Jump-Start a Tech Career
Seek Out Real-World Experience
Once you're confident about your skills, look for freelance work, even if the pay isn't exactly what you'd like. Luke Stiles, 26, a software engineer, gained technology experience by doing software development for the same rate of pay he was getting for temp work. "I was building my resume," says Stiles, who was a semi-pro bike racer before getting involved in technology. "Based on that, I was able to get a full-time job." He adds, "You need to build a portfolio of experience, and the way you do that is pro-bono work for nonprofits, or anything else you can point to."
