiring manager, I was able to tell those stories to show that I was the best candidate for the role. Traditional education and direct experience aren't the only path to success. If you're interested in pivoting into tech, don't: ❌ Ignore the power of side projects ❌ Assume you need to code to build an app ❌ Overlook the value of digital marketing skills ✅ Embrace the side hustle - in and out of your current job. ----- Follow me for more on transitioning into tech and product management. Found this helpful? Comment below and share this with other veterans transitioning into a new field.

“I’m trying to change careers. What advice do you have?” I get this question in my inbox almost daily. The time has come to put all my advice in one post. (Quick context for credibility: I pivoted from teacher to #ProjectManager this year. Before teaching, I worked in several roles, including in non-profits, as a Program Director and hiring manager). Here’s my advice to #JobSeekers: ✔ Always check out the Featured Content of someone you reach out to. They may have already answered your questions there. For example, here’s what I include in my Featured Content: -Link to my TopMate site and calendar for calls  -Link to my PMP ebook and free #CareerPivot resources (resume, template) -Long list of resources and who to follow if you are pivoting careers -List of successfully #transitionedteachers to several different industries -Carousel on how to career pivot your resume -Link to PM-Mastery podcast episode where I share my #PMP story -Posts where I share how I pivoted from #teaching to #ProjectManagement -Steps on how to tailor your resume -11.5 things I wish I knew when I first joined LinkedIn -Viral post on 3 resume changes I made that led to multiple interviews After perusing Featured Content and doing research, Here’s the rest of my advice: ✔ Get clarity on the role you want. It’s hard to do next steps without this. ✔ Don’t expect anyone to “take a chance” on you.  ✔ It’s on you to spell out your value and connect the dots. ✔ Start now and give yourself time. Transitions can take months. ✔Check out Teal. They offer fabulous resources for job seekers, like an application tracker and tools for tailoring your resume to a job description. ✔ Check out Better Career. They share resources for your job search and especially tech pivots. (Message me for more info and links to a Free Workshop and Job Accelerator Program). ✔ Optimize LinkedIn and know how to use it.  (Hint: it’s not Facebook. Don't underestimate your headline.) ✔ Ed Herzog, Scott Hinson, NCDF, and Yuji Higashi have helpful resources ✔ Remember: every post, every comment, every like, can be seen.  Use your presence wisely. ✔ Update your resume/LI to the language of your desired role/industry ✔ Start networking. And never stop. -Find people who post valuable content. -Interact in comments and provide meaningful contributions. ✔Make a plan (this may include upskilling). (I offer 1:1 calls to go over all of the above and/or help you make a plan!) ✔ Don’t pay hundreds of $ for content you can get for free/cheap ✔ Research your resources!!! And finally: 💡 Take breaks. 💡 Don’t give up. 💡 Know your non-negotiables. 💡 Know your worth and your “why.” 💡 Give yourself grace; career pivots are not easy. 💡 Don’t compare your journey to others; everyone has a different story. ✔ Reach out for help! A 30-minute chat might be what you need to get clarity and motivation. 🎤 To my LinkedIn Network: What advice would you add? Share below!

You don’t get a participation medal for being in tech. (Some people tend to believe they should get one tho.) Transitioning from a gymnastics career into tech. I was not given a participation medal. I’m not expecting one in healthcare either. As I transition from media advertising to healthcare…. I know I will face rejection and dismissal. As I did a decade ago while learning to code breastfeeding no. 2. People will question my place in the industry, just as I did walking into my first hackathon. Back then I focused on connecting with kind and supportive individuals. Instead of seeking validation with the if-you-know-you-know IYKYK crowd These 5 principles have guided me: 1. Seek Knowledge Relentlessly ▪️Acknowledge what you don’t know. ▪️Learn every day absorbing new information. 2. Build Genuine Connections ▪️Focus on forming relationships with kind, supportive people. ▪️Appreciate those who took the time to help and guide you. 3. Stay Humble ▪️Maintain humility regardless of titles or achievements. ▪️Learn from everyone, whether they are industry veterans or newcomers. 4. Document Your Journey ▪️Keep track of your learning, experiences and people. ▪️Transfer skills and processes from one field to another. 5. Believe in Your Vision ▪️Stay positive and break down your goals step by step. ▪️Surround yourself with supportive people and tune out the naysayers. These principles have led me to where I am today. Despite the doubts and rejections, I have built lasting friendships from my early days in tech 10 years. During this time, I was also coaching one of the most talented gymnasts I’ve ever had the blessing to work with in Singapore. Brianna Scott has qualified for the Paris Olympic Games representing the Australian Olympic team. 🇦🇺 I am FLIPPING OUT that I get to watch her do those fundamental skills I taught her combined with elite skill acquisition she gained over the years. Today, I am passionate about connecting with more folks who believe in the power of the human-potential in Singapore. Especially advocates for disabled individuals. Because who knows—if we connect today, in 10 years we may be celebrating achieving YOUR dream. My journey has taught me that kindness and genuine connections are truly the top of the podium when it comes to life. 🎵Thank you for being a friend… Tag those who have helped you on your career transitions & share a thing or two about their kindness. #disabilityadvocacy #careertransition #breakingintotech #MetaQuest