How to Join Tech Companies in Singapore Without a Tech Background

It’s easy to think you’d need a degree in computer science to apply to tech companies in Singapore. However, there’s plenty of room in the tech job market for people with no IT background. The Ministry of Manpower’s (MoM) Jobs Situation Report for information and communications technology (ICT) states that in 2020, 30% of job openings at tech companies were for “tech-lite roles.” These include positions like Digital Marketing Specialist and Customer Success Manager. Tech companies are still hiring for non-tech positions in Marketing, Sales, and HR as well.

Aspiring career switchers can take inspiration from 31-year-old Fadhillah Johari. In 2020, she successfully transitioned from Product Support Specialist at her previous workplace to Customer Success Officer at Inspire-Tech. She lost her job due to company restructuring, and pandemic hiring freezes made it challenging to find a new position. After reading MoM’s Jobs Situation Report, she decided to upskill by taking classes in “Python programming, data analytics, e-commerce and digital marketing” under the SGUnited Skills Programme.

She also joined the SGTech Career Support group. There, she came across the software development company Inspire-Tech, which was participating in the initiative. After that, she scored a 6-month attachment with Inspire-Tech through the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme.

Ready to make your transition into tech? Here are some tips for jumpstarting your new career.

Look for Non-Tech Openings at ICT Companies

No business can run on software engineers alone. Here are some of the non-tech jobs you can consider:

• Marketing
• Sales
• HR
• Customer Success
• Business Analyst
• Project Manager
• Product Manager
• Account Manager

Leverage Your Transferable Skills

When applying to tech companies, your transferable skills are your greatest asset. Here are some of the skills that recruiters at tech firms look for:

Project Management

This skill involves leading a team and coordinating with various departments to ensure a project stays on track and achieves the desired outcome. You’ll need good leadership skills to motivate your colleagues and organisation skills to make sure your team meets their deadlines.

Collaboration

Exchanging ideas and working well together in a team is crucial for any workplace. However, it’s especially important in environments like tech, where people are expected to innovate and come up with quick solutions to problems.

Creative Thinking

Whether you’re coming up with new features for your company’s app or brainstorming for a new marketing campaign, being able to think out of the box is essential.

Problem-solving

Problem-solving means not only seeing areas for improvement but also coming up with feasible solutions. To do this effectively, you’ll need to analyse and look at an issue from different angles.

Flexibility

ICT is a fast-paced environment in which things are constantly changing. You must keep up and adjust when projects suddenly go in a different direction due to new circumstances or setbacks.

Communication

This skill is essential when it comes to coordinating with teammates and other departments on projects. It isn’t just about getting your point across—it involves being able to listen to your coworkers as well. In tech, this may also mean understanding technical explanations from colleagues, and articulating them in ways that non-tech coworkers and customers can understand. Some roles will also require you to explain input from customers and stakeholders to digital workers.

According to the Harvard Business Review, ICT companies often use the STAR method in interviews. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. The interviewer will usually ask a question along the lines of “tell me about a time when…” or “Show me an example of a situation where….” You are then expected to talk about a situation in which you displayed a certain trait, including your assigned task in that situation, the action you took, and the result of your actions. As you use the STAR method, you can highlight how you used some of the transferable skills above to solve a problem or complete a task.

Upskill for Your Desired Role

These days, even traditionally non-tech roles are becoming more and more digitalised. You’ll have a better shot at catching the attention of hiring tech companies if you already have a few technical skills on your resume.

For instance, in digital marketing, some knowledge of data analysis will be useful in profiling your customers. And according to Channel News Asia, coding helps people in all sorts of non-tech jobs work more efficiently, from business development to marketing. Being familiar with things like data analytics and UX design can also help you communicate more easily with digital workers in your company. After all, it’s easier to get on the same page if you speak the same language.

The important thing is to determine which digital skills and tools will be useful for your particular job. The learning curve may be steep, but with patience and a positive attitude, anyone can pick up a new skill and excel at their job.

There are all kinds of resources for learning digital skills, from apps like DataCamp to online classes and workshops. You can even enrol in full-time courses under the SGUnited Skills Programme.

Once you’ve gotten your foot in the door, you might even find yourself interested in switching to more specialised technical roles. The government and ICT companies are dedicated to growing Singapore’s pool of local digital talent through initiatives such as IBM’s TechSkills Accelerator Company-Led Training programme and Microsoft’s #GetReadySG.

Get Into the Right Mindset

Adopt the attitudes and ways of thinking that allow digital workers to thrive in the tech industry. It’s important to have a growth mindset. After all, technology is constantly changing and evolving. To keep up, people in this industry are always looking to enhance their skillsets and find learning opportunities.

It’s important to have grit and determination as well. You’ll most likely be working in a fast-paced environment. And as you work with software engineers and full-stack developers, be confident in what you’re bringing to the table. As someone without an IT degree, you provide a different perspective than colleagues who have been immersed in tech all their lives.

Get Advice from People in the Industry

Networking with people from the tech industry comes with all sorts of advantages. You can ask them what the working environment is like and what to expect when you’re starting. They could also tip you off on the latest technologies that are relevant to your particular role. Your connections may even know of job openings and give you an introduction to potential recruiters.

The first place to start would be friends or acquaintances who are already working in ICT. If you don’t know anyone, there are organisations like Girls in Tech Singapore that are dedicated to increasing the number of women in the industry and offer support, training, and mentoring. If you decide to upskill, you can network with your teachers and classmates as well.

The prospect of switching to a tech career may seem daunting when you don’t have a STEM degree. However, ICT companies know that having a diverse workforce is key to innovation and success. Because of this, they are more open to hiring and upskilling talent with non-tech backgrounds. With the right mindset, you too can be at the forefront of Singapore’s digital economy.

Increase your chances of landing a job at your dream tech company by updating your Jobstreet profile. Learn more about finding and excelling at #JobsThatMatter by checking out Jobstreet’s Career Resources page.