4 Steps To Land Your Dream Role In Tech

I quit my finance job after 7 years of hard work.

I had built a career that I was starting to master, receiving promotions, and becoming a highly skilled professional. Something was missing though, I didn’t feel fulfilled in my work.

I discovered the world of tech, and when I realized that tech wasn’t about the tech, but how tech impacts people, I knew this is the direction I needed to go.

But I didn’t know how. I didn’t know the roles, I didn’t know the people, heck I hardly knew what tech was.

I randomly tried things. I joined a coding bootcamp. Worked with a coach. Brought together a personal board of directors and started to learn.

I eventually realized Product Management was the world I wanted to get into and was lucky enough to be given an opportunity. That role led me to community, and community led me to CITI. A side project to help people build meaningful careers in tech.

Since its inception, we have helped 350 professionals secure employment in tech. It has been six years.

About a year ago we did a survey to those professionals to understand what was the common theme between those that were successful?

4 themes emerged - The 4 steps to land your dream role in tech.
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Step 1: Find Your Place

First things first, you need a goal. To find a goal, you need to know how things work.

• How do tech companies work? 
• What are the roles? 
• What does an organizational chart? 
• Where do I fit?

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This is a target, matching the intersection of the market and who you are.

Asking: How does this fit with my personal career vision and goals?

It’s all about that intersection. The more focused and niche you are the better. Domain expertise matters.

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Step 2: Build Your Professional Brand

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Have you heard recently that you need a “Personal Brand”.

And thought “What the heck is that”?

It comes down to two thing:

1. What is your value proposition 
2. Building exposure.
   
   

The first step is to understand you and how you promote yourself.

What is the hiring manager thinking?

• Are you competent in the role? 
• Are you a great fit for our organization? 
• Do you care about what we do?
  
  

How to answer?

• The role that leverages your strengths
• The culture is aligned with your values
• The mission that brings out your purpose

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Answering this is key. You need to define your strengths, values and purpose.
The more half-opened doors you close the quicker the right one will fully open.

The second part is building a solid linkedin presence. As well as consistently building content to reach your audience.

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Step 3: Develop Your Skills

There is a right way and a wrong way to do this.

❌ The wrong way: the job search death trap. Focusing on Online Courses and Tutorials.
✅ The right way: Building Projects and a Portfolio

Why? It demonstrates problem solving ability, shows high agency and differentiates you.

Best part? It shows your personality in interviews.

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Step 4: Networking

I purposefully left this to last. Why? Because networking is so much more powerful with a brand and projects. Don’t reach out asking about how to get a role. Reach out about the projects you’re building that are associated with your brand.

You are a peer. A peer connects around learning, not around finding a job.

As the saying goes:

“If you want a job, ask for advice.
If you want advice, ask for a job.”

The logistics count to:

• Make specific asks
• Lead the logistics
• Track your progress

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Conclusion: Secure Employment

You got your funnel, you are being interviewed now.

1. Research the Company
2. Know Your Career Formula
3. Have Previous Examples of Work Ready
4. Send Follow Up Emails
5. Bring Enthusiasm

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