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"The field of Analytics and Data Science is growing and changing every day! Career paths are endless when the field of analytics provides the opportunity to become a subject matter expert in a particular tool or skill set, lead the charge with data governance, train others in your organization, or use data for process improvement. Analytics in the Tech industry is very unique in that you can use data in so many ways, regularly adding value to your business by building data models that can be used as a tool to help people do their jobs more effectively, providing insights and actionable information to key decision makers, or enabling the business to improve and grow
through insightful
metrics and KPIs."
Manager, Business
Analytics at Smarsh
"Get involved with the communities that make sense for you! Whether you're studying to become a technical programmer or artist, moving into project management and administration for the interactive arts, or wanting to prototype a gamified app for your business, developing communication skills that allow you to understand the industry's ever-changing needs and trends is key. Understand the success behind industry figures you admire by tracing the lines back to their games’ communities, discourse & news, content creators, and platforms. Pursue relationships that connect these dots: with the accessibility of game conventions, meetups, and social sharing, you can craft your best professional path with a genuine network of resources and supporters."
- Will Lewis, Co-Founder & Director at Rose City Games and Co-Founder & Co-Director at Pixel Arts Game Education
"Being in the tech industry is not just being a “programmer” and writing code. The diversity in jobs within the tech industry are as different, challenging, and rewarding as anything you could do. Do you want to work in healthcare, non-profit, energy, digital ad agencies, banks, finance, politics or anything else? There is a tech job open somewhere for you - sometimes just solving problems of a different type and varying degrees of scale."
- Jesse Milan, Web Applications Architect at Port of Portland
"Working directly in the field is best way to learn and gives you the ability to identify the right career path. For example, you may start out as a network engineer and move into a cybersecurity role. While you're doing this, pursue relevant industry certifications. You can look at the certification exam outline as a learning path and apply important concepts that you learn on the job. Be a professional student."
- Shelly Calhoun-Jones, Senior Principal Technical Education Consultant at Symantec
The technology industry in Oregon is growing rapidly, and with this growth comes an array of opportunities for professionals from many backgrounds. To support these efforts Technology Association of Oregon launched a twice-monthly Tech JobSeekers meetup where attendees can connect with other job seekers and company representatives, share job leads and offer referrals. Using the “hive mind” has helped countless job seekers forge new relationships in the community and have ultimately led to job placement for some participants. We are excited to share the wisdom of our “hive” of technology practitioners to support the efforts of new talent looking to join this exciting regional industry.
"A new candidate transitioning into the technology industry needs to be curious, have the ability to fail fast and learn from mistakes, and to focus on critical business problems while not getting lost in the weeds. The technology industry is changing so rapidly that we are constantly in school, innovating and challenging the norm, so they need to be
willing to try new
things yet keep a
pulse on the needle
the are moving."
CTO at Five
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