Last Updated May 2019
Technology Careers Resource Guide
This aid provides general guidance and resources to assist those interested in careers in technology.
Tech is a massive field with job opportunities in every sector, from healthcare, to retail, to finance, and
more. And it covers a wide range of skills sets from coding to hardware installation. When someone says
they want to “work in tech,” that can mean a lot of things.
The following aid provides information to help guide readers not only to the career that might be right
for them, but to also navigate the credential landscape to move into and up in this sector.
The aid is not comprehensive and resources should be checked for updates regularly (every 6 months or
sooner) to ensure alignment with current industry needs and trends.
Training and Credentials
Credentials are helpful ways to demonstrate learnings – and if employer-
verified, they are important signals to employers about skills you have.
It is NOT helpful to continue getting increasingly higher-level credentials if
you don’t have corresponding experience – formal or informal – to back up
the credentials.
This is why the core competencies are so important.
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Key Competencies for a Career in Tech
There are basic skills and traits that are typically sought after in most tech fields, such as:
critical thinking and problem solving
logical reasoning
pattern recognition
being a self-directed learner
communication skills
being a team player.
The following core competencies are generally what employers look for in candidates, whether at an
entry- or more senior-level position.
Foundational Skills and Knowledge (critical thinking, problem solving, etc.)
Technical Skills (varies by role, but includes languages, frameworks, etc.)
Applied Skills (use of technical skills in “real world” settings)
Experience and Exposure (on-the-job or through participation in community events or side
projects, etc.)
Professional Skills and Interests (passion for the industry and learning, teamwork, etc.)
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General Fields for a Career in Tech
The following are not comprehensive but give an initial look at possible tech career paths.
You Might Like a Sample Job Titles
If You Like…. Description
Career in…
Design and implement security measures that thwart Analyst, Penetration
Information Security attacks on computer systems, networks, and data Tester, Security
Digging to the root of
Engineer
problems and
Install, configure and administer the networking Cloud Engineer,
brainstorming solutions,
Network and Cloud Tech equipment and network services responsible for the Systems
often as part of a team
Administration flow of information in and around organizations Administrator,
Systems Manager
Taking things apart and Manage devices; build and maintain the foundations of Help Desk Support,
Hardware and Network
putting them back an organization’s IT environment Network Manager,
Infrastructure
together Functional Lead
Front End
Creative, visual work, and Build compelling end user experiences on web sites,
Front End Development / Developer, UX
making things user- landing pages and mobile platforms
UX/UI Researcher, UX
friendly
Designer
Write code and create software that entertains Full Stack Developer
Detailed work, identifying
customers, offers businesses a competitive edge, or (includes front end
issues and building Back End Development
frees people from repetitive and mundane tasks work)
solutions
Chief Tech Officer, IT
Drive the strategic use of technology within an
Teaching others and IT Management and Project Manager,
enterprise
thinking about big picture Strategy Business Analyst,
goals and approaches to Product Owner
challenges Help others achieve their aspirations by sharing your Technical Trainer
Training
technical expertise as an instructor
Sample Other Areas to Explore: Data Science and Analytics, Quality Assurance Testing
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Note: These groupings are based on CompTIA standards.
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Sample Certification Paths for a Career in Tech
NOTE: For individuals with no tech background, the CompTIA IT Fundamentals Certification can be a helpful introduction. It is NOT generally
requested or recognized by employers as an added benefit to hire.
Career Path Beginner Intermediate Advanced Expert
Information A+ CCNA, CND, Security+, Network+, Server+, CCSK, CCDP, CCNP, CASP, CISA, CCIE, CGEIT,
Security SCYBER, CEH, CHFI, GCIH, GCIA, GISP, MCSA CSSLP, MCSE, GSLC, GCED CISM, CISSP,
CPTE
Network and CCENT, A+, Solutions Architect – Associate, SysOps Solutions Architect – Professional, CCIE, ACDX,
Cloud Tech Linux Administrator – Associate, CCNA, CCDA, DevOps Engineer – Professional, LPIC-3, RHCA,
Administration Essentials, Network+, Linux+/LPIC-1, Cloud +, ACCP, CCSK, CCDP, CCNP, CASP, CCP, SEA, VCDX
Cloud MCSA, OpenStack Administrator, SCA, CCA, GCPCA, ACDX, LPIC-2, MCSE,
Essentials RHCSA, RCT CNE, RHCE, SCE, VCIX
Work Experience (5-10 years)
Hardware and A+, HDI SCA, Server+, Network+, CWNA, CWTS, HDI DSM, HPE-ASE, MCSE, ASE MASE
Work Experience (1-5 years)
Work Experience (1-5 years)
Network HDI DST HDI SCM, ATP, MCSA, Salesforce
Infrastructure
Storage and A+, VCA, CCNA, Server+, Mongo Certified DBA, IBM CCNP, Mongo Certified Developer, OCM
Data MTA Certified Specialist, MCSA, OCA, OCP, VCP MCCA, MCSE, Oracle – Business
Intelligence EE, CDE
Web and A+, ACA, ACMP, CCNP Wireless, CCP-M, Microsoft MCSD, Framework 2 Certification ACE
Mobile MTA Specialist, VCA Workforce Mobility, PHP
Certification
Software A+, MTA, Developer – Associate, Microsoft Specialist, DevOps Engineer – Professional, OCMJEA
Development OCAJ MongoDB Certified Developer Associate, MCSD, OCMJD
OCPJP
IT Project+, ITIL ITIL Intermediate, Prince2 Foundation, ITIL Expert, MCSE: Application MASE, ITIL
Management Foundation CAPM, CSPO Lifecycle Management, Prince2 Master, Prince
and Strategy Practitioner, PMP, CSD, CSP, Professional,
Active Project Manager, APM, PFMP, CSP
Certified Associate
Training - ACI, CTT+, HDI CI, MCT - -
Note: These groupings are based on CompTIA standards. (See CompTIA Career Roadmap)
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Exploration Resources
The following (largely free) resources are places to learn about tech careers and the local tech community.
Use these to explore different skills, jobs, and opportunities in the sector.
Built in Colorado is an online community for startups and tech companies. Find startup jobs, tech news
and events in the Colorado tech scene.
www.builtincolorado.com
Meet Up groups are a great way to network and are heavily used in the Denver tech community. Look at
the tech groups listed here, as well as those listed on Event Brite, to meet other individuals who share
your passion for the tech sector or might be able to answer some of your questions.
http://www.meetup.com
http://www.eventbrite.com
Dice is a tech job board, but also a great place to explore companies you are interested in and what they
are looking for and requiring for different positions.
https://www.dice.com/
Uncubed provides video content to learn tech, product, and business skills used at startups like
BuzzFeed. Find open startup, tech, and digital jobs.
http://uncubed.com/
This quiz, designed by Washington State University, is designed to help people explore areas of tech
they might be interested in, based on their other interests.
https://yourfuturein.it/quiz-without-login/
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Skill Assessment Resources
The following free resources offer assessments (and training, in some cases) for various tech careers. Use
these sites to assess your skill level in software, hardware, networking and programming in advance of
training or searing for jobs in the tech sector.
GCF LearnFree is an online learning platform. The site contains hundreds of training courses from basic
computing to learning a foreign language. All courses have an assessment exam at the end of the
course, which users can jump to immediately to assess current skills.
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/
4Tests offers samples of most available tech certifications (i.e. Network+, CCNA, MSCE, etc.)
https://www.4tests.com/
Numerous online platforms host practice tests for most CompTIA exams.
https://www.comptia.org/
Top-rated site for CompTIA course materials, videos, practice exams and online study groups.
https://www.professormesser.com/
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Skill Building Resources
Use the following (largely free) resources to learn new skills or brush up on old ones.
Alison is a free online e-learning platform that offers various courses and certificates.
http://alison.com/en
Codecademy is an online platform that offers free coding classes in 12 different programming languages
including Python, Java, JavaScript, Ruby, SQL, and Sass, as well as markup languages HTML and CSS.
www.codecademy.com
edX hosts online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines, some of which are free.
http://www.edx.org
Lynda.com (recently renamed LinkedIn Learning) is an American online education company offering
video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills.
www.lynda.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/learning/
Udacity is an educational organization offering open online courses on topics including web
development, data science, artificial intelligence, etc.
www.udacity.com
Udemy is an online learning platform aimed at professional adults.
www.udemy.com/
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Experience and Portfolio Resources
Especially in the tech sector, training and credentials are often not sufficient to land a full-time.
Experience is extremely important. The following resources are places to:
to work in a contracting or volunteer capacity to apply your skills, or
showcase your portfolio that details your experience.
Apple One is an employment agency connecting individuals to full-time and contract work.
http://www.appleone.com
Robert Half Technology is an employment agency connecting individuals to contract work.
http://www.roberthalf.com/co-denver
Code for Denver leverages volunteers to build apps and websites for non-profits, local government, and
other community groups. They are related to the larger organization Code for America.
https://www.codefordenver.org/
https://www.codeforamerica.org/
VolunteerMatch pairs you with nonprofits in need of your skills, where you can also build your portfolio.
https://www.volunteermatch.org/
GitHub is a web-based hosting service mostly used for computer code. It is an excellent place to host
projects, and companies encourage including a link on your resume or LinkedIn profile.
http://github.com
Trello is a web-based project management application. Typically used to manage team projects, it can
also be helpful in centralizing projects you may have hosted on a variety of other platforms.
https://trello.com/
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Tips for a Tech Resume
These aren’t hard and fast rules, but here are some general recommendations when crafting a tech resume:
1. More than one page is acceptable.
2. List core skills, coding languages, specific platforms, etc. near the top – then the resume
reviewer can read further in the experience section of your resume to learn how you applied
those skills. Selected skills should reflect those listed and prioritized in the job description.
3. List certifications, as well as the date they were completed and/or recertified.
4. If applicable, include links to GitHub or other portfolio pieces to show previous projects.
Tips for a Tech Interview
These aren’t hard and fast rules, but here are some general observations about interviews in tech:
1. You may be asked to “whiteboard” a solution to a problem. This refers to not only solving the
problem but walking the interviewer through your process on how you would solve it.
Employers are looking for how you think.
2. Industry buzzwords like “agile” and “scrum” are good to know but be clear with the employer on
whether you have actually worked in those environments before OR if you are just familiar with
the concepts.
Sample Tech Resume
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FULL NAME
City, State, Contact Info (phone and email)
GitHub or LinkedIn link if appropriate
Objective: Include a brief high-level statement that speaks to the specific role you are applying for and
how it fits into your larger career goals or your strengths/skills.
Skills
Include specific languages you know, platforms you have worked on, etc.
The skills should mirror those listed under required skills on the job description.
Don’t include skills that aren’t relevant to the job – this list shouldn’t be comprehensive.
In the next sections you’ll highlight how you put the skills to use.
Relevant Experience
Position / Company / Time you were there
Include work relevant to the job you are applying for
Education
Include formal (degrees, certificates), as well as informal education (classes taken online, etc.).
Related Experience
Include actives you are engaged in, such as attending tech meet ups, hackathons, or other tech-
related activities you may be engaged in outside of work.
Include work experience that may not have been in tech, but where you developed soft skills
relevant to the job you are applying for.
Interview Questions
Sample interviewer questions for CYBER & INFORMATION SECURITY- related positions:
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Source: https://resources.infosecinstitute.com
How would traceroute help you find out where a breakdown in communication is?
Why would you want to use SSH from a Windows pc?
What’s the difference between Symmetric and Asymmetric encryption?
What is SSL and why is it not enough when it comes to encryption?
Sample interviewer questions for PROJECT MANAGER- related positions:
Source: www.projectmanager.com
What was a challenging project, and how did you manage it?
Do you have budget management experience?
Have you managed remote teams and outsourced resources?
If I spoke to a customer, sponsor, or stakeholder, what would they say about you?
How did your last project end?
How do you prioritize tasks on a project?
What project management software are you familiar with?
Sample interviewer questions for SOFTWARE DEVELOPER/ENGINEER-related positions:
Source: www.codementor.io
What do you know about multi-threading?
What are your thoughts on unit testing?
How familiar are you with OOP analysis and design?
How do you organize your class modules and assets?
What is your process for finding a bug in an application? How much time do you typically spend
on debugging?
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