It’s not a secret that the IT industry is developing at a fairly rapid pace today. In Ukraine, this trend gained momentum in 2020. And today, the number of requests from IT companies continues to increase. Given the fact that the average salary of a representative of the IT industry is significantly higher than the average salary of specialists in other industries, it is absolutely logical that the number of people willing to become part of the IT community is increasing.
Is it possible to get into IT without work experience and without special education? The answer is clear: yes, but you will have to change the way of your thinking and prepare for learning new skills. Because without the desire and ability to learn quickly, to be honest, any specialist in any field becomes uncompetitive, and, therefore, staying in a particular company is possible only under the condition of the good old “I know the manager well”, and this is not about IT, where the financial result depends on the personal result of everyone.
So, about IT.
The first step is to realistically assess your own skills and capabilities. Find those skills that can be applied in the IT industry. If you have coding skills and know at least one programming language, that’s a good start. But if you do not have the slightest understanding of the dependence of the result on the selection of specific commands, but you know how to describe the finished product in such a way that a user far from IT understands how to use it, then the IT community will gladly open its arms to you.
The second step is to find a company that you will be interested in working for. And without work experience, you should aim not at high earnings, but at the opportunity to gain experience that will become the basis for the next step — a promotion in this particular company or a step to another IT company, where your experience will be evaluated in specific numbers.
The third step is to realize everything that happens in the company must stay in the company. Because, no matter how trite it sounds, traitors (as well as corporate spies) are not liked anywhere. And information in the digital industry spreads quite quickly.
Once these three steps have been completed, then it is time to submit an application, the basis of which is a resume and motivation letter. You can often get lost at this stage, so your resume should have a highlight that touches and attracts attention. Anyway, without completing the technical task, it will not get to the interview.
The fourth step is the implementation of the technical task. And here everything depends not only on your talent, but also on how carefully you read the text of the task and how clearly you understood it. If you see that the task is ambiguous, you should ask again. But if suddenly you are shy to question (this also happens), then you need to perform in those possible variations that you understood, and explain why exactly in such variations. And you will have to explain it in more detail at the interview.
The fifth step is an interview. In fact, there are a million publics in the Internet with a series of recommendations and rules for a successful interview: from how to dress properly to how to answer questions correctly. Of course, it’s worth reading, but don’t get hung up on what you’ve read. From my own experience, I can say what should and should not be done during an interview.
Let’s start with what you shouldn’t do.
1. You should definitely not embellish your experience and work skills. Why? Everything is simple. You will be asked one or two substantive questions, and it will be absolutely clear from the very first sentence that you are lying.
2. You should definitely not use terms the meaning of which you do not fully understand. Because at best, you’ll just look ridiculous.
3. You should definitely not start answering a question that you did not understand. You will get confused and give the impression of an incompetent employee. It is better to ask again.
4. Unless you’re one of the coolest professionals, you shouldn’t be the one to start the salary conversation. But to the question “How much do you plan to earn in this position?” you must be ready. Analyze price offers. Weigh your skills and abilities. And, if you have no or minimal work experience, then name the minimum number by specialty. At this stage, you can discuss the trial period and salary for this period. In the IT industry, we are talking about 4 to 12 weeks. And after the end of this period, you can claim a 5–10% bonus, but this position should be discussed before concluding the agreement.
5. You should definitely not accept a salary in an envelope, but you should be prepared for the fact that you will be offered the status of a self-employed person and pay all the taxes that can be paid in accordance with the law.
As for what is worth, here are the rules:
1. You should be friendly, but also self-confident. If you see that you are being provoked into a discussion, it is worth discussing: with arguments, but without sarcasm and arrogance.
2. Smile. Even during an online interview, even with the camera off. Experiment. And you will see that they will respond to your even invisible smile with a less wary attitude towards you.
3. Even for an online interview with the camera off, dress as you would for an office interview. It gives self-confidence. And it makes the process of communication more relaxed.
4. It is worth learning at least some information about the company in which you plan to get a job. Because you have to be ready for such a strange, at first glance, question as “Where do you see yourself in our company in 2–5 years?”. Honestly, I don’t know how to answer this question correctly, but you have to at least understand what product this company works with.
It is worth going to your goal. And if you plan to enter the IT community, then if you are already lying in the direction of your dream, then at least lie with the right book and high-quality lecturers in your ear.
