Trying to Build a Career in Software? Start Here.

Technology is constantly evolving. Because of the growth of the tech sector and rapid development of new tools and stacks, it’s unlike most industries in that you can start your career at any age if you're just willing to learn and grow.?

You might be wondering: is 2022 the right time to break into this industry? For one, the tech sector has been significantly impacted during the economic downturn. Valuations have been dropping, and many of the household tech companies we know - Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Amazon, for example - have been going through very public layoffs and/or hiring freezes.?

Despite that, though, there’s still an overwhelming shortage of skilled technical labor in the U.S. Currently, there’s an estimated five jobs for every one software developer in the country. This number is even higher in emerging fields like security and AI. Employers of mid-size companies and startups are looking not just throughout the U.S. for talent, but to global markets.?

What are the main reasons people are interested in tech sector jobs?

According to a 2022 survey from Deloitte, compensation and career advancement potential topped the list of most important factors in their next role. Tech tends to offer a number of benefits not always found in other sectors.

Here are just a few of the reasons so many people are becoming interested in getting a job in tech:

• Most jobs are well paid
• It provides great job security?
• there's tons of flexibility when it comes to working remote

Along with that, there’s a ton of professional development and quality of life perks. As technology evolves, you are constantly learning. Many tech companies offer great culture perks and have that young startup vibe. And companies literally can't grow without technology, so it is a magnet for investment and it's really not going anywhere. The future of technology is bright and sustainable.?

But, if you’re a freelancer looking to secure a remote role in the tech sector, how can you get started? In this article, I’ll break down some lessons from my own experience as a programmer, as well as through Scalable Path’s Developer network.?

It’s never too late to start a career in programming

Before starting as a programmer, I actually studied geography. Then I worked in the wine business and did sales. It wasn't until my mid-to-late twenties that I thought, “where's my career going?”?

Around that time, a friend came to me and said, “Hey, I need help building this website.”?

I agreed to help him. I had limited knowledge of programming at the time, but I thought this would be a good way to learn. Of course, it took me a long time. And I didn’t do it perfectly. But I found that I liked it, and I could do it.

I didn't really get my career in software going until I was about 30. And there is no reason that couldn't have been much later in my life. You just have to have an interest in the area and an ability to learn new things.?

Look into “Recession-Proof” Fields

While the current economic climate and tech layoffs might scare you, they shouldn’t. The tech sector will continue to expand, particularly in key areas. As stated previously, software development is an extremely fast-growing field in the U.S.?

One survey showed that the most sought-after tech positions in the U.S. are below.?

Some “recession-proof” fields include those that are at the cutting edge or emerging; this includes fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cloud architecture. Roles that aren’t specific to developers and designers are growing in demand, too, including tech support and financial analysis.?

Remember every organization relies heavily and is driven by technology. So although we're seeing layoffs, tech is still the hottest career to get into. The risk is definitely worth the reward in the long run.?

Don’t know what to learn? Look up new and hot technologies

Because technology is such a fast-moving industry, like even developers who have been coding for 10-15 years will see new technologies come out and find their current skill set just isn’t sufficient.?

While that means continuous learning is key to any programmer’s development, it also offers an opportunity for new programmers to learn relevant skills and break into the industry.?

By researching what’s new and learning a framework or system that’s starting to become widely used, you can be just as good as the people who have been programming for years, because they don’t know the technology or just learned it, too.?

There is such a high demand from employers that if you can get reasonably good at something, it's not too hard to find a job.?

Determine your learning style and start learning?

There are so many different ways to learn about software development from just diving in to self-learning to doing free tutorials online. That's just one end of the spectrum.?

On the other end, you've got a full computer science degree and everything in between, from paid online courses to in-person or virtual bootcamps.?

It doesn’t really matter how you learn, but what you learn. In our experience, most employers don’t actually care about your education or credentials. They care more about whether an individual can actually do the work.

If you’re interested in learning about ways you can learn, a Developer from our network wrote a post on online learning platforms and resources. This article will also help you answer some questions to help you find the right resources for you, like:

• What's your preferred learning approach or learning style??
• Do you like reading text or do you prefer watching videos??
• Do you prefer learning a more theoretically about software development, or do you run and work on more like applied examples?
• Is interaction with instructors and peers important to you or are you more of an independent learner?

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This article was written by Damien Filiatrault, Founder & CEO of Scalable Path, a global marketplace of software development talent. Since founding Scalable Path in 2010, the company has amassed a freelance network of over 23,000 software developers in 177 countries. He cares deeply for the environment and has pledged 10% of all Scalable Path profits to climate change research.