Who hasn’t this happened to? You come to work and feel disinterested, that you are not pushing yourself or that the field you chose to study and work in no longer works for you like it used to – it’s time to recalculate your path.
Firstly, it is important to know that you are not alone. According to a 2023 survey of 2,000 adults in the United States, 26% of them are considering changing careers. How do you switch to high-tech and what should you study? We will try to answer these questions in the following article.
High-tech conversion – how do you start?
Before you rush to take courses or choose one study path or another, you need to sit down and figure out which field really interests you. Do a market survey and check which professions within the big area of “high-tech” could be relevant to you.
For the first step, we recommend that you research a number of fields that interest you and that you would like to study. After that, look for indicators of supply and demand. Remember, the more demand there is for a certain field in high-tech companies, the higher your chances of finding a job in one of them. Also, the higher the demand, the more likely you will also be able to improve your salary conditions.
It is important to note – it doesn’t matter which field you choose, in order to succeed you will need to heavily invest your time in it.
What fields can you study to change to high-tech?
Software Development
Software development is one of the leading areas in high-tech, at the core of the industry. It forms the basis of all high-tech companies and the demand for software developers increases every year. The role of a software developer is to take part in the development process of technological products, whether for computer software or even phone applications.
Front-End
Have you ever heard of the term client-side? Front-end developers are responsible for the client-side, or in other words, what the client sees when they enter an application. A front-end developer writes the code that actually makes the application live, move and respond to user actions.
Back-End
If a front-end developer is responsible for the client-side, then a back-end developer is responsible for the server-side. They write the code that is responsible for the actual functionality and logic of the application. The code that the server-side developer writes affects the logic of the application only and has no effect on its external visibility.
Full-Stack
A full-stack developer is a developer proficient in front-end and back-end. They know how to perform both skillsets.
Mobile Developer
A mobile developer is responsible for developing applications for cell phones and tablets. They use development languages like Java, Swift and Kotlin to develop apps for iOS and Android operating systems.
Game Developer
Responsible for creating video games by using a variety of development languages and technologies to create, among other things, the graphics and animations of the games.
Web Developer
Responsible for setting up and maintaining websites. They use HTML, CSS and JavaScript to create the user experience on the site and use development languages such as PHP, Python and Ruby to create the server-side that runs the site.
Embedded Developer
Embedded systems combine a hardware side and a software side designed for a specific use. An Embedded developer deals with the software side of the system to optimize the performance of the system according to the hardware platform they work with. The common languages in the field include C++, C, Assembly and more.
DevOps
DevOps is a field that brings together a wide variety of methods and tools that help organizations perform various automations, combining software and system development. In the literal sense of the term, DevOps is actually a combination of Development and Operations.
DevOps company teams are crucial for everything related to the life cycle of the technological product. They have both development and IT skills, and their role is to optimize the development process of the product, to make all the teams from all the different fields work together in full synergy promoting both the speed and the quality of software construction. This is why DevOps people must be involved in the entire process, from the development phase, to the testing and release of the technological products to the customer.
Cyber – Cyber Research Experts
In recent years the map of cyber threats has expanded, especially in the State of Israel, which as part of its threat landscape, needs cyber people who are no less than exceptional. The cyber expert has excellent technical familiarity with the range of technological systems and infrastructures, and is also endowed with the capabilities of defense with a concrete understanding of the attacking party. Cyber experts are entrusted with upgrading the organization’s defense systems and they need to combine the capabilities of hacking, defense and research.
The cyber field is divided into defense and attack professions, which require different skills, therefore there are cyber professionals who specialize in defense and there are those who specialize in attack. Good attackers must hold a deep understanding of the defensive mechanisms and good defenders must hold a deep understanding of the offensive mechanisms.
Artificial Intelligence Development – AI Engineer
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science concerned with creating intelligent systems that can perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence. Artificial intelligence systems are designed to absorb information from the environment, learn from experience or past data, reason or make decisions based on this information and take actions to achieve specific goals. Although it is simple to say, it is very difficult to implement, in light of the fact that this operation requires the processing of enormous quantities of DATA, storage of that DATA, its management and more.
AI techniques include Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), computer vision and robotics. Artificial intelligence is used in various fields, such as health, finance, transportation, games, etc. to automate tasks, improve efficiency and provide smart solutions.
Software Testing – QA
Before releasing a technological product or software, we must carry out technical tests to ensure the product is working properly before it goes out to customers. In order to perform these tests, the QA personnel can make use of manual or automated tools that will help them locate user experience bugs, as well as improve the efficiency and speed of the product.
So what are your responsibilities in this job? You will write test scripts, perform tests and document them, get to know the product database in depth and more.
Network Management
Network management is a field that has not stopped growing in recent years and Network Managers are in demand in high-tech companies. Network management plays an essential role in maintaining the stability, availability and security of computer networks, and enables effective communication, data transfer and collaboration within organizations. The field of network management includes a wide variety of different tasks and responsibilities.
What are your responsibilities in this job? The continuous monitoring of network devices, traffic and performance indicators to identify and solve problems immediately. The management and maintenance of network device configurations, such as routers, switches, firewalls and servers. The locating, diagnosing and solving of faults, errors or network failures. The performance optimization of the network by measuring and analyzing network performance indicators, network security management, strategic planning and network architecture design and more.
How do you choose a suitable high-tech training program?
Professional training program or academic studies?
Whilst it is true that there is a shortage of high-tech workers, particularly in the in-demand fields that we covered in this article, the recruitment culture in most companies does not hire candidates without practical experience. It can be very frustrating to successfully complete an academic degree only to find out that the market does not make allowances regarding the candidates’ work experience. There are also multiple companies in the market that offer paid courses, but then send their graduates out to find a job on their own, which is incredibly frustrating.
When we talk about work experience, it is important to emphasize the study method of the academies. They offer face-to-face courses with a combination of presentations and slides that help to assimilate the theoretical information among the students. However, if we look at the needs of the high-tech market and the speed with which it runs forward, unfortunately this method of study is simply not relevant to the job-finding process.
The technological teams at companies are looking to recruit candidates who know how to dive into a project on their own, who are already experienced in teamwork, who know how to take on complex tasks and learn independently to reach a solution. Therefore, the hands-on learning method is the most highly recommended method for you.
How do you choose which training program is right for you?
Carefully go through the training program syllabus and make sure that it includes all the main study topics in the field. Do a market survey, then compare the different syllabi from the different training programs.
Regarding the training method used – check whether it is hands-on learning or slides and lecturers. Practical learning has a distinct advantage over the traditional method, because this way you will really learn the work through hands-on application and arrive ready for any challenge, able to deal with any technology. Hands-on learning programs are generally accompanied by a professional mentor, simulating the high-tech work environment structure and teamwork in the industry.
Will you find a job at the end of the program?
This is the million-dollar question and as you probably know, the reality in the high-tech market has changed over the last year. During this period, more and more companies have found it difficult to raise investment and have had to cut back on their personnel. In March 2022, we experienced a phenomenon that we haven’t experienced in years, the average salary in the Israeli high-tech industry decreased. This is not the full picture, but it certainly indicates a trend. The reasons for the recession in the high-tech market include the global recession, post Covid-19 recovery (which most companies are still struggling to recover from), etc.
This is why we recommend that you carefully select a professional and practical training program that will give you all the tools needed to successfully integrate into the job market, especially in view of the challenges that exist in high-tech. Practical training programs, where you learn the material hands-on, will give you an advantage over other competitors for the same jobs and will place you in an excellent starting position for seamless integration into the labor market.
It is important to note that we highly recommend that you look for a professional training program from a company whose interest lies in finding you a job as an integral part of its business model, then will they be committed to your future employment. This is a great indicator regarding the reliability and quality of the training program.
What do we do at Infinity Labs R&D?
Infinity Labs R&D, a research and development company, developed a career path about a decade ago that begins with training at our expense for those who successfully complete the program, and ends with development jobs at one of the company’s clients. The process is based on a learning methodology developed by us, Infinity Mentored Social Learning (IMSL) which has been used to successfully integrate about 2,000 graduates in positions that usually require 2-3 years of experience. With over 200 successful groups in Software Development, Cyber and DevOps, the program has collaborated with over 300 high-tech, defense and startup companies in Israel who return to recruit from us regularly.
Our business model is based on partnership, where everyone benefits:
You – Do not pay for the training program, during which you will be interviewed for jobs with one of our clients.
We – Finance your training program and afterwards when you start working for one of our clients, this is how we get a return on our investment in the process.
Customers – Benefit from Infinity Labs R&D graduates who provide professional and high-quality solutions and stay for the long term.
