What is Tech?

Technology is an evolving industry which seeps its way into every aspect of human life, whether it be space exploration, or even art. As a result, the demand for technical skills has been steadily increasing. Consequently, more and more people have started applying to schools with an intended technical major and for technical based work opportunities.

Unfortunately, many people, especially students tend to have a very narrow understanding of what it entails which is partially because of how it is portrayed on social media, the news, in movies, books, etc. Because of the misconceptions and buzzword impression of technology, it becomes difficult for people to research and establish a genuine interest in the same before actively pursuing their goals in the field.

Since Technology is something that everyone uses in all walks of life, one can easily up skill or explore different interests at any point of time in their life without ever having to obtain formal educational qualifications. We aim to break down what the “world of tech” actually entails. We’ll be introducing sub domains that people have usually heard of; however, the beauty of tech is not only limited to this article, but instead, expands beyond what words could ever contain.

1.Artificial Intelligence

What you might think: Jarvis in Iron Man, Robots in Westworld, so on.

In Real Life: Siri / Alexa, Recommendations on Youtube/Facebook, chatbots, etc

Basics

• AI uses a set of algorithms to train computers to do certain tasks.
• A successful AI model normally requires large amounts of data to be trained properly.

Career Options:

• Academic Career — AI is a field that is hugely research-based. One can choose to do a PhD and explore the AI field fully.
• Professional Career — As it is a fast growing field, most big companies have job openings in this field. These jobs are very well paid. AI specialists can explore fields such as Medicine ,Engineering , Space, Military, etc.

2. UI/ UX Design

What you might think: Creativity, colors, graphics, and design skills.

In Real Life: The position of the fingerprint sensor for mobiles is a good starting point to understand the work of UI/UX designers.

Basics:

• UI stands for User Interface and UX stands for User Experience.
• User Interface is about the presentation, or the “look and feel”.
• User Experience is about making products that provide a seamless experience for the users.
  E.g. Position of buttons and features such that they are easily accessible to users.
• Designers of this field work closely with IT engineers to create apps, websites, portfolios, devices etc.
• Sometimes UI/UX designers are called “Product designers”

Career Options:

• Work at Design Labs/Studios such as IDEO, Lollipop studios etc.
• Work at Product based companies such as Google, Amazon, etc.
• Freelance jobs are readily available for designers.

3. Cyber Security

What you might think: Hackers in movies as they code their way to accomplish bizarre thefts, dark web and so on.
In Real Life: Identifying flaws in security, detecting stealthy malware and building solutions.

Basics:

• Three basic fundamentals in Cyber Security are “CIA”, i.e. Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability.

Career Options:

• Security Architect — design and implement suitable plans so as to protect the system from malicious attacks.
• Security Software Developer/Engineer — build or implement software security solutions.
• Penetration testers or Ethical Hackers — legally hack a system to identify loopholes in system security.

4.0 Augmented/Virtual Reality

What you might think: The Hunger Games, Holographs, Downloading Food etc
In Real Life: Pokemon Go, Photo filters (Snapchat/Instagram), etc.

Basics

• AR (Augmented Reality) is described as the juxtaposition of virtual elements in the real/physical environment.
• VR are virtually created images designed to look “real”.

Career Options:

• Game Engineering — Back in 2016, the phenomenon video game, Pokemon Go made AR a household term so this is one obvious (and lucrative) career option.
• Companies in Education, Healthcare and Travel sectors are actively exploring AR/VR options and many jobs are available in these industries.

5.0 Web Developer

What you might think: Something to do with the interwebs.
In Real Life: A web developer builds and maintains a website.

Basics:

• Typically, the work is divided into 2 parts- the Front End and the Back End.
• Front End Developers deal with the layout, design, client requirements of the website. They test how the website lays out on different devices.
• Back End Developers deal with the actual databases and components that the website accesses.
• Full Stack Developer — A developer that looks at the “bigger picture” and understands the front end as well as back end.

Career Options:

• Plethora of jobs in all types of companies — from tech giants to smaller startups.
• Freelancing opportunities
• Or just explore for your own interest!

6.0 Software Developer

What we might think: The term is so vague, people rarely even form an impression.
In Real Life: Software Developer is an umbrella term which can be used for all the above mentioned fields and even more.

This article explores the tip of the iceberg, but with our medium series, we hope to help you build a basic understanding. Stay tuned for more! Most importantly, use the resources available to you to explore more! See what interests you, and don’t be afraid to try something out.