Thriving in Tech Without a Traditional Background

Angela Taylor

Thriving in Tech Without a Traditional Background

Did you know that you can have a successful career in tech without a degree in computer science?

Yep, you read that right!

A non-traditional background doesn’t exclude you from the tech industry. In fact, pivoting into a technical role from a non-traditional position gives you...

Did you know that you can have a successful career in tech without a degree in computer science?

Yep, you read that right!

A non-traditional background doesn’t exclude you from the tech industry. In fact, pivoting into a technical role from a non-traditional position gives you unique skills and experiences that will be valuable for your work

And just like in any industry, cross-collaboration is crucial.

It can be easy to be intimidated by the job titles and to let Imposter Syndrome settle in, but Google’s Senior Software Engineer Angela Taylor (who pivoted into tech from an HR position) believes technical skills can be learned by anyone. That’s why she wants to share what she learned from her journey so she can help others build strong and successful careers in tech – without the traditional trajectory to get there.

Join this discussion to learn:

How to identify your transferable, non-tech skills and apply them to a role in tech.
How you can utilize online technical programs, classes, and boot camps to supplement your non-traditional background.
The different non-tech opportunities you can find in the tech industry.

Meet The Speaker

Angela Taylor

Senior Software Engineer, Google

Angela Taylor is a Senior Software Engineer at Google who transitioned into a technical role from a non-traditional path.

Growing up in rural Arkansas, Angela was far removed from the Tech industry and never considered a technical career for herself. She graduated from Northwestern in 2009 with a BA in Communication Studies and started her career in Google’s People Operations (HR) department.

It wasn’t until she was introduced to computer programming in 2011 that Angela realized she had a passion for developing software, and for the next six years, she worked tirelessly to gain the skills needed to transition to an engineering role.

Since making the transition to engineering, Angela has had the opportunity to do both product engineering and infrastructure engineering, and has grown into a technical lead for her team.

She enjoys sharing her career journey to encourage others to pursue their audacious career goals.