It’s a common misconception that working in tech means being a developer. We were thrilled to have organised the “More than Dev” bootcamp and to share with students that there are more roles in the technology sector than just being a developer (although there is nothing wrong with being or wanting to be one!). 

There is a wide range of jobs available in the technology sector that fit an array of interests and skillsets. The “More than Dev” panel was made up of a diverse group who, as children, had wanted to be mechanics, pilots and artists and now find themselves working in a range of different tech roles. 

This article will summarise some key parts of different roles in technology alongside some advice from the panellists around how they got to where they are and what they would say to their past selves.

Moderator: Geordie Rogers (Software Engineer and SoT Alumni)

Panelists:

• Amber Joseph (Salesforce Trainer at Salesforce Training NZ)

• Leliel Trethowen (Performance Tester at Metaswitch Networks)

• Courteney Brownie (Power Platform Functional Consultant at Datacom)

• Randall Lee (Risk Assurance Associate at PwC New Zealand)

• Michael Tololi (Technical Specialist at Bank of New Zealand)

• Sherine Balaha (Analyst at Deloitte)

Performance Testing:

In the day to day responsibilities of being a performance tester, employees find the remains left of a software crash and work to find out how it happened. They build the tools needed to test the software and understand the results. They use a variety of Python, Command Line Tools and Internal Tools to build the software.

Analyst/Salesforce Developer:

In this role, they work as a consultant with Salesforce, customised depending on what the organisation needs. They analyse what the client wants/needs and what issues they are facing, figuring out the best solution for them. They use a software called Apex, which is similar to Java.

Salesforce Trainer:

As a Salesforce Trainer, they teach Salesforce and certifications to users. This role requires a technical mind and way of thinking but coding is not required. A lot of point and click tools are used to speed up the process. They teach the software and help people to find roles and set up their careers.

Functional Consultant:

Sits in the middle of an analyst (who may understand business needs but not know which is the right product) and a full developer. This role is configurable and the system is changed to meet business needs, coding is not required for this but is used to extend the functionality. They match up the need to the correct product and advise changes needed to customise it. In their role, they do a bit of coding in Javascript and JQuery.

Risk Assurance Associate:

This role assesses the technology risk framework of a business and compares it to different frameworks to give recommendations on improvements and how to mitigate risk. The majority of the time, drag and drop tools are used and require minimal coding. This is a client-facing role.

Technical Specialist:

This role is very general and works with a variety of different technologies. In this role, you work with anyone from performance testers to data engineers and the role is quite experimental. Day to day tasks can vary from deploying virtual machines, troubleshooting code, providing analysis for performance testers and getting to use a variety of skills.

How they got to the role they are in now:

• Experimenting: have a look into what interests you, whether it is working directly with clients or doing more backend work. If you aren’t sure, try a whole lot of things until you find something that works for you.

• Interest: follow what you are interested in, find roles that are similar to what you enjoy and use that to lead your career.

• Working up: if you are unsure about what exactly you are wanting to do, or have your eyes on a large role, just start somewhere. Work on building your knowledge and connections.

• Make connections: talk to people, attend events and make the most of the opportunities presented to you. 

Advice they would give their past selves at the start of their careers:

• Keep an open mind: be open to any opportunities that come your way, try new things even if you aren’t sure of it, as you may just end up enjoying it.

• You are going to make mistakes: go easy on yourself, everyone starts off with limited knowledge, try your best. When you make mistakes, learn from them and use it to help grow your skills and knowledge. Everyone makes mistakes, you won’t be the first or last one.

• Just apply, embrace rejection: if you see a role you are interested in and have some of the skills or criteria, just apply for it and see what happens. Embrace rejection, it is going to happen and is not at all a bad thing.

• Do your research: instead of just looking at job titles and deciding whether to apply or not, do your research into what the role includes and what other roles the company is recruiting for. It may just be the role you are looking for, just displayed with a different name.