2. I’m consistently amazed at the number of businesspeople who
have no concept of where a website comes from. There’s no
need to be an expert coder, unless you’re an aspiring engineer,
but you should know enough about technology to make
informed business decisions about it.
I taught myself how to code in the mid-‘90s after leading an e-
greeting card site that could have been successful but didn’t
have the technology to scale with demand — I never wanted to
be stuck like that again. Similarly, Instagram founder Kevin
Systrom taught himself to codeat night while working in
marketing, possibly inspiring a new generation of business guys
learning to program.
The first thing anyone should do is learn HTML and maybe even
some JavaScript. Codecademy and W3Schools are two great
places to start. Or pick up a newbie book from Amazon.
3. Without any digital experience, landing a job at a
tech company will be tough. Get an advantage by
going after low-hanging opportunities.
Many non-tech companies, like the one you
probably work for, are desperate for help
building an effective presence on the web. If you
can be of service, you’ll not only gain valuable
experience, but you’ll also be likely to have the
chance to make a real impact. This way, you can
show up for your first interview at that desirable
tech firm with a success story behind you.
4. A friend of mine used to be a salesperson for
radio, a dying industry facing myriad high-tech
competitors. And, as happens in these situations,
he got laid off. But rather than fighting for one of
the last jobs in his native field, he went after a
gig selling ads for Pandora. They liked that he
knew the radio industry and hired him.
One of the easiest ways to get into tech is to go
after a job at a startup that’s looking to disrupt
the industry in which you’ve spent your career.
5. The technology space is all about innovation.
Working for a scrappy disruptor or the digital
department of your current company will surely
give you the chance to be a pioneer. But if these
roles are inaccessible, you should demonstrate
your inventive and courageous side within your
present role by starting a new department,
devising and implementing a fresh strategy or
producing a cutting-edge marketing product. It’s
advantageous if technology is inherent in these
accomplishments, but not necessary.
6. Just because you’re an art director for print
doesn’t mean you’re qualified to be an art
director in digital. Just because you’ve managed
significant client relationships doesn’t mean
you’re qualified to manage client services at a
tech firm.
Individuals switching industries need to start with
a more junior role. When I meet fairly senior
people whom I’d be interested in hiring, I ask if
they would start as a project manager and not a
single person has ever taken me up on that offer.
Invest time to learn the business and the pay cut
won’t have to last long.
7. It takes some creativity, charm, smarts and nerve, but you
can become an industry thought leader before you even
have a job in the industry. JD Beebe, a young copywriter,
creative and entrepreneur, is a good example. He made his
way into the agency world by starting a Paper.lionline
newspaper called Ad Agency Thought Sauce that
aggregated links from ad agency tweets. Agencies saw him
re-sharing their links, and this functioned as a constant
series of soft introductions.
If social media acrobatics aren’t your thing, you can still
build a profile for yourself as an expert by sharing your
point of view on industry issues. Do it in-person, at
industry events and Meetups, and digitally
through Facebook, Twitter and comments on relevant
articles — maybe even this one.
