You’ve learned to code. You’ve built a portfolio. You’ve polished your LinkedIn until it shines. So why does landing a tech job still feel like tossing applications into a black hole?

Here’s the catch: learning the skills is one thing, but breaking into tech takes a very different set of moves. Think about translating your past experience into “tech language,” or catching a recruiter’s eye in the 15 seconds they spend on your resume. These are the unwritten rules of the hiring process, and you don’t always hear about them in tutorials or bootcamps.

That’s where this post comes in! We’ll walk through five things they don’t teach you about getting hired in tech. The behind-the-scenes strategies that turn ghosted applications into real interviews.

The 5 things they don’t teach you

Thing #1: Your resume needs a translation

Most career changers start out thinking: “I already have a resume. I’ll just update it for this new job listing.” But if your background isn’t in tech, that old version can actually work against you.

Sebrinia, who shifted from education into UX design, learned this the hard way. Her resume was full of counseling achievements and school district projects. Impressive, but irrelevant to a hiring manager looking for a UX designer. What she needed wasn’t a simple update. She had to translate her experience into the skills tech companies were scanning for: design tools, data analysis, project management, and user research.

Pro tip: Hiring managers skim. If your bullet points don’t speak their language, you’ll be screened out, even if you’ve done the work before under a different title.

Key takeaway: Your past experience matters, but only if you frame it so recruiters see the connection. Think less about job titles and more about transferable skills.

Thing #2: Interviews are about storytelling

Landing an interview is exciting…until the questions start. Suddenly you’re trying to explain your skills, your projects, and your potential value while keeping your nerves in check. The biggest mistake? Treating interview answers like a checklist.

Strong candidates use storytelling. Instead of rattling off a list of skills, they share short, clear examples that connect the dots, replacing responsibilities with achievements. For example: how you solved a tricky design challenge, or how you managed a project deadline while juggling multiple stakeholders. Stories are what makes you memorable.

One Skillcrush alum admitted she hadn’t interviewed for years before switching to tech. What helped most wasn’t memorizing answers, but doing mock interviews and practice with peers. She got feedback on where she stumbled, learned how to tighten her responses, and how to highlight her transferable skills.

Pro tip: Practice answering common questions out loud. Don’t just say what you did. Explain how you approached the problem and what changed because of your work.

Key takeaway: A tech job interview isn’t an exam. It’s your chance to tell a clear, confident story about why your skills (both technical and human) make you the right fit.

Thing #3: Networking happens in non-traditional ways

Most people hear “networking” and picture awkward mixers with name tags and lukewarm coffee. In tech, it often looks very different.

Sometimes it’s as simple as sending a polite message on LinkedIn after you apply. One Skillcrush alum shared how she did exactly that, and even after getting the standard rejection email, her message caught the attention of the company president, who invited her to an interview anyway. She didn’t get the job, but she made it to the final round and left a strong impression. Plus, she got great interviewing experience for the next opportunity she wouldn’t have had without that note.

Networking also happens inside communities. Weekly check-ins with other job seekers turned into mini practice sessions, accountability groups, and a way to share tools like Notion trackers. Learning from each other’s successes (and mistakes) makes the job search feel less isolating.

Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. Following people who inspire you, commenting thoughtfully on their posts, or sharing projects you’ve built are all forms of networking!

Key takeaway: Networking in tech doesn’t always mean shaking hands at a conference. It can be as small as one message, one shared resource, or one supportive peer group.

Thing #4: Career pivots take longer than you think (and that’s okay!)

Switching into tech rarely happens overnight. It often looks more like a long and winding road than a short straight line.

Take Sebrinia Welch’s story. She left her role in education in mid-2021 and didn’t enroll in Skillcrush until late 2023. That two-year stretch wasn’t wasted time, though. She experimented with blogging, helped friends with websites, tried freelancing, and slowly realized which parts of digital work she enjoyed most. By the time she committed to UX design, she had a clearer sense of direction and some real projects to show.

Many career changers expect results in a few months. The truth is, it usually takes longer. Exploration, self-teaching, and even false starts are part of the process. And that’s normal.

Pro tip: Give yourself space to experiment. Side projects, volunteering, or freelance gigs all count as experience. They also make your pivot less about “starting over” and more about building on what you’ve already done.

Key takeaway: A tech career pivot is a marathon, not a sprint. Progress might feel slow in the moment, but every project and skill adds momentum that pays off later.

Thing #5: AI is part of the process now

AI isn’t replacing humans in the hiring process, but it is shaping how people land tech jobs. More candidates are using tools like ChatGPT to polish resumes, tighten cover letters, or practice interview questions.

One alum explained how she used AI to shorten resume bullets that ran too long. Instead of staring at her resume blankly for a few hours, she asked a tool to rewrite her sentences more concisely. Another used AI to draft outreach emails, then edited them so they sounded natural and personal. Both agreed: the tech sped things up, but the human touch still mattered.

Recruiters are also relying on AI to screen applications. That means keywords in your resume and portfolio really matter. Generic descriptions can slip through the cracks, while tailored, skill-specific language is more likely to get noticed.

Pro tip: Treat AI like a writing partner. Let it handle the first draft, but always edit for clarity and voice. The best applications still sound like you.

Key takeaway: Using AI in job applications isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about saving time, staying organized, and focusing your energy on the parts of the job search that require your human perspective.

The bottom line: You don’t have to figure it out alone

Breaking into tech takes more than pure technical skills. It means learning how to translate your experience, tell your story, connect with the right people, pace yourself through the pivot, and even use AI wisely. These aren’t the lessons you typically pick up from a coding tutorial. They’re the behind-the-scenes strategies that turn an endless job hunt into an actual offer.

And here’s the good news: you don’t have to learn all of this the hard way.

Skillcrush’s Get Hired program was built for exactly this! You’ll get:

• A portfolio review so your work stands out
• One-on-one coaching to align your resume, LinkedIn, and applications
• Live practice sessions to sharpen your interview skills
• Job search strategies that go beyond blind applications
• Salary negotiation support so you know how to ask for what you deserve

Thousands of Skillcrush students have landed their first tech jobs within weeks, not years. Some went from education into UX, others from fashion into development, and others from hospitality into data analysis. The common thread is structure, support, and momentum.

Ready to cut the guesswork from your job search? Explore the Get Hired program and see how quickly you can move from “searching” to “starting.”
GET HIRED WITH SKILLCRUSH