We want to make life simpler for the self-proclaimed non-techies/beginners like myself, so we’ve compiled a list of valuable tips that I wish I’d known when jumping into the tech industry.
Table of Contents
The Story
When I started my first job with Content Bloom I had very limited experience in technology. It was so nil, in fact that I didn’t know what a technical consultant was or what front-end and back-end development actually was. I’d never heard of software or qualitative testing components, AIQ. Web development was completely unfamiliar to me. I was a professional in IT’s worst nightmare.
When I was appointed as an editor for digital content I soon realized that I was going to wear many roles and had adapt to work outside my home base. I had to develop my skills in technology and expand my knowledge in the first couple of weeks in order to ensure that our customers were satisfied and establish myself as an excellent employee.
Tip 1. Take the excess
Tech companies are highly communicates internally as well as externally. On my first day on the job I was introduced Slack as a collaboration messaging tool for business. Slack is particularly helpful when you work remotely since it allows you:
- Call
- Video chat
- message
- Create polls
- ask questions
- Change your status
- Add forums and channels
Slack Administrators typically create distinct channels that target certain teams or topics. This is the place to stay up-to-date with the latest news regarding an assignment, project, or problem.
This also lets you look through chat history for crucial details. This is the exact thing I tried to find. I browsed through my project communications channels and was instantly absorbed and updated. When I finally went to the first time meeting the client I was not only prepared I was confident as I was familiar with the project from top to bottom.
This additional bit of study helped me be more aware of my role and prevented me from raising questions or concerns that were already discussed. It also enabled me to participate fully in the discussion.
Tip 2. Collaborate and take notes.
I’m focusing on the written word since sometimes, listening doesn’t suffice. Conversations can diverge when speaking in person and it’s very easy to get lost, listen to things in a different way and forget what was said.
At CB we keep a record of everything to Dropbox. This is why I was able to search through a myriad of guidelines, notes, and templates. But, not all businesses use this method of organizing their documents.
If you don’t have a great memory, this could lead to major confusion and ineffective communication. This is the reason it’s so important to put everything important down in writing. I’m not able to count how many instances I’ve referred to my notes and realized that there was an additional step that I could have missed completely in the absence of writing it down.
If your team does not use Slack, DB, or any other kind of archive documentation, contact an administrator or team leader coworker to ask for their assistance with guides, notes, or even tips.
Tip 3. Research is the best way to make your life easier
Two months into my job, I had to complete quality assurance prior to a major launch. I was feeling a bit lost, and finding templates and resources for QA novices was nearly impossible.
You wouldn’t believe it, but YouTube proved to be an absolute lifesaver. It turns out that skilled software Analysts or Computer Science professors post their lectures on YouTube. I spent a significant amount of time looking through these university courses, taking notes and then putting the knowledge I gained into the real world. In the end, I developed my own custom-designed documentation template and was a frequent contact for QA in our office.
Tip 4. Learn an online course
The most efficient way to enhance your technical skills is to enroll in the online courses. My preferred choice is many courses available and they’ve all been evaluated and rated by students. It’s easy to browse through the reviews, look up information and pick the one that is most appropriate for your specific project.
One major benefit of online versus. in-person classes is the possibility of rewinding and pausing so that you can study at your own speed.
Tip 5. Be a tinkerer
Tinkering is about resolving issues, finding solutions and failing often.
Most of us are born to be tinkerers. When we were children, we’re fascinated and seek to understand what things do, and we’re experimenting with almost every thing. We have fun and break things, make mistakes, and, with no hesitation, we stand up and try it repeatedly.
As we age the more likely we will risk because making an error is painful while making more than a dozen or more mistakes is a disaster. Yet, through experiments the most innovative solutions and inventions were found.
It’s about having fun and being willing to explore different settings, sometimes “breaking” things. If you ever encounter an issue, don’t just give up after a few minutes, you can try to resolve it even if that means doing a bit of overtime. It also proves you’re a creative enough person to survive an apocalypse of zombies or, even worse, having a terrifying live-action.
Tip 6. Check out useful blogs
Keep at it and check out blogs that give you useful advice, tricks and tools. I came across the Atlassian blog at the beginning of my learning process, and they cover many subjects. One of their authors, Ben Crothers, writes pieces on the technology business in a manner that is approachable to the public that is very helpful in learning the complexities of technology and are getting used to the language.