As the technology sector experiences massive growth, new jobs are added constantly across different departments and companies. For women planning to transition into tech, there is no better time than now to explore a potential career shift.
Today we are highlighting four of the fastest-growing jobs in tech in 2021, along with information to help you enter the job market:
Business Development Representative
Overview: The BDR role is one of the options with the lowest barriers to entry for someone looking to transition into a high-paying career in tech that does not involve highly technical skills (like coding or engineering). These professionals research potential customers (a process known as prospecting) and reach out to key stakeholders, like VP or C-level decision-makers at target companies, to understand their business problems and determine their need for a specific software solution.
Average Salary: $60,000-$118,000 via RingDNA
Educational Requirements: Business development roles require customer-facing communication, time management skills, and emotional intelligence. As a Latina or woman in tech, you might consider bootcamps like Flockjay, a 10 week part-time program that trains individuals from nontraditional and/or diverse backgrounds and helps them land a job at tech companies (like Zoom or Slack) upon graduation.
Latina Spotlight: Andrea Oliveros, Sales Development Representative @ Gong
Digital/Content Marketer
Overview: These professionals create brand-specific content such as blog posts, social media calendars, videos and marketing copy. These individuals are typically expert communicators who can engage consumers through written materials and targeted posts. One of the best ways to pave your way into a career in content marketing is to volunteer for an organization first, build a portfolio, and leverage that experience to switch into a full-time content marketing role.
Average Salary: $65,000 via Glassdoor
Educational Requirements: For these roles, having industry experience and a marketing portfolio may be more important than your academic background. To sharpen your content marketing skills, consider taking free online courses through LinkedIn or earning certifications to add to your resume.
Latina Spotlight: Paulina Saracco, Digital Brand Specialist @ Get Community, Inc.
UI/UX Designer
Overview: These professionals focus on the visual functions of web design, and often collaborate with different teams at an organization to deliver tangible, customer facing projects. This career path is an excellent option for creative individuals who are not looking for a heavily technical role (such as software development), but still want to be part of a technical team.
Average Salary: $85,000 via Glassdoor
Educational Requirements: Although a college degree in a technical field is sometimes preferred for these roles, programs like General Assembly offer time- and cost-effective alternatives. Their full-time Web Design bootcamp trains professionals from any background to be job-ready upon graduation.
Latina Spotlight: Flor Marshall, Full Stack Developer @ Fluree
Technology/Technical Recruiting
Overview: Much like business development and sales, recruiting is a fast-growing field with a low barrier to entry. Recruiters work at agencies and “in-house” at every type of tech company. They focus on finding top candidates to fill specific roles for their clients or their company. Recruiters have a unique opportunity to dramatically increase their earnings based on their ability to hit hiring goals, so it is an attractive option for a “people person” with a high sense of autonomy and diligence.
Average Salary: $105,000 via ZipRecruiter
Educational Requirements: Recruiting positions at tech companies typically require a 2 or 4-year college degree. However, you can successfully break into the industry without any specific educational background by networking through LinkedIn, leveraging your existing network, and demonstrating your understanding of the role during interviews.
Latina Spotlight: Raquel Noya, Director of Talent @ Mint House
There are many other fast-growing career paths in tech that appeal to different preferences and experiences, but we hope that this list is a helpful starting point to discover the best fit for you!
This article was written by Laura Dominguez
Laura immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia in 2008, and now lives in sunny Los Angeles, California. In her job as a Career Services Manager at Flockjay, she helps “nontraditional” job-seekers launch their career in Tech Sales. Laura specializes in working with underrepresented minorities, and is passionate about helping tech companies meet their D&I goals, one hire at a time. In addition to #LatinaGeeks, Laura has worked with 4.0 Schools and Saturday Business Academy in Southern California.
