I sell courses to help beginners learn SQL and Data Visualization and one of the most common questions I hear is how to start an IT career. Sometimes the question is more specific like how can I start a career in SQL? Or should I learn Power BI or Tableau? I’ve been there before so I understand the feeling of not knowing but that should not stop your progress into making the career leap. In this article I will provide a few tips to help you get your career track started.

Tip 1- Be proactive!

You have to find a way to get your foot in the door. All the people who currently work in IT have been in your shoes and had to push through the initial learning phase or lack of opportunity. Asking someone how I should learn a particular language is a bad sign. Most people will get the idea that you are not serious about your venture.

When I started working in IT, Google had just become a decent usable source to find information when I got stuck on a problem. My older colleagues would tell me how lucky I am and that they had to depend on large thick books to overcome any roadblocks when coding. Many individuals with this amount of experience that are still in the IT industry today wouldn’t be impressed if you hadn’t at least done some research or written some code without direction.

Tip 2 - Create your own job

Today more than ever you have access to all of the development tools to create your own project. There are tons of free data sets available to create a sample project if you are a backend or SQL developer. As a full stack developer, access to back end data tools allows you to simulate a fully working application.

Having some sort of project to show on an interview will set you apart from other applicants. Also, going through your own project will demonstrate to the hiring manager that you have the problem-solving skills to bring tasks and projects to completion.

Tip 3- Have your “why” ready.

If you are new to an industry, a common question you will face is why you are choosing a new career path in that industry. So if you are changing careers you will really need to show conviction and passion about your new choice. A career in IT is not easy, your day to day life revolves around solving problems. Sometimes you run into problems that you might go home and dream about or that keep you up at night. If you come across to others as someone just trying it out you most likely won’t get past the gatekeeper.

If you are coming out of college or training academy make sure you can explain why you like the particular niche you choose. You should also have an idea of your career path and how you see your skills progressing.

Tip 4- Network.

Let everyone know that this is your new career path and be very specific about what you want to do. Go to career and networking events or join a local meetup group based around your topic. You may meet people who are in the position to hire at their company. They may not be able to hire you at the that moment, but people often tend to hire based on familiarity if possible. Even if it feels painful at the time, introduce yourself and ask for opportunities, you truly never know who might have an opportunity or give you a shot.

Remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. Hiring managers are often also busy working on projects so don’t get discouraged if you do not hear back right away. The IT job market is still a growing industry so keep working on the tips above and you will eventually land your first IT position.