What does it take to move, mid-career, into the tech industry?

The lure of a tech job is obvious. Cutting-edge skills, a future-proofed career, and great reimbursement – according to Yahoo, top-level engineers can expect to earn over AU$100,000.

With salaries growing, more and more people are moving into the tech industry, with the potential for entrepreneurship present also. While tech professionals are in high demand, the industry is highly competitive, so enhancing your potential employment opportunities, often requires a specific skill set.

‘Tech’ is an umbrella term for almost countless professions. From electrical engineers to software designers and creative, there are plenty of digitally focused roles out there; finding the right one is important. It’s important to find a field that interests you, but don’t settle on a specific job immediately. Instead, move towards the right mindset for shifting careers.

Mid-career workers are potentially Australia’s greatest tech resource due to that flexibility, and that’s something you can use. For tech careers, focus on flexibility, an appetite for knowledge and building skills. You may need to acquire new technical skills, and being prepared for this will make a mid-life career change much easier.

Fortunately for people new to tech, there are a litany of ways to develop your skills. There exist a huge range of websites that offer professional level training, ranging from Harvard’s online course provision to Coursera.

On top of this, many professional organisations can also give high-level technological training – replete with accreditation – through digital means only, meaning you can learn while still working.

The technological industry does not focus purely on computer based skills. As outlined in the Financial Review, some of the fastest growing roles in the tech industry focus on ‘intangible’ skills and management. These include customer access managers and scientists from other fields, including data and robotics.

With the industry thriving with professionals who have the skills to design and create the technology, there will always be need for direction – from managers and other similar roles. If you want to find your niche within the tech industry, you may already have the skills and simply need to reorient yourself to the ways of working demanded within tech firms.

Australia has a swelling tech industry that’s crying out for skilled people. These include mid-career aged persons, and can include jobs not restricted to software and hardware design.

Look at your skills, equip your ambitious thinking hat, and if you’d like to, carve out a new career path – the opportunities are there.