Stage 2 of 8 · 6 lessons · ~3 weeks

A target role that fits your background

Years of work in another field are your edge. Choose a first target role where that experience counts, ideally in a company that builds software for your old industry, test it cheaply and check real demand.

Start: The main entry points into tech

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

Do this

List three transferable skills with a concrete example of each.
Shortlist two candidate roles that fit your background.
Do a weekend taster project for your top role.
Have one more conversation with someone in that role.
Count junior postings for both roles for two to four weeks.
Choose one first target and a backup, and add the matching Sefism skill roadmap, for example Frontend, Data analytics, QA or UI/UX.

Practise

LinkedIn Jobs
Count junior postings for your candidate roles and note which skills repeat
ADPList
Book free calls with people already in your candidate roles

Keep handy

roadmap.sh: Frontend Developer
See the full skill map of a common first developer role before you commit to it
roadmap.sh: Data Analyst
The skill map of data analytics, a frequent first target for engineers, scientists and accountants

Also worth your time

Google Technical Writing CoursesGo deeper
Free and short: a good taster if writing, teaching or documentation is your background

Before moving on: A target role note: one first role (and one backup), the transferable skills and background that support it, notes from a taster project, a month of junior posting counts, and the Sefism skill roadmap you will follow for it.

Tauseef's advice

The fastest switches I see are bridge moves: an accountant into finance data, a teacher into edtech or docs, a support agent into QA. You compete on experience plus new skills, not on skills alone against people who have coded since school. Look first at companies that serve the industry you know.