TRITON Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 65

THE MARKET

BREAK INTO TECH

Technology companies know that not everyone ’ s an engineer .

BY MICHELLE TILLMAN
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR , INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT — UC SAN DIEGO ALUMNI & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BREAK INTO THE TECH INDUSTRY WITHOUT A TECH DEGREE ? The short answer is yes ! According to Forbes magazine , large tech employers are hiring beyond science , technology , engineering and math . Companies such as Qualcomm and Google regularly hire UC San Diego graduates in majors like economics , communication , psychology , management science and political science . And with the tech industry expanding , now is a prime opportunity for nontechnical degree holders to break into the field .
Here are four quick and easy steps to start your career in the tech industry :
SET A CLEAR OBJECTIVE Candidates who have a clear sense of their career aspirations , direction and goals have a distinct advantage over others . Look at the job responsibilities of the position you ’ re after and take inventory of the education , knowledge , skills and abilities required . One great resource is ONET at onetonline . org .
DEVELOP YOUR STRENGTHS Emphasize your transferrable skills on your application by expounding on proven analytical and problemsolving abilities , strong communication skills and the ability to work as a contributing team player . Also , have a good go-to story in your back pocket that can showcase these talents during the interview .
PORTFOLIOS : NOT JUST FOR ART Create a portfolio of projects that showcase your domain knowledge , career competencies , strengths , experience and skills . The process of building a portfolio can also help you identify areas where skills need to be developed .
SOCIALIZE YOUR INTEREST Seek mentors in desired fields or conduct informational interviews with people who have jobs that interest you . UC San Diego ’ s Career Center can help you find alumni contacts in the industry , or point you toward campus lectures , networking events , and meetup group activities .
Learn more at career . ucsd . edu
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