Getting a 6 figures salary in tech isn't a walk in a park
Why some folks succeed and others struggle.
I’m very pleased that my ex-student got a job recently.
Why was I missing for the past few weeks?
I recently finished my part-time engagement with Denver University (DU) and 2U, where I taught a data analytics boot camp from Feb 2024 to August 2024.
It was my most challenging boot camp because of the relatively low motivation and attrition rate.
I taught at the University of Miami (UM) and Arizona State University (ASU) before, and the classes I have managed thus far were different. The content wasn't too varied, and I have not deviated from my teaching style.
Thus, I reassessed why and recalibrated what I wanted to do in the future from this experience.
I started teaching because I had an arrangement with a friend to teach coding and tech to youth-at-risk girls in Thailand. I had never taught academically before my engagement at UM, and I used that as an opportunity to learn what teaching is like.
It was an enlightening experience because I came in as a permanent instructor midway to another instructor who couldn't afford the time to teach. Since I couldn't wear another person's armor, the students had to adjust to my style.
Then, one of the students lamented why they should be learning to code for data analytics. Even today, coding is one of the significant hurdles most students struggle with as beginners. Some of their computer illiteracy can compound this problem.
I understand that the six-month data analytics boot camp was marketed to beginners who needed only a decent computer with an internet connection. As long as your computer can run the course materials and you can follow the course, you should be ready to embark on a journey to become a data analyst, scientist, or engineer.
However, if it only takes six months to get a six-figure salary in tech, then folks would be banging doors to get to tech boot camps to get started.
The six months cover the foundational materials for anyone to embark on the journey to success in a tech job. Would you think a chef who graduated from a culinary school in six months could manage a leading restaurant in New York?
How did I enter the tech world?
As I recall my journey into the tech world, I took three years to get a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, majoring in multimedia and game development from the University of Wollongong (UOW). In my three years, I built games in Java and C++, explored different ways to hone my craft, and was largely proficient in building an app at any time by the end of the course.
However, being able to build an app did not necessarily mean I was able to contribute value to a product or feature in a company. I joined CBS Interactive (now more commonly known as Paramount Global, and it is going to be acquired soon at the time of this writing), and while I was trying to collect data for my work, I brought the entire office's internet down because of the vast amount of data.
That was in 2011.
It took many trials and errors to finally reach a point where I contributed value to the company in dollars and cents. It was where I could say I was a major contributor to a USD 1.5 million and a USD 1.75 million project that I knew I was contributing above my pay grade.
Why am I recounting this journey? I think many aspiring students were hoping for this scenario to happen:
Get a certificate or a degree to get a tech job, preferably above six figures, to start
Learn on the job to be proficient
Rise through the ranks and explore other opportunities for growth
However, the reality can be as follows:
I got my certificate or degree.
I can't find a job because I couldn't pass my tech interviews.
I need to sign up for additional interview courses to ensure that I can pass that interview.
However, the difficulty curve keeps growing. Some companies even require some experience for entry-level jobs.
I have lost money and time on this, and I don't know how long I can last.
This is a common trend nowadays. Then, everyone blames the job market and companies for not offering job opportunities to folks.
Let me offer some perspective so that you know what you can do about it.
Companies are navigating towards candidates who can hit the ground running rather than training from scratch.
Whether we like it or not, companies need to make money to give us compensation and welfare benefits.
If the cost of managing an employee far outweighs the value that he or she brings to the table, the relationship will not work out since, fundamentally, the company needs the money to pay employees.
I managed senior engineers who knew little about automation or version control. They didn't seem to realize that this lack was negatively impacting the team in terms of value, and we ran the risk of scrapping the entire team.
Training was also provided in the form of paid coursework. However, the improvement rate of providing value against our running cost was slow and negative. I had folks placed on training for an entire year, and they still had doubts about whether they could build a data pipe from start to finish.
Obviously, companies understand these problems, and announcing layoffs is a bad PR move. The easier way to avoid this is to raise the quality bar for assessing aspiring job candidates.
Thus, we see a trend where folks mock job descriptions and exclaim that entry-level positions need a few years of experience. It wasn't what companies intended, and I don't believe you need a few years of experience for an entry-level job, but this is the market we live in.
Folks also mistake the term "entry-level" work. Entry-level does not mean you know nothing about the job. You may lack experience, but you should at least have enough coding skills and fundamental engineering principles so I do not have to run coursework to replace the lack of foundational training that was supposed to be provided by your certification or school.
How can you navigate through this hurdle?
Internships help a lot in this area. If you have decent internship experience, it can lower the barrier of entry in terms of experience.
Also, prepare for technical interviews specifically. Your grades don't matter if you don't pass the technical interviews.
It would be best if you had experience building your own apps and prototypes and had the opportunity to show it in an interview.
A tech career is more like a lifestyle rather than just a job.
A chef is often graded by their years of experience because the years of experience are a good indicator of consistency in producing good food. It is close to a tech career.
Often or not, folks become discouraged because of interview rejections. It does hit hard when our efforts to get into a job aren't recognized.
Sometimes, the root of motivation is a problem. Tech jobs are highly paid, and many aspiring candidates consider money the primary factor. If you're out of a job, the pressure to get paid amplifies the problem, and your motivation gets shipwrecked with every new rejection.
However, those who excel in their jobs often don't look only at the money. They spend time and resources beyond their call of duty to hone their craft. Stephen Curry could drill a three from any point on the court because he probably shot thousands of them already.
You have to believe in the craft beyond the monetary compensation. That will give you the motivation and the discipline to succeed, where you have the strength and will to go beyond what others would do to excel in your craft.
Thus, it is not a matter of "I'm feeling lousy because I didn't get it." It should be, "What areas of improvement can I make to be better at my craft?"
Your motivation should extend beyond your job interview. Even after over a decade of experience, I'm still looking at areas where I can improve my craft. It doesn't matter if they are technical skills or in management skills. Even today, I regularly:
Look at all the recent LinkedIn job descriptions that interest me.
Make notes on the requirements of what the job descriptions are asking for.
Document the gaps where I'm lacking.
Make plans to address those gaps.
Every job has its own requirements. Often, a chef is challenged by the long hours in a kitchen and the consistency he or she needs to bring to the table. A teacher is challenged by their student's behavior and the material they have to prepare for their work to succeed.
The everlasting quest for skills and knowledge challenges a tech career. The beauty of it is that it can give you time for your family and yourself if you know how to manage it. The bad part is that you can never rest on your laurels because what you know today can be obsolete tomorrow.
Self-awareness is the best place to start.
If you do not know where you are on a map, you can never reach your destination, even if you can describe it.
A recruiter asked me, "What is the biggest challenge in leading a team of engineers?"
I didn't hesitate for a second. "Self-awareness".
It is not only about others not having a sense of self-awareness. Even I have my blind spots. You can't improve what you don't know.
Be as honest and objective as you are with yourself. Sure, there are some bad companies that may try to short-change you.
However, blaming them doesn't necessarily help you in your situation. Many times, the ones who are blaming them are still wishing they were part of them.
Rather, find out how you can systematically achieve what you want so that you are where you want to be and there for the long haul. It starts with self-awareness and the willingness to be teachable about it.
What about the recent layoffs in tech?
For many years, the big tech companies were the biggest hirers of talent, and the smaller companies suffered because of this.
There are pockets of opportunities within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that you could position yourself to leverage.
If you're starting in the tech world, give yourself a few years in an SME and hone your craft. This experience will give your resume some credibility, and it will not be too late to go for a bigger opportunity in the future.
And there are opportunities. My ex-student just proved it by getting a job.