How to get into technology as a high schooler
Tags: Education, Resources, High School, Technology, Tech

This article was written by Jamie Reichenberger.

Interested in pursuing technology? Not sure where to start? As a high school student, it can be difficult knowing where to start and how to find opportunities with little to no experience. Yet, starting to explore technology early on is an excellent way to get a head-start in your career and know which tech-related field is right for you.

My path to technology came from a drive to learn and heart to take as many opportunities that were available to me. I began programming in middle school with GameMaker, Unity3D, and Codecademy, learning how to create my own video games. In high school, my knowledge grew as I joined our school’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team and our school’s Nanoracks Nanolab project. I then took all the available programming classes my school offered as well as a night course at a local university. My Sophomore Year, I began applying for internships at local companies, for any programming opportunity I could find, and landed a software development internship at Autodesk Inc. By my Senior Year, I initiated a humanitarian engineering club that won Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam funding. And through all of these learning opportunities, I knew that I had a sincere passion for technology and programming. My high school pursuit in STEM fields led me to make the decision with full confidence that technology was for me. I decided that I wanted to pursue computer science at a university and be a software engineer.

High School is a great time for students to explore many different fields and find their interests. It is an amazing time to try new things, fail often, and learn as much as possible about the world.

Seven Impactful Ways to Break Into technology in High School:

Read, Learn, and Get Certified

There are so many FREE resources online to learn about technology! (Even more now than when I was in High School). You can find free Tech-related content on Udemy, Codecademy, Coursera, EDX, Code.org, Codeconquest, Codewars, Udacity, MIT OpenCourseWare, Khan Academy, LinkedIn Learning, Web Fundamentals, and so many more! Research online, watch videos, and read textbooks. Seek a mentor to help guide and challenge you. When you start building your skill set, look for free (or cheap) certifications or certifications you can obtain to prove your ability. For High School students, the AP Computer Science Test is a great way to prove your coding knowledge and possibly get college credit.

2. Research The Different Fields of Technology

There are so many diverse fields in technology and so many different careers in each field! Start exploring what are all of your options and never stop learning about the ever-changing realm of technology. Expect your interests to change over time as you have more experience with different kinds of projects. According to Career Change Statistics, the average person will change careers 5–7 times during their working life. And with so many emerging technologies and an increasing number of career choices, expect that your opportunities will change too. You can find a list of different popular technology jobs through the U.S. News, Digital Trends, and Business Insider.

3. Take STEM Classes and Find College Opportunities

Does your high school not have any technology classes or electives? Then, take all of the available STEM classes. I know it’s not tech-related, but taking biology, chemistry, physics, etc. courses can help you narrow down your future field options and make a more informed decision when choosing your major. Take the time to understand your math courses, especially trigonometry, statistics, and calculus, because it will pay off in the end when you take more advanced math classes in college. See if there are classes you can take at your local university or community college to supplement your education. Some examples of technology programs for high school students can be found on BestCollegeReviews. Right now, during our nation’s COVID-19 crisis, there are more online boot camps and workshops available for technology and coding for high school students than ever before.

4. Buy Fun Hardware Or Just Start Taking Things Apart

Put some fun hardware, like Arduino, RaspberryPi, BeagleBone, Minnowboard Max, Waspmote, LittleBits, or etc., on your Christmas wish list! Start building things and learning how to make things from scratch. Go to Goodwill or a local thrift store, buy a cheap electronic device, and take it apart to see how it works. Challenge yourself to build new things and experiment!

5. Join a Tech-Related Club (Or Start One)

I mentioned a few available opportunities for high school students above in my path to technology, but there is a wide variety of options for you and your school. I would highly recommend exploring as many opportunities as possible and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone! If your high school has no tech-related clubs, then start one! Recruit a few other people and a mentor/teacher and start building/coding/learning things after school. For more tips on how to start an after school STEM club, check VivifyStem or the STEM clubs handbook. Or, center your club around preparing and competing in local hackathons. There are many online and in-person hackathons and other competitions available that will be an excellent hands-on learning experience. Check Major League Hacking and High School Hackathons to find high school hackathons.

6. Apply For Internships (Yes, Now)

I know it seems too early and it feels like it is so much you have left to learn, but practical application through an internship is one of the best ways to learn! Many big companies designed internships just for high school students that you can apply for anywhere, but you are not limited to these opportunities. With a little extra initiative and creativity, seek out and ask smaller companies, organizations, or universities, to create an internship opportunity for you. Job search tools such as Indeed are a great resource.

7. Teach Others What You Learn!

When you start to learn programming, electronics, and other tech-related skills, don’t forget to mentor others along the way. Ways to share your knowledge include: blogging, leading an after school workshop, speaking at your school’s club, creating an online class, leading a camp or program for others, or simply mentoring one on one. Not only will you help bridge the learning gap for high school students to break into technology, but you will understand the content better yourself through teaching it. To grow your reach and resources, find an external funding source. For leading all-girl Tech camps, check out NCWIT’s ASPIREIT program or GirlsWhoCode.

Conclusion

There are many ways to break into the field of technology where you are right now, whether it is through your school or on your own. After finding a genuine interest in tech and pursuing various activities, think thinking about what your next steps are to pursue a career in technology. There are many methods to get advanced training in technology, such as taking college classes, attending boot camps, enrolling in trade school, or applying for any other technical program. And so, taking the time to pursue as many technical opportunities as you can in high school can help you decide what post-graduation plans are right for you.