3 tips for a successful career in tech

The number of people in the UK with a career in tech sits just shy of 3 million, according to reports. And these stats show no sign of slowing down, with demand for tech based roles on the incline.

As Technical Director at eve Networks, I’m always on the lookout for ambitious people to join the team. Here I share my top 3 tips for a successful career in tech.

3 tips for a successful career in tech

Don’t fret if you haven’t got a degree

Some of the best developers I’ve worked with haven’t had a degree. But what they do have is a passion for what they do, backed up by ‘real world’ experience.

For me, when I’m recruiting, that is what I look for.

Now that’s not to take away from having a degree in computing. I’m a firm believer in having the theory behind what you do. I did a Maths degree at university and that has given me a solid base in logic and analysis.  I may have been able to jump start some of my ‘big picture’ software development ideas had I studied computing at University, but it’s also been possible to pick this up through other channels as my career has progressed. It’s a case of what works best for you.

If you have a degree, great. If you don’t, that’s okay. Not having specific qualifications shouldn’t make you feel like there’s no way in for you.

Be curious

In this industry you have to stay on top of what is going on and changes that are happening. The best way of doing that is to get stuck in and have a play!

When I’m recruiting for a role something that stands out to me, probably above anything else, are those people who have a genuine curiosity for what they do. Those who have a passion for what they do, and for whom it is more than a job, but something that they really love doing. Often I’ll find they demonstrate that through getting involved in projects off their own bat. Whether that’s helping a friend to build a website, or supporting a charity with some kind of dev requirement. For me this shows that they are passionate about what they do.

It’s more than a ‘job’ – it’s something that they care about, and want to learn everything there is to know. Personally, these are the people I meet and just instantly know they are going to have a successful career in tech.

Stay hungry

In my role I’m often asked what is the one piece of advice I would give to anyone looking to get into a career in tech and my answer is always, simply – stay hungry.

Stay hungry for knowledge. Stay hungry for wanting to be better. Stay hungry for caring about what you do.

Now more than ever, if you stay still in software dev or any career that’s information based you’ll become irrelevant within a very short space of time. Technology and ideas move at rapid pace now, so you have got to keep current, keep learning, keep getting better. To stay still is to go backwards.

How do you stay hungry? It could be through sharing ideas or thoughts with teammates, reading books, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos – whatever it is that suits the person you are. Keeping in the know will make you an incredibly valuable part of a team, and will keep your brain fired up with new ideas and things to try out yourself.

I think this advice could be applied to most careers out there. You need to have that hunger for it to keep you interested, keep you thinking and keep you motivated.