How to Switch From Finance to an IT Job Fast

TL;DR

Switching from a miserable banking role into entry-level IT took Kevin only about a month and a half from enrolling in an online IT course to starting a new job. He studied a few hours after work each weekday, finished the structured course in a couple of weeks, then landed two offers and took the higher-paying IT help desk role.

Transcript

What's happening guys? Welcome back to the channel. Today I have another very special guest on the channel. This is Kevin and Kevin was able to take the course careers IT training and he was able to land a job. So I actually don't know anything about Kevin's story. So I'm going to be learning as you guys learn as well. So Kevin, thank you so much f... Read More

Key Insights

• Entry-level IT is one of the easiest ways to get a foot in the tech industry, alongside tech sales, because software development has become quite difficult to enter at the entry level in the current job market.
• Cloud roles are considered high-level positions that usually require prior experience, so recruiters advised Kevin to start in entry-level IT first rather than applying directly to cloud engineering jobs.
• The most common entry-level IT role is IT help desk, which is where Kevin's first job title landed him before he moved up.
• Consistent daily effort accelerates results: Kevin studied a few hours after work Monday through Friday and finished the structured course in roughly two and a half weeks.
• A structured, easy-to-follow learning path helps career switchers who lack a tech background move quickly, since Kevin credited the course's clear structure for how fast he progressed.
• On-site and hybrid IT jobs are less competitive than fully remote roles, so applying to those improves the odds of landing an interview for someone with no IT experience.
• Applying to jobs in less desirable areas, such as small towns, makes first roles easier to land and is a practical way to gain that crucial initial year of experience.
• Career changers can move up fast once inside a company: Kevin was promoted out of IT help desk after only a couple of months into an IT asset analyst position.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you switch from a finance job to an IT job quickly?

Kevin moved from an associate banker role to an entry-level IT job in roughly a month and a half by taking a structured online IT course and studying intensely. While still working at his bank job, he put in a few hours after work Monday through Friday, finished the course in about two and a half weeks, then applied to jobs and received offers within a few more weeks, choosing IT help desk as his entry point into tech.

Q: Why is entry-level IT a good way to break into the tech industry?

Entry-level IT is described as one of the easiest ways to get your foot in the door of tech, alongside tech sales. Software development has become quite difficult to enter at the entry level, so many people start in IT and then move horizontally into higher-level positions, including upper-level software roles, rather than trying to enter those fields directly with no experience.

Q: Should you start in cloud engineering or entry-level IT?

Although Kevin was first drawn to cloud and even landed a few cloud engineering interviews, recruiters told him cloud is a high-level role that generally requires years of experience and is not an entry-level position you can jump straight into. Their feedback pushed him to begin in entry-level IT first to get his foot in the door, then build experience toward more advanced roles like cloud later.

Q: How long does it take to complete an IT course and land a job?

In Kevin's case, it took about two and a half weeks to finish the course because he studied a few hours each weekday after work, and then another two to three weeks to land a job after completing it. In total, the span from enrolling to starting a completely new job in a different industry was roughly a month and a half, which the host notes is unusually fast in a rough economy.

Q: What is the best strategy for landing your first entry-level IT job?

Kevin's main tip was to apply to on-site and hybrid roles rather than fully remote ones, because remote IT jobs are highly competitive, especially for candidates with no IT experience. Applying to less competitive on-site and hybrid postings gave him a better chance of landing interviews. The host added that applying in undesirable areas like small towns makes first jobs easier to get and helps build that initial year of experience.

Q: Are remote IT jobs realistic for beginners with no experience?

Remote and hybrid IT jobs are harder to get and very competitive, particularly for someone without any IT experience, because a remote entry-level IT role attracts many applicants. Kevin does not call it impossible, but he found it far easier to land interviews by targeting on-site and hybrid roles first. Many people's first job is in person, and they can pursue a remote position later once they gain experience, if they want one.

Q: What was Kevin's first IT job title and how fast did he advance?

Kevin's first job was IT help desk level one, which is described as the most common entry-level IT role. He stayed in that position for only about two months before being promoted within the company. His current role is IT asset analyst. This rapid progression, getting the job in a couple of months and a promotion shortly after, illustrates how quickly someone can advance once they are inside a company.

Q: How much can you earn in an entry-level IT job after switching careers?

Kevin received two offers after finishing the course. One was around $24 an hour, which he initially accepted because it was his only offer at the time. He then received an offer for his current job, which listed a range of about 60 to 70,000 when he applied, so he declined the first offer for the better-paying one. These figures reflect what Kevin reported for his own situation.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Kevin worked as an associate banker at Chase for two years with a bachelor's in finance, but grew miserable because he saw no path to grow within the company and did not want to become a banker, prompting him to look for change.

• He discovered the online IT course through videos on TikTok and YouTube. Initially drawn to cloud, he learned from recruiter feedback that cloud needs experience, so he chose entry-level IT to get his foot in the door of the tech industry.

• Studying a few hours each weekday after work while still at Chase, he finished the course in about two and a half weeks, then landed two offers within a few weeks, took the higher-paying IT help desk role, and was soon promoted.