What Is a Technical Job, and What Does “Working in Tech” Really Mean?

It’s a constant topic of conversation (and internal dialogue) for many job seekers: Should I work in tech? Are the benefits worth the price to pivot? What is considered tech exactly, and does my expertise qualify me for a job in the field?

What counts as a tech job includes more than you’d expect. Understanding what the phrase “working in tech” encompasses will not only open you up to more opportunities, but also bring you much-needed confidence for breaking into the field — no matter how far removed you may seem.

What are tech jobs: Much more than MAANG

What is a tech job, then? Well, many first turn to MAANG and Big Tech as a simple answer.

MAANG stands for the five largest companies in the US that are focused on technology solutions: Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google. They differ tremendously in the customers they target and services they provide — Netflix being television and film entertainment, for example, while Amazon is both a cloud provider and shopping and selling platform—but in general, they’ve revolutionized and pioneered software and hardware development around the globe.

Naturally, it would be tempting to just consider jobs at these companies, or ones like them. They’re big, so they tend to have a lot of openings at any given time. They’re also profitable, if not loaded with cash to spend on recruiting, which means you’re likely to make a higher-than-average wage and garner significant perks.

Unfortunately, the hefty salaries and prestige that come with a MAANG employer lead to stiff competition — and if you have a nontraditional background, you might be intimidated to go up against tech veterans and well-connected candidates.

This is why it’s so crucial to remember that MAANG is not all of tech. In fact, Silicon Valley is not all of tech. I know, bold statement, right? But here’s the thing: In the US alone, there are more than 500,000 software and IT companies, from small businesses and startups to global leaders — and of course, new ones are cropping up every day with innovations such as AI_{Why AI Is Your Friend Not Foe}.

So yes, would it be cool to work for an app as popular as Instagram, or for a company as well-known as Google or Apple? Certainly! (And you’d be surprised how many of these giants hire uniquely qualified talent.) But you just might sleep easier tonight knowing how many possibilities are out there to work on cool and useful software, challenge yourself to solve cutting-edge problems, and be a part of a collaborative and encouraging tech team.

An industry full of small and medium businesses

Not all of the hundreds of thousands of tech companies out there are as massive as the top five. Some are still quite impressive in size, employing thousands of staffers across states and continents, meaning you’ll find openings aplenty. 

Others, however, are small, scrappy, and growing — and these are often the places you want to be_{Forget the Giants: You Can Work in Tech Without Working in Big Tech} if you want to get involved in dynamic work. Think about it: If you’re only one of a couple software engineers or quality assurance experts, you’re much more likely to get called on to lead projects or solve problems, and better able to connect with team members across the organization.

It’s for these reasons that TripleTen graduates actually prefer working at smaller organizations. In our latest Outcomes Report, 74% of grads (87% of which come from non-STEM backgrounds) reported being employed at companies with fewer than 250 staffers. Nine percent even chose a contract or freelance position, which allows them to support burgeoning businesses but maintain work-life balance and autonomy, and even test the waters for a culture fit.

Hulya Karakaya_{Mastering a New Syntax and a New Vocation: Hulya Karakaya’s TripleTen Story} is one such example of the benefits of a smaller team: She originally planned to become an English teacher upon graduating from college, but after moving to Seattle, a major tech hub, she had a change of heart. “I was living in Seattle, Washington, and there are so many Amazon offices there. Everyone was working in tech, so I got interested.”

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She didn’t end up at Amazon after finishing TripleTen’s software engineering bootcamp after all — instead, she pursued a role at PSPDFKit as a front-end developer and technical writer, where she’s surrounded by mentors, constantly engaged in new projects, and still able to work flexible hours from home. “I like it because you can always improve yourself. If I were a teacher, I think I would be so bored. Every year, teaching the same thing to kids, and every hour saying the same things. I love working in tech,” she adds.

You probably didn’t know that working for a company that makes it easy to display, edit, and annotate PDFs was even an option. It just goes to show how many categories tech organizations can fall under — and how much demand there is for niche skills and interests.

You can have a tech role in a non-tech company

Every company today knows that in order to stay competitive and drive customers, they need to have a strong handle on technology. Data, too, is crucial for making smart business decisions — and, you guessed it, data is best collected, analyzed, and utilized with the assistance of technology.

Consider your go-to bank: Maybe they have an app or website to check your account balances, send or receive money, and create a budget. All that software is built, managed, and updated by developers so it’s free of bugs, easy to use, and keeps consumers coming back. All the content sent your way to help you best handle your savings and investments is delivered through even more software, and tailored to your needs and preferences with the help of machine learning.

What about your favorite publication? Maybe they push out stories online as well as in a magazine. Maybe you read them through an app or social media. Behind the scenes, that media company is leveraging talent in the fields of app development, product management, UX design, and data science to ensure what they publish gets read, shared, and purchased.

Even businesses with little to no software elements see the value of tech talent. Sheldon Kinsler_{From Sales to Tech: How Sheldon Kinsler Found a New Career and Community}, a recent TripleTen graduate, works in business intelligence for RCM&D, an insurance brokerage firm. The job couldn’t be more technical, even as the broader company mission is not. “I get to celebrate all the wins with my team,” he says. “When the person who’s training me, someone who’s been doing this for 10 years, gets a piece of code right, he still fist bumps me, saying, ‘Heck yeah. Score one for the data team.’” Beyond a supportive team environment, Kinsler also enjoys a lucrative salary and the option to work remotely most of the time.

You get the idea: Whatever kind of company you can think of, they’re likely hiring for tech positions — or will do so down the road as they see the perks of going more digital.

See which career path is right for you

Working in tech may not feel like it’s attainable for you, but it is. Now it’s time to take advantage of all the opportunities at your disposal!

We recommend starting with our career quiz, built for career changers who want to explore their next steps. It’ll only take you two minutes to complete, and you’ll be well on your way to landing a job you love.