Alternative paths to tech jobs exist, but potential applicants may need to temper expectations

WHEN I was in secondary school, I was a part of my school’s Infocomm Club, a co-curricular activity that taught us digital skills ranging from coding to photo-taking.

In secondary two, I decided to take part in the Singapore Games Creation Competition, one of a series of challenges under the then-Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore’s National Infocomm Competition.

It was my first experience with coding (in Adobe Flash, rest in peace) and it was mostly enjoyable, even if my team’s game suffered terrible bugs at the last minute that embarrassed us in front of the judge.

I believe that competition achieved its goals of generating “curiosity, interest and passion” in the tech sector.

The dream of securing a tech job faded after my struggles with the junior college syllabus, which led to less-than-stellar GCE A-level results. Anyway, I seemed to do better at writing, so off I went to pursue a communications degree.

Still, I look back on my decisions then and wonder what could have been.

According to the Ministry of Education’s annual graduate employment survey in 2021, the median gross monthly salary for a Nanyang Technological University computer science graduate was 37 per cent higher than that of a communications studies graduate from the same university. That gap has since widened to a whopping 57 per cent in 2022.

What if I had re-attempted some A-level subjects to get a better grade? What if I had applied to a computer science course? What if I had even attempted a minor in computing and data analytics?

Or, what if I try to do a career switch right now?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not leaving journalism just yet. There is still a lot to learn in my current job, and it has been mentally stimulating in a way that I probably will not experience in any other career.

For graduates who took courses that lead to lower median salaries, such as those in the arts and sciences, perhaps there are ways to secure better-paying tech jobs. If they do not feel fulfilled in their current positions, tech could offer a path to a better career.

Certainly, Singapore is facing a shortfall in tech talent that cannot easily be filled.

In February this year, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said that it would ramp up efforts to build a workforce skilled in key areas of tech.

A number of programmes are currently available under the TechSkills Accelerator, which is driven by the IMDA in collaboration with the industry, SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore and the National Trades Union Congress.

Under the list of company-led training programmes, some companies strangely require long periods of experience, even though IMDA promotes these as helping individuals gain in-demand tech skills.

For example, a listing for a user interface and user experience designer called for a minimum of “seven years of hands-on experience designing enterprise web applications”.

Still, other companies such as UOB specifically mention that graduates without prior technology experience or with less than three years of experience may apply.

Instead, applicants should possess “analytical skills, learning agility and a positive working attitude”.

Successful applicants will then be put through a 12-month on-the-job and structured training programme in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, infrastructure and platforms. They will also have the opportunity to take on real projects at the bank.

Other interested applicants may also apply for IMDA’s Tech Immersion and Placement Programme, which aims to get non-tech professionals into tech roles.

Those who qualify for the programme will receive training grants for eligible courses with schools such as General Assembly and Rocket Academy.

According to Rocket Academy’s site, full course fees for its full-time bootcamp course cost S$7,999. Those below 40 years old could have up to 70 per cent of their course fees subsidised, while those 40 and above could have up to 90 per cent of their course fees subsidised.

However, potential applicants may need to temper their expectations of ever-higher salaries.

Base salaries for software engineers in Singapore posted a smaller increase of 7.6 per cent in 2022, down from an increase of 22 per cent in 2021, according to recruitment startup Nodeflair and South-east Asian accelerator Iterative.

This comes as companies such as Meta and Sea have laid off workers to cut costs and preserve cash as monetary policy tightens globally, including in Singapore.

While these companies have been able to pay top dollar for tech talent in the past, it is not obvious that others lower down the pecking order would be able to match these salaries.

It may also be risky to commit to courses with hefty course fees before knowing if you have any aptitude in the field at all.

Instead, it may be a good idea for potential applicants to try their hand at cheaper courses from Udemy and other​​ similar massive open online course providers.

For instance, courses on the popular programming language, Python, cost about S$100 on Udemy.

For some, it could be worth taking the leap just to see where it takes you, especially if you believe that you could have the aptitude for it.

Life is too short to simply sit around and wonder about “what ifs”.