Interested in tech? A guide to choosing your startup role- Part 1

You want to go into tech. Start a career in tech. Or do some work in tech? Let’s face it, tech is the new cool, right? You can refine your skills and get assigned to a startup organization for Internship here>> https://thestartupintern.com/

But, what part of tech can you build a career on? The Tech space is wide and you will need to specialize to make very good use of your time and resources- Your investment in yourself needs to be targeted. So choose a career path in tech and build on it.

There are a lot of misconceptions that to be in tech you have to start from a certain role then advance to other roles. In reality, you can start your tech career at any role but the core thing is not to waste time hopping around roles when you can define your path.

Hece, this article aims to discuss career paths available in tech to help you decide where to focus. While it is important to know that all tech career paths are lucrative and in relatively high demand, you also need to know which career path you can be great at and go for it. 

So we will discuss the available career paths in the Tech Space under Two Categories: The Dev Roles and the Non-Dev Roles.

The Dev Roles

Dev or developer roles are career paths that involve programming or coding. Essentially programming is at the core of it. So here are a couple of them.

Web Frontend Development 

Who they are:

In practice, Web front end Developers are in charge of creating user interfaces for the web using web technologies and programming languages. They focus on implementing designs that have been created by the user interface designer (UI) to interactable interfaces. They create web pages, animations, transitions styles and ensure that the expected experience during the design stage is accurately represented.

So you will likely do well in this if:

1. You pay attention to details. Tiny details especially visual differences and appeal are very important in Front End Development. 
2. You do not have issues coding long hours, then you might love and enjoy this startup role.
3. Have a grasp of the knowledge scope involved in Front end Development. They are listed below.

Some Knowledge skills you would require in Front end Development:

1. Basic graphics evaluation or assessment eye- You know good graphics when you see it,
2. Html/CSS, 
3. Javascript, 
4. Development framework- React or Vue or Angular

If you’ll love to build magic on the web, Front end Development is the way for you to go.

Backend Development

Who they are:

The Back end developer doesn’t focus on things the user sees. They build the architectural system and build the operational logic for any system. They also expose the data for the frontend developers to use. 

The Back end Developer role seems kind of complex, however, it is very interesting. You can think of the Back end Developer as the engine of the Development platform because, in addition to the above, they are primarily focused on server-side programs and operations.

So you will likely do well in this if:

1. You love logic more than designing.
2. You are more interested in what powers a tech product than how appealing the tech product looks. You want to know what happens under the hood of a product.
3. You don’t have issues with long calculations and math solving; then you might love and enjoy this role.
4. Have a grasp of the knowledge scope involved in Back end Development. They are listed below.

Some skills you may require here:

1. Understanding of server and architecture design, 
2. Database design, 
3. Data structure, 
4. Javascript or PHP or Python or C# or JAVA

This role would suit you if you are a lover of analytical thinking and have a great imagination. Technically, if you have a builder’s eye, you would love this role.

Mobile App Developer

Who they are:

Mobile App Developers are frontend developers but their focus is on mobile apps rather than on the web. The same things that apply to the web frontend developer apply to the Mobile App Dev except for the knowledge skill. The knowledge skills needed here are different, they are listed below.

Some skills you may need:

1. Basic graphics, 
2. Knowledge of development frameworks- Flutter, React Native, ionic
3. Basic animation skills

You would love this role if you are focused on building mobile systems or platforms. 

DevOps

Who they are:

DevOps is short for Development Operations. Basically, it is a field that ensures software development is done with the right cultural philosophies, practices, and tools. The DevOps engineer, because that is what they are called, works on the server that software runs on to ensure that the software runs properly. They also set up automated operations and tests.

So you will likely do well in this if:

1. You already have a good understanding of backend development 
2. And you are interested in ensuring that software is done right.
3. Essential knowledge skills for this role.

Some knowledge skills you may need:

1. Backend development skills, 
2. CI/CD, 
3. Knowledge of Server configurations, 
4. Knowledge of Deployment environments

You love this role if you are diversifying from core Back end dev to running admin or management. 

Database Design, Analytics and Administration

Who they are:

This field focuses on data. Basically, the software depends heavily on data so there are people who design the structure, manage and set up the database. These are the Database designer or Database managers, they perform the required activities on the database to query it and perform activities in the database management software or data warehouse. These guys, the database designers or Data Scientists are very thorough and detailed so you will love this role if you are “Very Organised” (Just Joking!)

You will likely do well in this if:

1. You have a good statistical background or love statistics 
2. You do not want to go into coding fully, the amount of coding done here is very little compared to other roles in the Dev role space.
3. As always, you need some knowledge skills.

Some skills you may need:

1. DB design, 
2. Knowledge of SQL, 
3. Knowledge of R Programming 

You will love this role if you love numbers, love data, love repetition and patterns and love to arrange things in their proper place. (Did you get the vibe of prim and proper?)

This might be a long read, but we hope this gives a clear picture of what is needed to start or prepare for a Dev role in the Tech space. If this article has clarified your career path in Tech, you should sign up to refine your skills and get assigned to a startup organisation for an internship role in your career path. Check this out here>>https://thestartupintern.com/  

If you have questions or need guidance on what career path to go- in the Dev space, you can send an email to [email protected]

Watch out for part two- Non-Dev Roles.