Austin’s tech sector is going strong, so how can you nab one of its many entry level tech jobs? Employers are scrambling for candidates to fill entry level tech jobs in infrastructure, customer support, PC help desk and other areas. But we know you have questions. We asked our tech recruiters to answer some of the most common ones:
Do I Need A Degree?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one-third of computer support specialists lack a college degree. Other entry level tech jobs require no degree, too. High school students admit the likelihood of attending a four-year school sank nearly 20% in less than a year — down to 53%, from 71%. For that reason, many large employers like Apple, IBM, and Google stopped requiring degrees for many entry level tech jobs.
And here’s an interesting turn: Workplace transparency platform Comparably recently reported that some positions earn less *with* a college degree. These include IT managers, product marketing associates, and QA analysts. How is that possible?
“Those with degrees only often lack the experience and specific certifications necessary to be a good fit for in-demand tech jobs,” says Paul McGaughan, Practice Director for The HT Group Technical Recruiting. “For many entry level tech jobs, specific certifications trump a college degree. Plus, aptitude and soft skills don’t necessarily come with a college degree. While one job candidate was spending time at frat parties and in economics, the other was already programming or gaining training through employment programs, learning team dynamics and collaboration, and acquiring other tech-specific skills.”
Now, that being said, it’s not as easy as, “No degree, no problem.” Many employers do still look for that four-year degree on applications. So job candidates without degrees need to find other ways to stand out. A recruiter can help you uncover those selling points and can steer you in the direction of certifications that can help.
Can I Permanently Stay Remote?
If you want a remote position, you have a leg-up if you live in Texas because organizations nationwide love hiring Texas workers. Employers must follow the labor and tax laws for each state in which their remote workers reside. That can get tricky and expensive. Texas is an employer-friendly state, which means we have relatively unrestrictive state labor laws compared to California, Illinois and New York. That’s why, even when Texas employers can hire remote workers from anywhere, they generally love finding employees close to home.
Most entry level tech jobs can be remote if they don’t involve hardware, manufacturing processes or other focuses that require being on-site. Customer support and help desk jobs are among the most common entry level tech jobs. But software developers, computer systems analysts, web developers, information security analysts and other jobs are commonly remote, too, depending on the employer.
Why Do I Always Miss Out On The Best Opportunities?
In Austin, it can seem that entry level tech jobs are like houses: They’re in high demand, and once you spot one you like, a dozen people have already “outbid” you. How do other candidates always seem to have a leg up? The answer: They work with great tech recruiters. Tech recruiters know about most entry level tech jobs before anyone else.
They can also steer you to tech jobs outside the industries you’d typically look at. For instance, check out our recent post about careers in the manufacturing industry. No domestic sectors are hotter than manufacturing, logistics and distribution, and food and beverage production. And what do these industries have in common? They rely on tech more than ever and need people trained to work with that tech to keep things running smoothly.
Get your foot in the door and find entry level tech jobs ASAP by dropping us a line and submitting your resume here.
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