If you’re someone who wants to build a career in the tech world despite not knowing how to code that’s ok! The tech world is not limited to just programming and you don’t have to possess programming skills in order to get a job in the tech industry.  Whether it’s in startups or leading tech companies there is a wide variety of  non-coding tech jobs available.

Switching careers can be daunting — you might feel as though you’ve been doing the same thing for too long or it’s too late to try something new — but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of jobs that you can get hired for with no coding experience.

Are you feeling stuck in a career that you’re unhappy with? Maybe you’re looking to break into tech because you’ve heard of the great companies you can work for and better pay. But maybe you’ve been discouraged because you don’t have any experience with coding. 

Fear not! There are actually plenty of tech startups and established tech companies looking for more than just developers to join their team

1. Designer

Love drawing and art and want to be involved in tech? Then you may want to consider a career as a designer. There are several areas you could specialize in, or you could do a bit of each.

Some of those jobs include web design, user interface design, and mobile design others include ad design or even package design for companies that produce tangible goods.

The basic job of a designer is to craft a cohesive look and feel for a website, mobile app, package, or ad that draws the audience in and keeps them interested. It requires an eye for good design and a working knowledge of what will make it easier for the target audience to experience the website or product they’re designing.

For example, you could be designing products and packaging for companies that produce tangible goods. Or you might design ads and brand imaging, or even web pages. Although everyone can benefit from some basic coding skills (especially in web design), many designers have no programming or coding knowledge.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual graphic designer salary in 2018 was $50,370. Here are the best visual design bootcamps to get started!

2. UI/UX

Another non-programming technical job is in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) development. User Interface and User Experience is a field that helps companies make products that people enjoy using.

UX and UI positions are different, but they work closely together. UX designers aim to create the best feel to a website or mobile app, making sure that everything works as it should. UI specialists create visual designs and craft interfaces for websites or mobile apps.

Especially in today’s world, where almost every business is becoming more and more concerned about providing a superior user experience for better user retention – User Experience and User Interface Designer is a good go-to career option for design-oriented individuals.

You may be right as a UI designer if you’ve worked as a layout editor in the past, or maybe you’re just really good at creating flowcharts for studying material. Maybe you’re great at reading and creating maps. If you know how to simplify and guide the human eye from Point A to B, this position is for you.

Survey results released earlier this year showed that UX/UI experts come from a wide variety of backgrounds. The national average salary for UI/UX Designer is $93,653 per year in the United States.  So, if UI/UX is interesting to you, don’t be afraid to jump into the field no matter what your background is!

 Here’s a guide to the best UI/UX bootcamps, if you’re interested in a Bootcamp that offers Income Share Agreements, check out Wyncode!

3. Technical Writing

Technical Writer is another great choice for individuals who are in search of a non-coding tech job. Essentially, someone has to focus on using clear, concise content to communicate with readers and document everything that goes into developing a website, app, or product. Alongside all of that code and technical knowledge is someone who’s in content marketing and writing reports, to make everything palatable for non-technical people.

Technical writers can write content on instructions for users, requirements for developers, press releases, technical reports, specifications, or other types of documents.

You may be right for a technical writing position if you have a solid grasp of language and can break complicated topics down to their most basic components. Maybe you are great at writing lab reports.

Maybe you love giving presentations to explain a subject or can easily write out understandable instructions for users to read. If you’re well organized and clear-minded, technical writing is a great way to tap into tech.

Learn more about technical writing here.

To be an effective technical writer, it’s beneficial to understand the sort of thing that you’re writing about. This is true whether it’s an app or a set of mechanical engineering blueprints. Being concise, descriptive, and well-organized are also very useful writing skills to have in this field. Many technical writers get their start in the field that they work in, but others begin as freelancers.

Technical Writers made a median salary of $72,850 in 2019. The best-paid 25 percent made $93,590 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $56,570.The best thing about being a technical writer is that, apart from regular office jobs, you can also get adequate freelance career opportunities in the tech world.

4. Data Analyst

If you love to play with data and are looking forward to getting a tech job that doesn’t require coding skills – then becoming a Data Analyst would be the perfect career option for you. Being logical and hyper-focused on finding patterns is extremely useful.

If you’re good at taking the big picture and breaking it down into individual components, you may want to look into this ever-growing field. The average base pay for a data analyst in the United States in June 2021 is $68,583, according to job listing site Glassdoor.

The bigger the tech world gets, the more data there is to sort through and understand. The goal of data analysts is to inspect data in order to discover useful information, draw conclusions, and help with decision-making. Data analysts take large sums of data and break it down into a usable form using graphs, charts, lists, reports, and more. They play an integral role in figuring out the best opportunities for progress and growth for a company.

Insight Data Fellows offers an Income Share Agreement to fund learning skills to become a data analyst.

5. Project Manager

Most goals in tech are achieved through a project, from planning to creating the software, attaching it to hardware, implementing, monitoring, controlling, repairing, updating, and so on. These are all part of the software development life cycle and project managers keep things moving smoothly. You don’t need to know how to code to be a Project Manager.

Project manager’s yearly salary is $62,000. Product Managers are in charge of anything that has to do with the product. From the idea, to how it’s made, to who it is sold to, how it is marketed and portrayed, etc. No need to get into the nitty-gritty of coding for the project manager! Instead, they’re in charge of specific projects and often coordinate the priorities and actions of a range of parties. So if you’re a great observer of human behavior, an incredible influencer of teammates, and an all-around strong marketer, product management just might be your way into the tech world.

Check out Product Gym to get started!

6. System Administrator

Needless to say, every organization in the tech world requires a professional (or you can say a team of professionals) who is responsible for tasks like setting up systems for employees, troubleshooting software malfunctions, setting up servers, backing up files, and many others. And a System Administrator does this for them!

To get a job as a System Admin, you need to have a good understanding of general operating systems, networking concepts, system security, databases, etc. Also, you should have good communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills. There are various renowned IT certifications that can help you to get a job and start your professional career conveniently as a System Admin.

The average salary for a systems administrator is $82,816 per year want to learn more? Check out the definitive guide for being a System Admin! 

By now, it should be clear: Great tech careers aren’t limited just to coders. This industry really is wide open to people with all sorts of talents and experience

So if you’ve worked in marketing, chances are you can be a tech marketer. If you’ve recruited top talent, you can likely do the same in the tech industry.

Even if you haven’t taken on one of these roles in a different industry before, you can position your past experiences and showcase your transferable skills to make the case that you belong. Here are some skills you may already have that you can showcase when applying for a job in tech.

1. Adaptability

While you should focus on the things you’re good at, you also need to be aware of your weaknesses and work on fixing them. The people that are truly successful continue to add things to their skill sets and are curious enough to ask questions.

Learn to be adaptable and work on self-led learning.

2. Google Suite

Knowing how to use Google Sheets or Excel is a must-have skill when breaking into tech. Familiarity with spreadsheets is critical in several fields hiring in the tech industry like Sales and Marketing.

3. SQL

Having a basic knowledge of structured query language (SQL) is another good skill to have. SQL allows you to manipulate and access databases. SQL can be used for data analysis, and can sometimes be used in other cases instead of coding.

Skills like this can allow someone to get ahead in their field by working around a situation that might need coding. For example, instead of waiting for someone to pull numbers for a marketing report, you can use SQL to do it yourself.

4. Ability to make a basic landing page

This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it goes along with the do-it-yourself mentality. If you know how to make a simple landing page, you don’t have to wait on someone. Resources like WordPress or SquareSpace can make building websites or landing pages even easier.

5. Curiosity

Ask people who are already in tech to give you a crash course on what they do, or point you to a resource in order to continue learning. Breaking into the tech industry is about new learning opportunities and experiences. When you’re curious and work hard, you will stand out.

To get started, reach out to people on LinkedIn who work in the tech field. Many people enjoy sharing their experiences and helping others discover what jobs are a good fit for them. You’ll also get connected with insiders who can serve as references and guides during the interview process. When you reach out, make it clear you’re looking to learn from their expertise and experiences, not just get a job.

The list doesn’t end here! There are numerous other non-coding tech jobs. All you need to do is identify your interest, skills, and requirements – and pick out the relevant career option for yourself.

About Meratas

Meratas is the leading Income Share Agreement (ISA) software company, providing a full-service, turnkey, SaaS platform to design, originate, and manage ISAs. We help universities, bootcamps, trade schools, and membership programs increase enrollment and open access to their programs. All through the power of Income Share Agreements.

We also help those looking to get an education, up-skill, or re-skill, get into the career of their dreams. All at generally no upfront cost. We pair individuals looking for a fresh new career with the best educational programs on the Meratas platform to reach their professional goals. If you’re looking to break into your new career, check out our student page and we’ll help you find the career of your dreams.

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