Exciting, prestigious, high-quality, profitable and a leader in the global economy – if you ask someone what they think about the high-tech world, it is likely that this is how they will respond.
High demand, employment prospects, work conditions and the high rewarding salaries are what make the high-tech world so attractive around the world and in Israel in particular. According to a report by the Innovation Authority, about 10 percent of those employed in the Israeli economy are salaried high-tech workers, a figure that is considered particularly high.
The high-tech world is like a spinning wheel – once you’ve managed to get in, you’re constantly on the move, increasing the pace, exposed to more and more information and over time increasing the products and output. The challenge here is the complexity of industry entry. Most companies prefer an experienced professional, with knowledge and experience in the field, who will immediately produce results and provide professional and high-quality work.
So how do you start to establish a career in high-tech without experience?
The high-tech world is a field with many possibilities and many advantages:
Improved working conditions and high salary
It is well known that the salaries of the workers in the high-tech world are higher than the average salary in the Israeli economy. In order to attract the best and highest quality employees in the field, the high-tech companies provide high-quality, comfortable and cool work environments, with many benefits and perks. Benefits include food cards or subsidized meals in the offices, training funds, free gym, a variety of leisure and social activities, refrigerators with ice creams and popsicles, snacks, beers and more. For employees, this investment expresses the company’s high regard and respect for them, which makes them happy to come into work smiling every morning.
Promotion avenues and employment stability
The reality of employment as we know it today is going to change completely in the future. In a world where technology is growing and in control of more and more areas, it seems that the jobs requiring people are changing, and soon technological solutions will begin to take their place. This is not an alternate script for an episode of “Black Mirror” (even if it sounds that way), but the view of experts and research and development teams who approach new developments from two minds. Take the automotive world as an example: there are already autonomous vehicles that do not even require the navigation of the driver for the journey. In the future, this could include bus drivers, taxis or public transport options and this would eliminate the need for professional drivers.
The high-tech world, is an industry that will never be obsolete or replaceable. It is dedicated to innovation, progress and development and there will always be branches and professions that will be relevant, even in the decades to come. Assuming that the technological developments will replace the manpower jobs, there will always be a need for people to work on further developments. It is very possible that the supply of manpower for certain jobs may decrease over the years, but the need for those in the high-tech industry will remain.
Meaningful and impactful work
Everyone likes to feel that they are taking part in an activity with meaning, which gives them a sense of purpose and makes them feel satisfied at the end of the day. The high-tech world embodies this, as an integral part of the technological revolution, that changed and is still changing our lives. The extensive day-to-day activities in the field affect all of us, generating large-scale changes, both internal and external.
Working in high-tech without experience – how does it happen?
Are you already past the brainstorming stage of ‘what do I want to do in the future’? Have you unquestionably decided that high-tech is the direction and now you are looking for your entry ticket? Fantastic!
Just before you concentrate on how to get into high-tech without experience, it is important to understand which of the different fields appeals to you the most – software development, information and cyber security, DevOps, data and databases, information systems, etc. After you have read a little about each of the fields of work and chosen a direction, it is time to understand what your entry options are for jobs without experience.
Academic degree studies
The first way is the classic and familiar way that we all know: Enroll in academic degree studies in a subject that is relevant to the field, such as software engineering or computer science. In order for you to be able to enter the job market and secure a well-regarded entry-level position in high-tech, it is recommended to take a student job/internship in your chosen field while completing your degree. However, the studies combining work with 3-4 intensive years of in-depth, intensive and long learning, is extremely difficult.
Degree studies are mainly suitable for those who are not under pressure to get started in their career, who have already taken psychometrics (or the equivalent entry level exams), meet all the requirements of the educational institution to which they aspire to be accepted and are able to pay the tuition fees of the academic institution.
Independent learning
In independent learning you are your own boss, in the full sense of the word, which means that you are at the beginning of a rather challenging task. First, you need to collect the materials and the relevant knowledge bases for you, after that, decide how you divide your time and combine learning with the other commitments you have, all while understanding what is the most important knowledge to focus on. If you have good research skills, high self-discipline and the ability to organize your time well, this could be a possibility.
Paid short programs
Another way to enter high-tech without experience is by participating in paid short programs. Unlike degree studies in academic institutions, or in-depth training, the programs are intended for focused study (such as a specific programming language). For example, if you take a development program, you will learn one language, but you will not go into any detail or learn about the logic behind it.
In-depth training with or without payment
The training is most often longer than the paid short programs offered but, shorter than a degree. The programs usually do not to exceed one year of study and everything you learn will qualify you to be high-tech professionals just like any other software or engineering graduate. This is suitable for those who are not interested in long-term studies, who want to get into the high-tech field as quickly as possible (and/or veterans who want to use their military funds for education). It may also be suitable for those who have already studied the field independently but, need more in depth studies, or as a conversion program for academics who want to change their occupation.
Starting salaries in high-tech jobs without experience
The starting salary is of course lower when you first enter high-tech without any prior experience. You may not get the salary you dreamed of right from the get go, but the starting salary will be higher than the average Israeli salary.
The starting salary is for the first two years in the profession, from the third year there is usually an increase. When advancing to management positions, the salary increase is significant at around NIS 30,000 or more.
