Do you pride yourself on your tech skills? Can you easily explain the value of different programming languages? Have you built your own PC from the motherboard to the graphics card? Then you just might find success pursuing a tech-focused career.
There are plenty of possible career paths that offer differing degrees of challenge and difficulty. It’s a good idea to put your skills to the test and see where your tech knowledge can take you. Here are five promising career paths for the aspiring techie.
1. Become a programmer
If you can easily settle the debate of the C++ vs Python programming languages and you’re adept at tinkering with source code, you could have a future as a programmer. Keep in mind that the more high-level language you know, the more potential there is for a better employment opportunity. From Visual C in the C Language to Python Code, there are plenty of popular languages to master.
A high-level programming language can land you a role in rapid application development while mastery of a general-purpose programming language can be the best option for a programming beginner. Plus, if you know your way around a compiler and terms like “form factor” and “extension module” don’t baffle you, you’ll have a leg up on some of the competition.
2. Build custom computers
Have you decided to build your own PC? Whether you’re hand-selecting a video card for peak performance or are choosing a CPU cooler that can handle overclocking, helping customers build their dream computers can be incredibly rewarding. How much time and effort each CPU takes will depend on your knowledge of different computer components. Deciding on power supplies, hard drives, operating systems, and how much RAM you need for memory management can help you craft a high-performance computer that can balance form and function.
A job as a custom PC builder can net you a good amount of money, especially if you’re building a gaming PC that requires high-end components like a GeForce RTX graphics card. The simplicity of the build process will depend on the general purpose of any given PC.
3. Learn about information security
Information security often requires a granular level of data analysis to identify and eliminate risks. In the last year alone, the tech security industry has expanded quite significantly and it’s only projected to keep growing. Whether you’re looking at flaws in a storage device or piece of native code or are responsible for installing protections on peer devices, the biggest difference between information security and tech support is that security is proactive and support is often reactive.
4. Investigate data science
Data science is rapidly growing in popularity. Since more and more businesses rely on customer data to make entrepreneurial decisions, they need a qualified team member to review all of that information. Plus, data scientists are required for a wide variety of industries, not solely tech companies and startups. If you have a mind for data analysis or machine learning and aren’t a relative beginner (this is a high-level career), this could be the perfect path for you.
5. Test yourself as a solutions architect
A solutions architect helps decide which technologies a business should use. This could be an optical drive, a socket type, or a virtual machine. Once these solutions are decided, the architect helps implement them properly. Solutions architects will even handle hands-on work in developing software and systems. This position is a more abstract one and is often a jack of all trades when it comes to the technical knowledge required.
Of course, there are plenty of other options that will let you flex your technological muscles. The need for tech gurus will likely only keep growing and it’s never been a better time to break into the industry.
