Getting Real with Career Change
Tags: career, beginners
Published: 2019-10-15 06:49:35

Last year I moved to a wonderful area of the US that is five hours away from any major city for a job that did not work out. I was ready for a career change anyway; so, I decided to leave that position, pursue other career opportunities, and allow them to rework the position to better match their actual needs. 

As I have many years of experience in healthcare, quality, data, reporting, and writing, I pursued a data analyst MOOC to pickup SQL and Python skills (through Udacity). I quickly learned, however, that the opportunities to continue practicing SQL are slim as there aren't many open-source SQL projects and organizations are generally hesitant to allow a stranger access to their data in a volunteer capacity. I'm also hampered by living in a rural location.

Additionally, I researched data and SQL-type jobs and even the entry level jobs are wanting over 3 years' experience with SQL, two or three other languages, node.js, hooloovoo.css (I'm just tossing out made up stuff out now, but more skills than I currently possess). 

I decided to pursue a Python path as perhaps a harder skill to pickup, but a more versatile skill with more opportunities to practice and showcase my work (but I'm open to moving in a different direction entirely). 

My current dilemma is that I can't figure out in which direction I should head to obtain a tech-type data/programming job as I grow my skills further (something other than "Hello Good Sir, first I need you to restart your computer". I'm not the most patient when it comes to customer service). I have repeatedly asked different career "advisors" on different MOOC sites for direction and have been summarily told to "follow my dreams." Following my dreams might land me my ideal job in 10 years, but it's not terribly useful advice for short-term prospects and market penetration. 

So, my outstanding questions are still:

1) What tech skills/languages/concentrations are the most valuable for a career changer without education or experience in tech?
2) Where is market penetration the easiest for a career changer without a tech background who is self-learning?

The second question seems to rile peoples' figurative feathers. It seems people understand me to be asking "what's the laziest way to get a highly paid tech job?" That is indeed not my question. However, I am trying to find the areas where I'm likely to be able to get a tech-type remote job that pays well enough while I shoot for the 10-year goal (whatever that ends up being.... Right now the 10 year goal is working for a company that will allow me to be a digital nomad). 

Let me explain further with a completely fictional example. Say the industry is crying for C++ programmers but all the available jobs are wanting C++ programmers with over 10 years of experience. It would do me little good right now in the short-term to learn C++. However, say the industry is crying for full-stack web developers and is willing to hire anyone coming out of MOOC-type learnings who can pass a technical interview. It would suit me better in the short-term to pick up full-stack web development skills, start employment there, learn more about the tech job world, then continue expanding my education and experience (perhaps with jobs, freelance work, formal schooling, git pet-projects, etc.) while maneuvering closer to my goal.

As I stated to a "career coach" in the past few days based on my long career in healthcare, if someone came to me and asked my advice on becoming a brain surgeon but needed to support themselves until they graduate from their fellowship in brain surgery, I'd tell them to get their LPN (8 months full-time study), start working as an LPN (tons of job openings and employers are desperate), then bridge up to an RN online, get a job as an RN (again employers are desperate and hiring new grads and giving them huge sign-on bonuses...why don't I want to be an RN?!?!?!?!), then bridge up to a BSN online. Then, they can be pulling down 6 figures while applying for medical school. No, the initial years of the person's career change would not be doing "brain surgery", but it's a clear path to the final goal while gaining related healthcare experience and supporting themselves. Said career coach, alas, was unable to provide any helpful advice. 

I'm searching and reading position descriptions and job boards etc. but there's so much information, so many different paths I could take, and little data I can find on "non-tech career changer job placements by MOOC course of study undertaken" that I'm struggling. I'd appreciate any advice or launching points to start researching. 

Until then, my plan is to continue finding open source documents to edit the heck out of (it's a hobby of mine) while continuing to learn Python. Perhaps I could succeed in a technical writer position (anyone have an open source project with documentation needs or advice on technical writing positions?).

Thanks,

Nicole