Thread by @anthonydmays

Doing a panel today for @AfroTech on breaking into tech and wanted to get some thoughts together.

So I wrote a comprehensive 2,500 word article 😂

Here are some quick thoughts on the mindset you should have if you want to be successful (🧵)

✨ If you are transitioning into tech, you are not starting from zero. You bring valuable skills with you.

You'll often need a stronger mastery of communication, problem solving ability, and creativity in tech.

Don't focus on tech skills at the expense of your soft skills. /2

✨ You will probably have to work harder than you think.

You have the dual duty of learning new skills while trying to pay the bills in the job you already have. You are going to need to spend time off work hours to make the transition happen.

There are no silver bullets. /3

✨ Failing to plan is planning to fail.

The hardest part isn’t going to be the actual learning or doing. It’s the process of planning that's most difficult.

You have to understand where you are, where you need to be, and what’s going to help you move forward. /4

Everyone is going to have an opinion. Most folks are going to claim to be an expert.

Finding reliable and trustworthy advice will be tougher than you realize unless you can connect with the right people.

I'll drop handles for folks I recommend at the end of this thread. /5

✨ Your network is still your net worth, even in tech. It may look like it’s different from any other industry, but it’s not.

Who you know matters.

Be intentional about building genuine relationships with different types of people. The tech world is still a small one. /6

✨ Referrals are a cheat code.

Have people who will put in a good word for you with a prospective employer. This is especially important for opening doors at those big tech companies.

Don’t lose track of people you’ve worked with. They might end up where you want to go. /7

✨ Get comfortable learning in public and showing ur work.

Tech isn’t concerned with what you know as much as with what you can do.

The builders and risk-takers who get things done are the ones rewarded. Your education and your corporate title don’t matter much here. /8

Think months and years, not days and weeks.

People quit pursuing tech careers for the same reason they quit the gym. It can take way too long for some people to see results if they are expecting a fast turnaround.

The learning curves in tech tend to be pretty steep. /9

It takes time to get results to appear on your resume when you’re building experience. You need tenacity and perseverance if you’re going to be successful. / 10

✨ You don’t have to spend a lot of money (unless you’re rushing).

You can't easily buy your way into a high-paying tech job. Spending loads of cash on bootcamps and certifications will have you broke.

Prefer to invest more in sweat equity and spend your money wisely. /11

Speaking of trustworthy people, here are some folks I highly recommend following here on Twitter if you're looking to make the move to tech:

@DoctaNYC
@teneikaask_you
@dev_nikema
@NoDegreeDotCom
@ShawnBasquiat
@BobbyD_FL

/12

Hope this thread was useful to you!

You can read the full article with way more advice to help you understand the playing field and how to make moves.

You can read it on @Medium at

/13 medium.com/@anthonydmays/…

And don't forget to retweet the original thread. You probably know somebody who can really use this information.

To my horror, I missed adding some recommended names to my list of folks helping you transition into tech:

@DThompsonDev
@LDLockhartJr
@AritDeveloper

These folks are not optional, I just messed up typing too fast. 😂

@DThompsonDev @LDLockhartJr @AritDeveloper And @KanikaTolver has some great advice on breaking into tech in this thread. I'll have to write a follow-up article tying this all together, but this is the best I can do for today.

Hey, and if you want to actually listen to the @AfroTech panel, RSVP on @Clubhouse to listen live at 3 PT / 6 ET.

Even better if you grab the mic and shoot your shot!

Set a reminder 👉🏾 bit.ly/3DKOyBo

And one more thing.

If you're a current or aspiring black developer/software engineer, you get FREE mock interviews + feedback, workshops, a Discord community, and companies looking to hiring Black talent 🎉

Sign-up for Brilliant Black Minds 👉🏾 ml.tips/brilliant-blac…

@savetonotion #thread