Picking up coding skills is great–but not everyone wants to do it in their day-to-day. Or if you already work full-time and have other commitments, you might struggle to find the time to learn programming languages well enough to become a software engineer.
However, if this describes you, it doesn’t mean you should rule out the tech industry altogether. Instead, look into these non-coding roles that may suit your interests, skills, and schedule a little better.
1. Product Manager
Paid even more than software engineers in Silicon Valley, product managers (sometimes called product owners) oversee strategy, design, and implementation of the products their companies create. This is a role that usually requires more experience than others on the list (and while coding isn’t required, having some knowledge of it will only help you).
2. Project Manager
In some ways this is similar to product management above, but on a smaller scale. Project managers oversee individual projects from the planning stage to execution, with a gift for seeing the big picture as well as the smaller details. They work across teams, pulling together engineers, marketers, product specialists, and more.
3. Technical Writer
Depending where you are working, knowing how to program can help you be a better technical writer. However, there’s plenty of technical content to write that has nothing to do with coding, whether it’s manuals, product press releases, or instructions and use cases.
4. User Experience Designer
If you’re good at identifying and articulating the strengths and weaknesses of products, understanding user needs, and sifting through data, UX design could be calling your name. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of making your users’ lives easier.
5. User Interface Designer
Named one of LinkedIn’s most in-demand skills of 2017, user interface design mostly focuses on working with software to create a clear, efficient, and attractive interface for the user. It’s a great tech-career choice for artists or graphic designers.
6. Information Architect
Do you ever find yourself clicking around on websites and thinking “this could have been set up so much better”? You might be cut out to be an information architect. Another sub-specialty of design and user experience, this career focuses on optimizing the structure and organization of a website.
7. Mobile Designer
Accessing a website on a smartphone or tablet is often a very different experience than seeing it on a larger screen. Mobile designers are there to make sure websites and apps can work well across a variety of devices. They typically work closely with UX and UI specialists.
8. SEO/SEM Specialist
Search engines still matter, since over six billion searches are made each day. Another one of LinkedIn’s most lucrative skills for 2017, search engine optimization and marketing specialists are responsible for boosting a website’s organic ranking and turning some of those searches into traffic that converts.
9. Marketing Automation Manager
Especially for larger companies, marketing automation is invaluable. They create and oversee marketing campaigns, including things like developing email funnels, nurturing strong leads, and working with marketing automation tools to reduce day-to-day busywork.
10. Business Analyst
Business analysts act as liaisons between developers and customers to translate client requirements into actionable tasks. In short, business analysts are the client-facing side of software development.
11. Technical Recruiter
While you won’t be spending your days coding as a technical recruiter, chances are you’ll be totally lost if you’re not familiar with coding/development lingo. That’s because as a recruiter, you’re responsible for finding, interviewing, and ultimately hiring tech talent–so you have to know enough to vet them properly.
12. Operations Manager
Operations managers help keep the company running smoothly. They might coordinate with contractors, organize the supply chain, and make sure that people and equipment make it to where they’re supposed to be.
13. System Administrator
Sysadmins work with the day-to-day operations of a company’s tech needs. They set up computers, back up files, create firewalls, and more. The best system administrators do having some coding ability, but you might be able to learn what’s necessary as you go.
14. Software Quality Tester
People in this career are responsible for putting software through strenuous testing before it hits the market. If you’re good at using software and devising tests to try to break it, you’ll be a good quality tester.
15. Tech Support Specialist
Most tech support roles involve solving fairly simple problems. Depending on the company, it can require more highly technical troubleshooting, but in most cases it’s more about your communication skills than anything else.
16. Software Sales Representative
As a field, sales is fast-paced, high-pressure, and very lucrative if you’re good at it and play your cards right. It’s not for everyone, but if you’ve got the right personality and a head for software, there are plenty of bonuses and commissions to be had.
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