Earn While You Learn: 5 Tech Jobs for New Coders
Still learning to code but need a job now? Here are five tech roles you can apply for today and build your dev skills while earning a living. By Jenn Bailey.
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Contents
Earn While You Learn: 5 Tech Jobs for New Coders
20 mins
- What You’ll Learn
- Easiest Tech Jobs to Get Without Coding Experience
- 1. Data Analyst
- Tools Used by Data Analysts
- How Working as a Data Analyst Makes You a Better Developer
- Characteristics of a Data Analyst
- 2. IT Technician
- Tools Used by IT Technicians
- How Working as an IT Technician Makes You a Better Developer
- Characteristics of an IT Technician
- 3. Technical Writer
- Tools Used by Tech Writers
- How Working as a Technical Writer Helps You Improve as a Developer
- Characteristics of a Technical Writer
- 4. User Experience (UX) Tester
- Tools Used by User Experience Testers
- How Being a User Experience Tester Helps You Improve as a Developer
- Characteristics of a User Experience Tester
- 5. Quality Assurance (QA) Tester
- Tools Used by Quality Assurance Testers
- How Being a Quality Assurance Tester Helps You Gain Skills as a Developer
- Characteristics of a Quality Assurance Tester
- Key Takeaways
- More Tips to Improve Your Job Search Skills
- About the Author
How Being a Quality Assurance Tester Helps You Gain Skills as a Developer
As a QA tester, you’ll get valuable experience working closely with the development team. Your budding code skills will come in handy and make you an indispensable tester. You’ll be able to understand the ins and outs of the system and enhance your learning.
Also, you’ll gain a network within a company with developers on staff. Lastly, you’ll gain valuable experience working with many of the same tools developers use.
Characteristics of a Quality Assurance Tester
You might enjoy QA testing if you’re a detail-oriented critical thinker. It takes a good eye for detail to spot bugs and come up with meaningful tests. You’ll also need skills to work in a team and time management skills to set realistic deadlines.
Key Takeaways
Programming isn’t the only way to break into tech; there are many tech jobs you can apply to right now, letting you create a solid network and build your skills while bringing in an income. These positions leverage what you already know, even if you’re not ready to pass a coding interview and start programming full time.
To get started in these developer-adjacent roles:
- Look back at each role’s characteristics and tools sections. Which skills do you already have? Which tools do you know? Take this intermediary career step now and apply for some positions.
- Each role described above offers ways to increase your skills and opportunities for professional development. You’ll benefit from this experience when you’re ready to apply for software developer roles.
- It takes a large team to run a tech company and support software development. Each of the roles described here gives you the chance to be part of that team and see up close what the day-to-day work of a software developer entails.
- Remember: A tech career is a journey, not a destination.
More Tips to Improve Your Job Search Skills
Are you working in one of the jobs described here or getting ready to apply? Join the forum below to discuss how your developer journey is going as you learn while you earn.
About the Author
Jennifer Bailey is a full-time computer science professor, a Google Developer Group organizer and an Android bootcamp instructor. She’s advised hundreds of students on how to go from learner to earner and how to do both at once, a feat she continues to achieve daily in her own life.