How to secure a graduate tech job without experience

Do you want a career in tech but don't have a relevant degree or experience? Ahmed is a Wiley Edge Alumni who graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering and had no work experience in tech. He's now working for one of the world's top investment banks as an Integration Engineer and Algorithm Expert. 

In this blog, Ahmed shares his advice on how you too can secure your dream tech role at a global company.

My first point is that you don't need an IT degree to be part of the IT world. I've met people in the field that have degrees in English Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Business and many more. You don't even need a degree to work for companies like Google - you just need to stand out!
 
The first thing I recommend is to start with Udacity's "Programming for Data Science with Python". This is an excellent introduction to Python, SQL and Git and requires no prerequisites. The good thing about Udacity is that it is very hands-on which will teach you a lot. With Git you can showcase your code; this is a big bonus point to attract recruiters as it is proof of your work.
 
After completing this course, I went from getting no interviews to actually being interviewed which was proof that I was heading in the right direction. Yes, it's not cheap and costs up to 900 USD, but they always do sales and you can get it for cheaper. It's a good investment - I can say that it will get you more jobs than a college degree ever could and it shows you're a self-learner.
 
After this, I recommend doing HackerRanks certifications in SQL. I found the Python ones to be too hard (I'll talk about this next).
 
Even though you have knowledge of Python, you'll realize that you still need more practice. Python is a vital skill in the job market and the more you practice the better you'll be.
 
The next thing you can do is have a look at Edabit which offers many Python questions to code and are split by difficulty. This is great for beginners and has made me very good at coding which helped me ace multiple Python interviews.
 
Please note that the IT field is very vast and there are many pathways you can go for. It is all about you. The key is to be motivated and passionate about learning. Everything is on the internet; you just have to have patience and the right attitude.

Some other tips are:

• Knowledge of Linux and Bash scripting will help you a lot and is easy to learn.
• Udacity has many courses you can do and if you want a job quickly you can do the “Become a Data Analyst” nanodegree.
• Knowledge of Agile is a big advantage. Udemy has good Agile crash courses at cheap prices.
• Gain knowledge of DevOps, SRE, Kubernetes, Jenkins etc as the market has high demand for this.
• LinkedIn learning & Coursera are also good learning platforms.
• Develop knowledge of Java, JavaScript, C++, Google Go language.
• Learn about Machine learning, Data Science, Data Engineering (Udacity has a good collection for these).
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) is a big advantage
• Always post a sample of your codes on Github on your LinkedIn/resume.
• Always be proactive and approach recruiters. Networking is a skill. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
• Follow a good resume format (Udacity offers career help for free if you registered for a course).
• Practice for interviews.
• Stay consistent, disciplined and resilient.