Five Ways to get a high paying tech job without computer science Degree

You can have a high profile tech job even without a computer science degree

Poonam Gupta
ScholarBees
5 min readJun 22, 2021

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Myths. Some myths have wider acceptability in the world. They become so popular that people start to take them as fact. One such myth is that “the high paying tech job is only for programmers/coders/developers. And that you cannot get such jobs without a computer science degree from the tier 1 institutes of India”.

Break the myth that tech job is only for developers

First of all, we need to address and break the myth that high paying tech jobs are meant only for developers from top-notch colleges.

There are myriad other tech career opportunities that do not require you to have a computer science degree or any previous knowledge of coding. In this blog we will learn more about some of these career options. These career options are also five ways to get a high paying tech job without a computer science degree.

Data Analyst

In the era of mounting data, it is of prime importance for corporates, government organisations, NGOs, small business and administration to make sense of the data they churn out every second. The primary job description of a data analyst is to collect and process data to arrive at conclusions which can be used to make data driven decisions. They discover how data can be used to answer the most profound and practical questions related to any organisation. Most organisations no matter how small or big need data professionals for making data-driven decisions.

Government agencies, MNCs hire data scientists, data analysts and data engineers for this purpose. This is a high paying job with huge market demand in different fields. And the best part is you do not require any coding background and computer science degree to make a career in data analysis.

A recent survey conducted by Analytics Insight revealed that by 2021, there will be 3,037,809 new job openings in data science, worldwide.

All you have to do is learn the most demanding data analysis tools in 2021 like Tablaue, KNIME, Power BI, Microsoft excel, Apache Spark and Splunk etc. You should also learn R and python as well. Learning MySQL database etc also from authentic tutors will add value to your skill sets and improve your salary and chances of getting hired as well.

Web Analytics Specialist

Capturing, interpreting and taking data-driven, well-informed decisions can radically transform any organization and its reach as well. A web analytics specialist leverages data analytics to troubleshoot a website’s design, to increase page views, improve the user experience and convert more visitors into customers.

Data analytics is central to web analytics but you do not require a programming background and can become a successful web analytics specialist/ digital specialist with a lofty package just by growing your skillset in web analytics.

You have to learn to use a variety of tools like Google Analytics, Hubspot, Yandex Metrica, Adobe analytics and Mixpanel to extract and analyze data generated by online user activity and use the insights to improve your conversion.

Search Engine Optimization Specialist

Search engine optimization (SEO) is classified under the marketing umbrella. But it​ is characterized by technical aspects of its own. SEO specialists work in collaboration with developers and web designers to implement SEO best practices for more traffic and conversions.

An SEO specialist also researches keywords for the content on the web and content marketing. They work with content teams to drive SEO in content creation and optimize copy on pages to improve search engine ranking.

To become an SEO specialist, you need to learn tools like Google Search Console, Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Ubersuggest, SEMRush, Google Analytics etc. The best way to learn is to get in touch with experts in this field and get a lesson to get started.

User Interface Designer

User interface (UI) design is the process designers use to build interfaces in software or computerized devices, focusing on looks or style and user convenience. UI design is basically graphical user interfaces. Voice-controlled interfaces are also a part of it. UI designers establish the look and feel of a software’s interface clearly communicating ideas and instructions to users through well-designed wireframes, and sitemaps.

For becoming a top-notch UI Designer you need to learn tools like sketch, proto.ai, Adobe InDesign, Framer X, Webflow, FlowMap etc.

User Experience Designer

User experience designers (UX) keep the end-user in mind while designing a product and its experience. Their primary goal is to increase user satisfaction. UX design is about identifying user problems and solving them whereas UI design is about creating intuitive, aesthetically pleasing, interactive interfaces.

In the product development process, UX design usually comes first and it is followed by UI. The field of UX may vary from focusing on research exclusively while being more involved with prototyping products.

Software Quality Tester

Software quality testers (SQTs)is another high paying tech job that doesn’t require any prior coding experience or a computer science degree.

Software Quality Tester tests the quality of software products prior to their public launch. The field is related to quality assurance (QA).

SQTs perform a wide range of functional, and scalability tests across different customer scenarios to “break” the software for eliminating bugs. This helps in improving the quality improvement of the final product.

Figma, Sketch, Overflow, Adobe InDesign are some of the most popular UX tools to be used.

Blueprint for tech-career growth

Although there is no fixed way to grow in any particular field but still if you want some help with a basic blueprint for having a successful career in tech then this is broadly the outline you can follow.

  1. Finding your zen: Find out the field that interests you the most in tech, whether it is advanced animation, Search Engine Optimisation, Data science, UI/UX design or any other tech-related field.
  2. Take baby steps to know more: Once you know the area in which you want to make your career, start Googling about it in-depth, follow some of the top names in the field on social media, read their blogs, content, watch their webinars etc to know more about the field so that you can make further choices.
  3. Take professional courses: The next step is to take professional courses in the field of your interest like if you’re interested in SEO then take a professional course on learning in-depth. Learn the most important tools related to SEO.
  4. Do interns and freelance projects: Doing interns and freelance projects would help you acquire practical knowledge of your field and help you grow your portfolio while making money. Once you develop your portfolio with quality work, many firms would be willing to hire you at a good salary.

Many top leaders, CEOs and founders in the tech space are from non-technical backgrounds. For example, Brain Chesky of Airbnb was a designer, and Founder and CEO of Teespring, Walker Williams was a cartoonist and a writer.

So no matter what your educational background is, you can still make a profound and successful career with lofty financial gains in the tech space. All the best.

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