Working in tech has become trendy. I often see on social media videos and posts on how people can secure roles in tech. Career influencers have built a brand on social media glamorising the tech industry. Most of the content I’ve seen about careers in tech have mainly shown the highlights such as; flexible working hours (WFH) and competitive salaries. Though these perks ring true and is what makes a career in tech appealing, there are also many challenges which often gets swept under the rug. If you’re thinking of working in tech, I want this post to give you a 360 view of the sector, and if you’re just curious to know the ins and outs then keep reading!
The benefits in tech
Working for a start-up or one of the tech giants such as Meta, Apple, Amazon, Google, Netflix and Microsoft sounds exciting and can often be career changing. Not to mention, these companies offer incredible salaries, have offices that are really cool (don’t forget the well-stocked fridge and canteen), offer private healthcare cover and flexible working hours which allows employees to work anywhere in the world. With the market facing talent shortages, firms are levelling up their benefits to attract top candidates.
It’s fast paced and intense
The tech industry has built a reputation of offering top benefits that other industries such as financial services or law do not offer. But don’t be fooled. You may get free food from the canteen, start work at 10 am, get unlimited PTO but they all come at a price. Having worked in tech for nearly 5 years I can say that it’s an intense and fast paced sector not made for the faint hearted. There is constant pressure to hit KPI’s and revenue goals. If you hit them you’ll be rewarded with an amazing bonus and if you don’t get ready to have managers on your back applying more pressure. As a marketing professional in fintech I am judged by the output of my work and how much it contributes to the growth of the business. I have meetings where I have to present to senior stakeholders, manage large budgets (millions), assist in market product launches and work cross-functionally to get campaigns up and running. There are a million things going on and all have to be managed to a high standard and this adds extra pressure to what is already an intense environment. They make you work hard for your money. These perks don’t come for free.
Work-life balance can be out of balance
One of the benefits which many tech companies offer is flexible working. This could be 100% remote working or you deciding your own working hours to fit around your schedule. My company offers remote working and for this I’m very grateful for. I am aware that many of my friends who work in different industries do not have this flexibility and this is one of the many reasons I love working in tech. However, though I can choose my own working hours, striking a work-life balance can be very challenging due to high workloads and demands. I have unlimited PTO but with so much going on and aggressive KPIs to achieve, my flexible hours turn into 12 hour working days. You’re working around the clock to meet tight deadlines and flexibility goes straight out of the window when you have multiple projects to execute. People don’t like to talk about it often but getting the right work-life balance in tech is very difficult as it’s such a demanding industry. I’ve seen colleagues send emails at 9pm or on the weekends. It’s as if the benefit of working flexible hours has a reverse effect on people and they go into overdrive working longer hours. If you want to get into tech, just be prepared to not have the right work-life balance (especially if you’re at a start-up).
Work at a start-up or FAANG?
FAANG is an acronym used to describe some of the most prominent companies in the tech sector. We’re talking Google, Amazon, Apple, Netflix etc. Many people hoping to work in tech want to work for in a FAANG company as it opens many doors. I have experience in working in IT (cloud), social tech and now fintech, and what I’ll say is that I’ve learnt so much in all of these different areas in tech. When I started my tech journey I didn’t really have a clue on what type of company I wanted to work for and I stumbled into my first two tech roles through contacts on LinkedIn. Now that I’m wiser and more knowledgeable my advice to anyone starting out is to thoroughly research the area in tech they want to get into. Some find that working at a start-up gives them the opportunity to upskill in different areas of the business due to the small and lean nature. Others may prefer to start at a global tech company as they would like more structure. If you do decide to go through the start-up route be prepared to work crazy long hours. Whatever, path you decide my advice would be to talk to people in the industry and roles that you desire to have and get first hand account of their experience. Tech is a great industry to be in, but don’t go into it for the wrong reasons.
See you in my next post!
