Working in technology area
A person wrote to me: “I could not go to college because my family is poor and I have to work in a factory to support my family. I am worried about robots and Artificial Intelligence that could take my job in the future. What should I do? Are there opportunities for someone without a college education to work in a technology area? I am willing to learn anything to survive. Please help.”
Answer: Today anyone with technical knowledge and skills can get a technology job. People often confuse that technology jobs mean working for companies like Google or Facebook etc.. The fact is almost every business, from large to small, from manufacturing to even restaurant are using information technology and they need technical workers.
First, technology is NOT about math or science. You do NOT have to be good in these subjects to learn technology. All you need is a willingness to learn and put in your effort than you can succeed. In my view, “technical skills” are the key to open the opportunity door but “soft skills” such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and leadership are more important as you advance in your career.
Although a college education is important there are many technical jobs that do NOT require a college degree. If you can learn how to write code or have knowledge of how to connect the network, you can get a programmer job or a network support job. There are many programming courses online that you can learn in a few months and even get a certificate. All you need is a commitment and willingness to learn to develop your career and get a technical job. Today, there is a critical shortage of technical workers all over the world as more businesses are depending on the information technology and they need technical workers, not necessary college graduates with a degree.
However, there is a misconception that you can make a lot of money in technical jobs. The fact is money should never be the goal of working in the technology area but a stable career that allow people to make a good living.While the average tech job may pay more than others, not all technology workers are rich. Working in technology requires people to constantly learning and adjusting as technology changes fast. The best thing about working in technology is it is challenging and never boring . As the Digital transformation of business is creating more jobs, many of them are also changing fast too. As long as you are willing to learn new things, you will do well.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
