There is a flood of people moving from industries outside of tech, into the tech space. I believe this is excellent for the industry because of the increase in diversity this brings to the tech workforce. What I have also seen is a lack of transition support for people from other industries like teaching, social work, medicine and other, when they start working at a tech company.

I have worked in tech since 2010 and have seen how different the tech space is from other industries since none of my friends work in tech.

When switching industries it can be a major support to have someone walk you through the details of the culture in tech versus other jobs in teaching, medicine, etc. I offer this as part of my career coaching and in conversationa with anyone looking to switch into tech.

Here are the three top differences to consider when switching to work in tech:

1. Your voice matters

Unlike more traditional industries, tech is usually welcoming of new opinions. How else would startups innovate and stay in business if not for trying out new ideas that come from it's people.

2. Uncertainty is part of the process

Tech is relatively new to industry, so it has to keep trying new things to survive and compete. That means things change quickly and uncertainty is part of the process of making and building.

3. You can choose the system

Due to the newness of tech, there are a variety of cultures that emerge in startups. You can choose which one works for you. Not every startup causes burnout and some even strive for work/life balance and will pay for your vacations.

Want to learn what transition support in a tech career can look like? DM me, I am happy to offer a call.

Most importantly, always ask for support, and if it's not provided, perhaps it's not the company for you.