High school graduates are swamped by career counseling and entry-level opportunities ready to welcome their 4-year computer science degree with open arms. But if it’s true as Blink-182 once said, nobody likes you when you’re 22, what happens when you’re burning out a decade later in the career you thought you’d never get tired of?  

The good news is, there are a lot more options now than ever to dabble and get familiar with technology. More on that in a minute.  

What people from non-tech backgrounds don’t consider when they’re looking at software development or data science jobs, is that your past professional expertise can actually help. Businesses that need data analysis, or app and web development benefit from a marketing or researcher lens. As we’ve talked about before the fight for talent among the most innovative technology companies is fierce; and a well-rounded professional background can set you apart from other candidates.  

Here’s 4 steps on how to switch into an IT career.