Changing careers can be nerve-wracking. Sometimes it happens gradually, as you learn new skills or take on some new responsibilities in your current job (or take on a side hustle or two). Other times it might happen suddenly: you lose your job and decide to dive into something new.
My own career path has been a combination of those 2 paths. Years ago, I went from part-time designer/developer (with other sales and marketing responsibilities) to full-time tech blogger (and freelance designer/developer on the side) when the publishing company I worked for closed. I took the side hustle I’d been doing for a few months and turned it into a full-time gig.
But whether you’re making a more gradual change or jumping to a new career cold turkey, if you’re brand new to tech, you’re probably going to be starting at a junior level. The great news about that is that in tech, even “beginner” and “junior” jobs are pretty awesome. They pay well, you’re doing work that matters, and there’s TONS of room for growth.
And there are junior positions in virtually every area of tech, from design to development to marketing to data analysis. Check out these six junior level tech positions you might already be qualified for, complete with current job listings for all of them! (Note about the salary information: this is the range for all levels within a profession, so many junior and entry-level jobs will likely be on the lower end of the range.)
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Junior Web Developer
Web developers write the code that makes a website work. While there are web developer job openings at virtually all levels within a company, junior developers are those who are just getting started in the industry, usually with less than three years of experience.
Junior developers generally work as part of a team. Different companies will give them more or less responsibility and autonomy (often depending on how large the overall team is). On a day to day basis, junior developers may find themselves:
- Writing and testing code according to established best-practices
- Creating website layouts and user interfaces according to standard HTML/CSS practices
- Integrating back-end services and databases
- Creating and maintaining documentation
- Maintaining, expanding, and scaling websites
- Cooperating with web designers to build websites that are true to their vision
Front end developers will spend their time working primarily with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, while back end or general web developers may find themselves working with additional languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, or others.
Average salary: $33,000 to $86,000, with a median of around $56,000
Apply Right Now:
User Experience Developer, Alley Interactive (remote)
Front End Web Developer, Purchase College (Purchase, NY)
Junior Front-End Developer, SmartBug Media (remote)
Designer/Front-End Developer, Center for Educational Networking (Lansing, MI)
Front-end/Full Stack Engineer, Milkshake Studio (remote)
Backend Python Web Developer, The Atlantic (New York, NY)
Front-End Web Developer, The Atlantic (New York, NY)
Junior Developer, LaunchCode (Providence, RI)
Junior Web Designer
While web developers write the code for a website, web designers are responsible for the look and feel of the website—from the colors and images to the fonts and layouts. Some web designers do more than just design, though. They also do some basic coding, particularly with HTML and CSS.
A junior web designer will work as part of a team, often handling various aspects of a website project, but rarely designing an entire site from start to finish (at least not without input from more senior team members). Instead, they’ll design individual elements, wireframes, or parts of layouts. Other job responsibilities for a junior web designer might include:
- Creating visual designs from the initial concept to the hand-off to development
- Creating wireframes, storyboards, user flows, and site maps to effectively communicate the concept of a design
- Incorporating brand elements (like logos, icons, etc.) into cohesive site designs
- Adhering to and promoting design guidelines, best practices, and standards
Average salary: $29,000 to $79,000, with a median of around $46,000
Apply Right Now:
Web Designer, E-xact Transactions (remote)
Designer, The Atlantic (New York)
UI Designer, Neighborhoods.com (Chicago, IL)
Associate Web Designer, Yardi (Raleigh, NC)
Web Designer, SteadyVision (Remote or Boston, MA)
Web Design Specialist, EarthTron (Portsmouth, NH)
Digital Designer, David Yurman (Greater NYC area)
Jr Product Designer, MTV (New York, NY)
Marketing Assistant or Specialist
Content marketing is a huge part of any modern tech business. Whether it’s an early stage startup or an established company like Facebook, marketing via social media, blogging, search and social advertising, email marketing, partnerships, and SEO is a key part of any business.
Companies use different terminology for their entry-level marketing positions, but generally you’ll be looking for “assistant” or “specialist” job titles. Typical job duties for either of these positions include:
- Carrying out market research and analysis
- Making sure all the daily functions of the marketing department are on track
- Updating statistics, metrics, and reports
- Creating online content (including blog posts and social media updates)
- Helping to create and send email marketing campaigns
- Brainstorming and developing ideas for creative marketing campaigns
- Analyzing marketing data like campaign results, conversion rates, traffic, etc. to recommend future marketing strategies
Average salary: $32,000 to $66,000, with a median of $47,000 for a marketing specialist
Apply Right Now:
Executive Marketing Assistant, BoldLeads (remote)
Marketing Specialist, Zapier (remote)
Content Marketing & Production, Elementem Photography (New York, NY)
Content & Social Media Associate, Brilliant Earth (San Francisco, CA)
Marketing Assistant (Digital Media), Union Square Media Group (New York, NY)
Technical Email Marketing Coordinator, Dominion Enterprises (Norfolk, VA)
Marketing Assistant, Octopart (New York, NY)
E-Commerce Content Writer, Unique Industries (Philadelphia, PA)
Associate Data Analyst
Data analysts take data and turn it into usable information, which can then be used to formulate strategies and make business decisions. At the associate or assistant level, data analysts may work with website and marketing analytics to pull relevant data for reports. They may also spend time drawing conclusions from that data that is used by others in the organization for making decisions.
Typical tasks for a data analyst include:
- Interpreting data, analyzing results using statistical techniques, and generating reports
- Developing and implementing data collection systems and strategies for more efficiency and higher quality data
- Acquiring data from primary or secondary data sources and maintaining databases and related systems
- Identifying, analyzing, and interpreting trends and patterns in complex data sets
- Filtering and cleaning data
- Reviewing computer reports, printouts, and performance indicators to locate and correct code problems
Average salary: $35,000 to $81,000, with a median of $55,000
Apply Right Now:
Analyst, Analytics, 3Q Digital (New York, NY)
Junior Data Scientist – Data Analytics, Verizon (Ashburn, VA)
Marketing Analyst, Bethel University (Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area)
Analyst, Insights & Analytics, Neo@Ogilvy (New York, NY)
Digital Marketing Analyst, ROI Revolution (Raleigh, NC)
Business Analyst, ROI Revolution (Raleigh, NC)
Customer Support
Customer support can be an amazing way to get your foot in the door in tech, since a lot of people have experience outside of tech that applies to the role. Customer support at a tech company includes a lot of problem-solving and making customers happy. Many of your support requests will be when people are running into problems using your company’s product or service, and need help figuring out how to fix those problems.
Customer support employees need to be familiar with the product that their company sells, first and foremost. That might mean needing to be familiar with how the code works, or it might just mean understanding how the user interface works. Either way, some coding chops certainly won’t hurt your chances at landing one of these jobs.
Some of your day-to-day responsibilities might include:
- Answering customer support tickets while gathering business intelligence
- Creating and implementing processes & policies to make sure customer experience is as amazing as it can be
- Developing ongoing improvements for customer support and helping to meet associated company goals
- Designing, building & maintaining help center and knowledgebase documentation and tutorials to minimize common and recurring support requests
Average salary: $37,000 to $103,000, with a media of $66,000 for customer support engineers (a common job title for the tech industry)
Apply Right Now:
Support Engineer, Fog Creek Software (remote)
Customer Support Champion, QuickMail.io (remote)
Remote Customer Support Associate, Paperless Post (New York)
Customer Support Specialist, LearnDash (remote)
Customer Service Pro, MeetEdgar (remote)
Customer Service Pro: Onboarding Specialist, MeetEdgar (remote)
Developer Platform Content Writer, GitHub (remote)
Customer Happiness Specialist, FundersClub (San Francisco)
Web Design Project Coordinator, Inmotion Hosting (Virginia Beach, VA)
Junior Visual Designer
Visual designers are similar to web designers, but their focus is broader. They’re involved in the overall brand and product design, so their work touches on websites, advertising, editorial or creative images, marketing materials, branding, logos, and more.
Junior designers often work closely with the product manager, other designers, and the marketing team to create designs that further the brand and the product or service itself. As a junior visual designer, you’ll find yourself:
- Creating graphic elements, assets, and visuals for websites and marketing materials
- Working with developers and marketers to create designs that fit their needs and requirements
- Adhering to brand and style guides to make sure every design lives up to the company’s visual standards
Average salary: $45,000 to $114,000 per year
Apply Right Now:
Assistant Visual Designer, 32 Degrees (New York, NY)
Visual Designer, The Creative Group (Charlotte, NC)
Visual Designer, Aquent (remote or Boston, MA)
Visual Designer, The Working Assembly (New York, NY)
Visual Designer – Custom Content, Pandora (Oakland, CA)
If you’re ready to launch your tech career, the above jobs are a great way to get started. For hand-picked job listings delivered to your inbox every week, sign up for our job listings newsletter. (And if you’re totally new to tech, you can start learning vital tech skills with the free 10-day Coding Bootcamp.)
The post New to Tech? Here are 44 Beginner Jobs You Can Apply For Now appeared first on Skillcrush.
