How to Get a Tech Job with No Work Experience

Tech is the fastest growing industry in the United States today, and it opens a world of possibilities to people across the country. It’s an exciting new industry with loads of competitive advantages, including high wages, excellent working conditions, and enormous opportunities for growth. As a result, it’s no wonder that you’d be interested in pursuing a career in tech. However, it’s likely that you don’t have any previous work experience in tech—or perhaps no work experience at all. That’s alright because it’s possible to get a job in the tech industry without on-the-job experience.

Unfortunately, most people can’t just stroll into a startup and ask for a job. That would be ridiculous and probably wouldn’t fly in any other industry either. Instead, there is a new kind of tech education program that can help you become competitive in the workforce. In this article, we’ll show you how to get a tech job with no experience required. To top it all off, we will show you how to do it in just 21 days!

Skills Needed to Work in the Tech Industry

This is no simple question to answer, as tech jobs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. However, there’s one tech skill that seems to be ubiquitous across the tech industry today—programming. That’s not to say that everybody who works in tech knows how to code, but the majority of entry-level positions require the skill. Some of the fastest-growing careers in the US include software engineering, data science, web development (full stack and otherwise), and other forms of coding-related positions. As a result, the vast majority of entry-level tech positions require some extent of coding knowledge.

Oh, one more thing—for these positions, no college degree is necessary. As it turns out, you don’t need a college degree to learn HTML, JavaScript, Ruby, and Python. The industry (by and large) doesn’t put such arbitrary requirements on entry-level applicants.

How to Qualify for an Entry-Level Tech Job with No Work Experience

There are a few ways to go about learning how to code. In the past, many people simply taught themselves using books and Internet resources. That might have been sufficient in 2005, but the industry is full of self-taught programmers. They started early when the barrier to entry as a programmer was lower. And they learned more as they went along. 

Unfortunately, this generally isn’t sufficient these days. The scope of knowledge required to work in tech has since increased dramatically. However, that doesn’t mean we’re out of luck. Due to the high demand for programmers, numerous short-term coding bootcamps have sprung up around the country. These intensive coding programs cover numerous essential tech tools and programming languages in three months to a year. Thousands of students from all backgrounds attend coding bootcamps, with a great majority landing lucrative tech jobs upon graduation. Next, we’ll show you exactly how to get a job in tech with no work experience.

What if I Have No Work Experience at All?

This is one of the major benefits of coding bootcamps. Generally, graduates have absolutely no prior experience working in tech, and many have never held a real job or relevant experience in the industry. These programs are often an alternative to college, so the work histories of students vary widely. Unlike many college programs, coding bootcamps help students build an impressive coding portfolio as they go along, which takes the place of work experience. Tech companies are well aware of coding bootcamps, and many hire directly from the program after reviewing a graduate’s portfolio.

If you graduate from coding bootcamp but still have difficulty finding a full time job, there are other options. Many coding bootcamp grads use freelance platforms to take on small-scale temporary projects to add to their portfolio. By taking these smaller jobs, it demonstrates their ability to meet deadlines. A few months of freelancing can make a big difference–and unlike many internships, you’ll actually get paid for your work.

How to Get Started

Once you’ve decided to pursue a tech career, it’s time to get enrolled in a coding bootcamp that fits your goals and schedule. This is where Career Karma can help—we’re the only service that matches you with a motivated group of peers and a coding bootcamp that fits your precise requirements. When you enroll in our free 21-day challenge, we’ll have you set and ready to go in less than a month! Click the link below to find out more.