KEMBAR78
Getting Started in Tech | PDF
Breaking into TechBreaking into Tech
http://bit.ly/thinkful-hired-in-tech
1
About Thinkful
We train developers and data scientists through
1x1 mentorship and project-based learning.
 
Guaranteed.
2
What is "tech"?
Tech isn’t just one industry anymore — it’s the new business
model. Every company is now a tech company.
3
Largest in their areas - all tech based companies
Retail / Entertainment
Transportation Media
Entertainment
bit.ly/hired-in-laWIFI: CrossCamp.us Events
 
bit.ly/hired-in-la
4
The good news
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics + White House
5
The implications for jobs
Increased demand in for technical skills
Creation of new “software plus” jobs
Diffusion of tech organizational culture, roles, and processes
6
One such process — career trajectory
Junior sales
Account
executive
Sales
Manager
VP
Sales
7
In “tech” career trajectories are varied
Front End Developer
Back End Developer
Full Stack Developer
QA Developer
8
In “tech” career trajectories are varied
Manager / team lead
Reliability Engineer
Growth Hacker
Product Developer
Dev Ops
Architect
Front End Developer
Back End Developer
Full Stack Developer
QA Developer
9
Common first jobs
Front End Developer
Back End Developer
Full Stack Developer
QA Developer
10
Front end developer
bit.ly/hired-in-laWIFI: CrossCamp.us Events
 
bit.ly/hired-in-la
11
Back end developer
12
Full stack developer
+
13
QA Developer
Write software tests and conduct manual tests to catch bugs
before they’re shipped
14
Next step: Senior Developer
Everything that came before with the ability to estimate your
work accurately, handle challenging problems with less
support, and add support for junior colleagues
15
Coding plus Roles
Coding + Product = Product Manager
Coding + Marketing = Growth Hacker
Coding + Sales = Sales Engineer
Coding + Data = Data Scientist 
16
Product Manager (Coding + Product)
Skills & Tools
Customer research
Customer development
User stories
Wireframes
Project management
Analytics
Turn business goals into product requirements. Work with
designers & developers to deliver — measure success
17
Growth Hacker (Coding + Marketing)
Skills & Tools
Rapid prototyping
Analytics
Communication
Design & implement experiments to drive customer
acquisition and engagement
18
Sales Engineer (Coding + Sales)
Skills & Tools
Customer Support
Communication
Sell complex technical product by helping customer
understand how it works and how they’ll use it
19
Data Scientist (Coding + Data)
Skills & Tools
Curiosity
Statistics
Analytics 
Machine Learning
Use statistics and programming to find valuable insights
from extremely large datasets 
20
How to get in the door?
Learn the skills
Build a portfolio of high quality work
Develop a relevant network
Prep for technical interviews
21
Building your portfolio
Find a niche (based on your background)
Build a personal website
Get your portfolio on GitHub
Try and find contract work
Have professionals guide & review your work
22
Networking the right way
80% of job openings are never advertised
120+ average applicants per job posted
At Thinkful, roughly 10-12% of cold applications yield a
phone screen
Source: Forbes
23
Networking the right way
Cold applications are the least effective way of landing a job
Figure out what you want (size, industry, role, etc)
Reach out to someone that works at company
Ask them about their work, genuine interest, build a relationship
Eventually (1-2 months in), ask for referral
24
Tech recruiters
Tech recruiters serve as your agent
Can leverage their relationships to arrange interviews
They are incentivized to find you a job
You might get less say in where, but are helpful
Can be great in getting you feedback
25
Thinkful students find jobs through connections
Out of 100 students, this
is the breakdown: 
Application: 35%
Thinkful community intro: 20%
Existing employee referral: 15%
Networking: 20%
Cold contact from recruiter: 10%
26
The technical interview
Phone screen
Take home tech challenge
In-person interviews
27
Resources
Prep sites (e.g. Interview Cake)
Books (e.g. Cracking the Coding Interview)
Mock interviews with technical friends
28
Ways to learn to code
bit.ly/hired-in-laWIFI: CrossCamp.us Events
 
bit.ly/hired-in-la
29
Thinkful's Two Week Free TrialThinkful's Two Week Free Trial
 
75+ hours of curriculum for two weeks
HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Unlimited, mentor-led Q&A sessions
Personal Program Manager
 
bit.ly/freetrial-webdevbit.ly/freetrial-webdev
30

Getting Started in Tech

  • 1.
    Breaking into TechBreakinginto Tech http://bit.ly/thinkful-hired-in-tech 1
  • 2.
    About Thinkful We traindevelopers and data scientists through 1x1 mentorship and project-based learning.   Guaranteed. 2
  • 3.
    What is "tech"? Techisn’t just one industry anymore — it’s the new business model. Every company is now a tech company. 3
  • 4.
    Largest in theirareas - all tech based companies Retail / Entertainment Transportation Media Entertainment bit.ly/hired-in-laWIFI: CrossCamp.us Events   bit.ly/hired-in-la 4
  • 5.
    The good news Source:Bureau of Labor Statistics + White House 5
  • 6.
    The implications forjobs Increased demand in for technical skills Creation of new “software plus” jobs Diffusion of tech organizational culture, roles, and processes 6
  • 7.
    One such process— career trajectory Junior sales Account executive Sales Manager VP Sales 7
  • 8.
    In “tech” careertrajectories are varied Front End Developer Back End Developer Full Stack Developer QA Developer 8
  • 9.
    In “tech” careertrajectories are varied Manager / team lead Reliability Engineer Growth Hacker Product Developer Dev Ops Architect Front End Developer Back End Developer Full Stack Developer QA Developer 9
  • 10.
    Common first jobs FrontEnd Developer Back End Developer Full Stack Developer QA Developer 10
  • 11.
    Front end developer bit.ly/hired-in-laWIFI:CrossCamp.us Events   bit.ly/hired-in-la 11
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
    QA Developer Write softwaretests and conduct manual tests to catch bugs before they’re shipped 14
  • 15.
    Next step: SeniorDeveloper Everything that came before with the ability to estimate your work accurately, handle challenging problems with less support, and add support for junior colleagues 15
  • 16.
    Coding plus Roles Coding+ Product = Product Manager Coding + Marketing = Growth Hacker Coding + Sales = Sales Engineer Coding + Data = Data Scientist  16
  • 17.
    Product Manager (Coding+ Product) Skills & Tools Customer research Customer development User stories Wireframes Project management Analytics Turn business goals into product requirements. Work with designers & developers to deliver — measure success 17
  • 18.
    Growth Hacker (Coding+ Marketing) Skills & Tools Rapid prototyping Analytics Communication Design & implement experiments to drive customer acquisition and engagement 18
  • 19.
    Sales Engineer (Coding+ Sales) Skills & Tools Customer Support Communication Sell complex technical product by helping customer understand how it works and how they’ll use it 19
  • 20.
    Data Scientist (Coding+ Data) Skills & Tools Curiosity Statistics Analytics  Machine Learning Use statistics and programming to find valuable insights from extremely large datasets  20
  • 21.
    How to getin the door? Learn the skills Build a portfolio of high quality work Develop a relevant network Prep for technical interviews 21
  • 22.
    Building your portfolio Finda niche (based on your background) Build a personal website Get your portfolio on GitHub Try and find contract work Have professionals guide & review your work 22
  • 23.
    Networking the rightway 80% of job openings are never advertised 120+ average applicants per job posted At Thinkful, roughly 10-12% of cold applications yield a phone screen Source: Forbes 23
  • 24.
    Networking the rightway Cold applications are the least effective way of landing a job Figure out what you want (size, industry, role, etc) Reach out to someone that works at company Ask them about their work, genuine interest, build a relationship Eventually (1-2 months in), ask for referral 24
  • 25.
    Tech recruiters Tech recruitersserve as your agent Can leverage their relationships to arrange interviews They are incentivized to find you a job You might get less say in where, but are helpful Can be great in getting you feedback 25
  • 26.
    Thinkful students findjobs through connections Out of 100 students, this is the breakdown:  Application: 35% Thinkful community intro: 20% Existing employee referral: 15% Networking: 20% Cold contact from recruiter: 10% 26
  • 27.
    The technical interview Phonescreen Take home tech challenge In-person interviews 27
  • 28.
    Resources Prep sites (e.g.Interview Cake) Books (e.g. Cracking the Coding Interview) Mock interviews with technical friends 28
  • 29.
    Ways to learnto code bit.ly/hired-in-laWIFI: CrossCamp.us Events   bit.ly/hired-in-la 29
  • 30.
    Thinkful's Two WeekFree TrialThinkful's Two Week Free Trial   75+ hours of curriculum for two weeks HTML, CSS and JavaScript Unlimited, mentor-led Q&A sessions Personal Program Manager   bit.ly/freetrial-webdevbit.ly/freetrial-webdev 30