“Tech is the way….”
You have probably heard that line a million times, especially from techies who want to shove it in your face. And you keep wondering when even your juniors from school became “Tech bros”.
There you are, feeling left out and thinking there is no room for you in the techmosphere. I have been there, and I am here to tell you the truth.
First, you think every tech job role requires coding, and since you can’t code to save your life, you have chosen to give up on your tech ambition, look elsewhere and allow all the tech money to fly over your head.
The good news is that there are great tech roles that have nothing to do with coding. Follow closely because this article will expose you to six high-demand tech roles you can successfully transition into with zero coding skills.
1. SEO Specialist
SEO means Search Engine Optimisation. An SEO Specialist adopts digital analytics and marketing skills to improve a company’s visibility on the internet. Such a person is skilled in applying SEO to increase the visibility of a website on the search engine.
As an SEO specialist, your job involves testing, analysing, and implementing changes on a website to optimise its content for search engines. This enables such websites to rank higher on search engine result pages(SERP).
An SEO specialist is similar to a digital marketer because they both have a goal in common: to drive more sales and drive more traffic or engagement, as the case may be.
There is pretty nothing to worry about because SEO skills can be mastered by anyone interested in pursuing a career in the field.
Here are a few of the core responsibilities of an SEO specialist
- Adopt optimisation strategies that promote an organisation’s ranking on search engines.
- Effectively optimise copy and landing page for efficient search engine marketing.
- Increase visibility and drive traffic to a website.
- Observe the performance metrics using SEO tools like google analytics, Ahrefs and Semrush.
Does this sound like something you can give a shot? If it does, then here are a few steps to getting started:
- Learn how search engines work.
- Learn the basics of SEO.( Youtube videos will come in handy)
- Enrol on a course. (You can learn from Coursera, Udemy, Google, etc.)
- Keep learning and practising your SEO skill.
- Optimise your website, volunteer as an SEO Specialist and build your portfolio.
You can enrol for this Google SEO Masterclass for beginners here.
2. Technical Content Writing
A technical content writer should not be mistaken for a technical writer. Although they sound very much alike, their job roles differ.
If you find it easy to understand complex technical details and know how to communicate those details in simpler words effectively, you might have found a new career path.
A technical content writer creates diverse tech content, from blog posts to whitepapers, product reviews and articles.
They are known for breaking down seemingly complex details into a simpler and easy-to-read language such that the content is clear, well detailed yet concise and devoid of jargon.
Here are a few steps to get started as a Technical content writer
- Develop excellent writing skills.
- Learn to research complex topics.
- Take an online course. There’s one for you here.
- Network, learn, practice, and begin to build your portfolio.
3. UI/UX design
UI/UX is not just two terms used interchangeably. They mean different things and are two distinct job roles.
UI design means User Interface design, while UX design means User Experience design. However, both UI and UX designers work hand in hand.
If the UI design of the product is terrible, no matter how great the UX design is, it won’t be effective, and you will find out the reason behind that soon.
The goal of a UX designer is to create easy, effective, relevant and pleasant experiences for users. UX design or User experience is concerned with how users interact with the app.
As a UX designer, you must understand how users prefer to interact with their applications. This would enable you to create product designs or services that are usable, enjoyable and accessible.
However, the UI consists of all the items the users interact with. It is more like the graphical layout of an application. These items include the buttons, the sliders, the images and all the visual elements. The UI designers determine what the application would look like, the colours, font, button shape and size.
A good graphic designer or creative person would make a great UI designer. Their job is to make a website or an application’s interface attractive and ensure that every element blends in statistically and is well situated.
To get started on any of the two, here are a few steps
- You must develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Be an avid researcher and develop creativity.
- Have the ability to work collaboratively and be open-minded.
- Learn a little about customer service and human behaviour.
- You should take an online course on Udemy, Coursera etc.
4. Tech Journalism
Tech journalism covers tech culture, laws and policies governing tech, the latest technological development, new product reviews, tech tips and solutions.
A tech journalist may also create blog content, videos and podcasts.
To become a tech journalist, you need to understand the tech space and learn about journalism. If you have a background in journalism or are conversant with the field, transitioning into this might be for you.
Here are a few things to know as you get started:
- Be ready to learn, and be inquisitive.
- Develop and build your writing and journalism skills.
- Start small and practice all kinds of writing.
- Freelancing as a tech journalist is not a bad idea also.
- Relearn, intern, volunteer and build a portfolio.
5. Data analyst
If you consider yourself analytical, curious, and inquisitive with a sprinkle of mathematical skills, here’s one for you.
Data analysts are needed in various sectors, from finance to government to education to consulting, among many others.
A data analyst is responsible for designing and keeping data systems and databases. Such individuals export data from primary and secondary sources and re-organise the collected data in a format that can be read and interpreted by humans or machines.
This description just scratches the surface because a data analyst has more responsibilities.
Are you interested in getting started?
Here are a few things you should do:
- Develop numerical and analytical skills.
- Learn about data analysis tools.
- Learn the art of producing a clear graphical representation of data.
- Consider getting certification/Earning a master’s degree in data analytics.
6. Community Management
This has a little semblance with social media management, but it’s different. A community manager builds and nurtures relationships within the digital community.
As a community manager, you make efforts to develop and support the community, build brand presence and credibility, and engage in discussions within the community.
They provide management to the social media/digital presence of an organisation. Such an individual ensures that content published always measures up.
Usually, they work on new ways to engage the digital community. You must understand the audience, tend to them and provide all the needs of your online audience.
Other responsibilities of a community manager include staying updated on digital tech trends, collaborating with the marketing and the PR team, and organising and managing events geared towards brand awareness.
Here are a few of the things you should know if you are interested in getting started:
- You must be digital-savvy. You have to love the internet and social media platforms.
- You need to possess communication skills and writing skills.
- Be a good researcher to observe changing and ever-growing trends.
- Possess excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
- Have basic knowledge of marketing.
- Skills like content creation, customer service relations and equivalents are also required for a community manager.
If you are yet to find one role that resonates with you, you can also check these other ones. Don’t worry; you won’t have to code.
Just take your time, research about them and pick a side.
- Product Management
- Program/Project Manager
- Tech Support
- Software Tester
- Customer Success
- Growth Hacker
Your success in any of these roles depends on you. You must be ready to put in consistent and deliberate efforts. Invest your time into learning so you can eventually secure the bag.
See you in our next post.
Chisom from UPFOLIO.
