Would a traineeship suffice? Or do you need a formal education? or is there another avenue i'm unaware of?
I always see people that are young in the tech business that make a good living but never went to university for tech, also reading other ozbargainers i see people saying 'ohh i dropped out and got a job at data entry then level 1 tech support'. HOW DO YOU GET JOBS LIKE THAT WITHOUT UNI/TRAINEESHIPS?
The Man From Snowy Tech Business:
Back in the day, there was a way.
Now its harder, some would say.
More qualified people, ready to fill the job.
Less chance for the unqualified to earn a few bob.
A certification may be the way to show, that some employer should give you a go.
I know many people in tech without a degree, but they all started in entry level jobs like field tech or customer service rep or other junior admin roles. These roles are not especially well paid. I would suggest a smaller, growing company as a start and a willingness to change roles whenever necessary.
If you mean you are a programming genius and want to go straight to big bucks, that is fine too. Tell the recruiter about the work you contributed on the latest Linux kernel release or mongodb, of course if you are contributing at that level you will already have recruiters chasing you!
If you have ability and drive you don’t need a degree, but it will be easier. I know some more senior people who went back and got qualifications later, to beef up their resume for higher roles.
As for your example, how to get a data entry role - apply for one at a tech related company that is hiring. Ask your friends, neighbours, extended family if they know anybody in tech or who “works with computers” and get in touch with any leads and ask if you can buy them a coffee to get some advice about how their employer hires. When you have the coffee, also ask if they know anybody else who might be hiring or could help you out. People generally like helping someone starting out if they are smart and keen.
Once you have an interview, show them your fast typing, your part time work history, the other things that make you cut out for such a role.
The biggest issue with hiring entry level staff is that many applicants are unreliable, entitled or otherwise a waste of time. Don’t be like that, and you will have a good chance.
Data entry and level 1 support are not the types of jobs that require a degree. However, if I was the recruiter I would put "degree or experience required" to reduce number of applicants as low skilled jobs can potentially get a lot of applications.
I always see people that are young in the tech business that make a good living
Don't confuse young entrepreneurs earning good money, with young people in low skilled tech jobs who aren't going to be making that much.
Ones making larger money have generally written website/app into some target market that went well, usually while still at school or uni.
Don't confuse young entrepreneurs earning good money
Also don't confuse young entrepreneurs earning good money, with young entrepreneurs spending lots of investor's money that they might or might not be able to return one day.
Last time I checked IT graduates were unemployed at a higher rate than the national average across all industries.
This is despite Googbook hijacking the nations education system and compromising the education of most children because of a supposed lack of people that can code.
Data entry is probably a less skilled job than say retail so don't look at such people with loads of admiration or anything
The most important thing would be "getting your foot" in the door. Some of the entry level jobs will pay very little, but whatever it is, take it as an "investment" of your time for your future.
Any friends, family or acquaintances who are willing to vouch for you? Whatever industry they work in, there's likely to be a data entry/help desk role somewhere.
Once you're in, you can then use "networking" skills to scout out what other jobs are available that your can realistically target. (Just make sure you keep it as "networking", and not turn it into "brown-nosing"! haha)
PS It was almost 20 years ago now, but I have no degree and I started off in data entry. I still hirev people with or without degrees - their attitude counts for quite a bit.
If you're wanting to get into any non-support role in a company of any significance, you'll need a degree to get in the door.
I don't necessarily agree with it, but a resume won't even hit my inbox unless it has a degree attached, it'll be vetted out by either recruiters or HR.
And if you want to start in a support style role, be prepared for a long slog to break out of that and into a non-support role. And even if you did, when you want to change companies be prepared for the entry requirement to again ask for a degree even if it's the same role as the one you're in now.
The status quo right now is that for basically any professional role, especially in tech, a degree is basically necessary. My advice would be to get a degree if you want a tech career, even if it's part time. You'll be at a huge disadvantage if you don't.
You really need to define what you mean by tech business. Take a major tech business like google, they would have an extremely large portion of employee's that are not in a technical capacity. Find a way to enter the industry and once you are inside, it is easier to transition into more technical roles once you have proven you have the ability to adapt.
I agree; I don't know what 'tech business' is, and to be honest it could be anything.
Brock Polarizer.
Your post sounds a lot like "I heard some people made good money and didn't have to work/study too hard. How do I do that?"
The answer is: you can't.
You don't need uni for tech (presumably software/apps) if you already have the skills through years of hard work and experience honed from a passion for the tech. You don't need a degree if you can say "here are my apps I built/here are the skills I can demonstrate."
If you don't have much passion (like me) then a qualification is a great way to show you have drive and commitment and at least a bit of skill.
I actually enjoyed studying for the most part, as I was interested in what was being taught, and I liked to party after.
Why don't you want to learn through study?
What are you passionate about?
The people I know all started as first level tech support in the call centre or data centre monkeys.
I feel you don't want to go through degrees then you probably need on the job training or certifications through study. Ie comptia, ccna, aws, Microsoft etc.