Many people I speak to who aren’t “in tech” express a desire to be “in tech”. There seems to be a certain glamour surrounding being 'in tech', that being able to say you're 'in tech’ is a Good Thing. I always get a kick out of this since being 'in tech' can mean many thing (also the reason I use the quotes for 'in tech’). Do you want to become a product manager? A programmer? Network Engineer? There’s a huge range of opportunities “in tech”, the trick (after determining you want to make a switch) is to pick which branch you want to look into.

Once you do though, be open to a change of pace/leveling/etc. Depending on your background you may essentially be starting from scratch, so make sure you’re OK with a more junior position than you have now (not saying it’s guaranteed, just be prepared!). Once you’re OK with all that there’s a whole lot more work to do!

What do you mean by tech?

When we think of tech most of us tend to think of a programmer locked in her basement making the Next Big Thing. While I feel this stereotype is damaging to programmers (sometimes they’re locked in their bedrooms), it certainly isn’t the only kind of technical role a company requires. Indeed, the types of technical roles available will vary based on industry. Laboratory technicians are likely not needed at a financial firm, and programmers are less likely to be found in factories.

Have an honest discussion with yourself about what you mean when you say you want to get into a technical role. Reach out to folks you know on LinkedIn who you are in a similar field to see what they think, and grab time with trusted friends/mentors/role models to talk through your thoughts. This will help you better target a good role, and, more importantly, better understand where your thoughts are coming from.

To go with the stereotype, if you’re thinking of becoming a Software Engineer (coder), it is a very available skill (throw a digital rock online and you’ll hit a dozen code academies). It still, however, takes time, discipline and a lot of elbow-grease to pick up (especially at any level that will result in a job at a big company). That said, there are many other technical roles available (by no means an exhaustive list!):

Technical Project Management

This role blends technical knowledge with project management. Technical Project Managers (TPMs) are essentially project managers for tech. Unlike a “non technical' Project Manager (PM), TPMs tend to require a deeper understanding of the systems or concepts they have manage. For example, a TPM implementing a new SQL database would highly benefit from understanding basic SQL commands, server requirements etc. They also serve as translators between the technical teams and the business partner they’re working with.

Good For - People with project management experience, individuals who want to be around tech without necessarily being IN tech.

Less good for - Wanting to get hands-on with tech. TPMs tend to work tightly with tech teams, but are not generally doing the technical work directly.

Quality Testing

Quality Testers (also called Quality Assurance) are responsible for ensuring products don’t get released with bugs or defects. Frequently this involves developing and executing test plans (which can be incredibly tedious!) that run through every combination of actions or inputs. While they work with software engineering teams they generally do not need the same depth of expertise in coding. They can, however, work on/write testing scripts to help automate the more boring parts of the role.

Good for - Folks who want to get hands-on with tech and do not have an in-depth background

Less good for - Folks who cannot handle monotony. Imagine having to look at the same website for a week and clicking each link repeatedly.

Sales engineering

Sales Engineers work with (you guessed it) sales teams to help sell products. Generally they’re brought in to help demonstrate specific use-cases, features or to find new ways to demonstrate how a product works. Not necessarily a role you’ll find at a smaller company, but larger ones (e..g Salesforce) will certainly have these folks around. Most of the time they know what they’re walking into on a call, but depending on how things go they may have to apply some quick-thinking trouble shooting if an unexpected question comes up.

Good for - Someone with sales experience and interested in working with multiple client groups

Less good for - Someone who doesn’t like sales, or someone or who wants to work with the same customer (internal or otherwise) over longer periods of time.

Data Analyst

Data analysts analyze data (shock!). Contrary to popularly held beliefs there is a huge amount of knowledge needed to be a good Analyst (not just how to use Excel). Fortunately the skills are readily available online and at schools. I personally find this discipline fascinating since it allows us to put order to data and help others draw conclusions from that. Data Analysts almost always need to learn some type of coding language in order to pull and manipulate data (e.g. SQL).

Good for - Someone good at finding and explaining patterns, or good at translating raw data into actionable insights.

Less good for - Folks who don’t like numbers, or folks who don’t like presenting insights to groups.

Taking the plunge

Once you’ve got a rough idea of what flavor of tech you’re interested in go learn more about it. See if your company has someone who has that role (or a similar one). Ask your friends if they know anyone who’d be willing to chat about it. Take the time to come up with some questions to ask everyone you speak with. This will not only make the best use of your time, but help you get a better handle on WHY you want to get into tech.

While you’re lining up folk to talk to take a look at job postings for the types of jobs you’re interested in. This will help give you a good feel of what types of things company’s look for. For me this really helped line up supplemental training/education (the whole experience vs. training question is out there, but more knowledge never hurts!).

One other thing you can do is look into volunteer opportunities. Many NPOs and community organizations are looking for help and have some interesting projects. At the very least these will help you better understand what you’re getting into and help focus your thinking. Also, they tend to not require 100% of your time, allowing you to stay at your “real” job while you feel things out.

Above all keep a good eye on WHY you want change, and while it may not happen overnight, eventually you’ll find a spot that makes the best sense for you.