Breaking into a tech career without experience can feel challenging, especially when so many people wrongly insist that you need a college degree and years of work experience to get started.
But here’s the truth: you don’t need either to start a tech career. There’s a faster, more accessible path to a well-paying role.
In this article, we challenge the traditional approach and show you how to launch a tech career without years of effort or major financial investment.
- First, we’ll share tips on landing a tech role without direct experience.
- Then, we’ll cover five in-demand, entry-level tech roles within reach.
- Finally, we’ll guide you in building the qualifications needed to confidently land your first tech job.
Climb Hire is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income working adults break into the tech industry through specialized training programs. For 2024–2025, all our courses are completely free—no strings attached.
Over 80% of Climb Hire alumni secure jobs within six months of graduating from one of our programs. Learn more about our learning tracks and get started today.
Don’t Have Direct Experience? 4 Things You’ll Need to Land Your First Tech Job
Starting your journey in tech can feel intimidating, especially if you’re lacking experience. But don’t worry—you don’t need a degree to land that first job. Instead, here’s what you should focus on:
- Gaining proof of technical skills in your area of expertise. Certifications are your best friend here. By earning industry-recognized credentials relevant to your area of expertise, you can demonstrate your proficiency in the essential skills, tools, and platforms for the job. These certifications signal to hiring managers that you’re equipped with the knowledge needed to perform well in the role.
- Building your soft skills and personal attributes to interact effectively with others. These include things like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Highlight these transferrable skills on your resume and during interviews by using examples from past experiences, even if they’re outside of tech. For instance, if you’ve worked in retail or hospitality, you likely honed your communication skills and learned to stay calm under pressure—traits that are highly valued in many IT roles.
- Growing your professional network. Networking is so helpful when you’re looking for a job, and the tech industry is no exception. If you don’t know many people (or anyone!) in the field, it can be somewhat challenging. Still, there are ways to build connections, such as attending industry meetups, joining online communities, and participating in forums related to your field. Building relationships can help you discover job openings and gain valuable mentorship.
- Illustrating practical experience through a well-rounded portfolio. If you don’t have hands-on experience in tech, start building it! A portfolio of personal projects, internships, or volunteer experience can showcase your ability to execute successful tech work. Each project boosts your credibility and highlights your skills in action. For example, you might include websites you’ve built, digital marketing campaigns you’ve managed, or functional interfaces you’ve designed.
Training is a great way to acquire these skills and experiences. Structured tech programs equip you with the technical knowledge needed to launch or advance your career. Plus, many offer more than just technical training.
For example, Climb Hire’s IT Support and Google & Meta Ads Certification programs:
- Lead directly to industry-recognized certifications
- Include soft skills training in the curriculum
- Incorporate hands-on work in your field
- Provide access to a strong, pre-established professional network, connecting you to valuable job opportunities
On top of that, we offer job placement support, with a career advisor helping you find a job.
And the icing on the cake? Climb Hire’s programs are completely free for all students throughout 2024–2025.
Before we dive deeper into Climb Hire’s offerings, let’s explore some entry-level tech jobs accessible without prior work experience. We’ll highlight how these roles serve as excellent starting points for your tech career and show you how to acquire the necessary qualifications—through training programs like ours.
5 Entry-Level Tech Jobs You Can Get with No Experience (and How to Land Them)
You don’t need years of work experience or a bachelor’s degree to land a tech job. Several entry-level roles are accessible and offer competitive starting pay, including:
1. IT Support
IT support roles are a great entry point into the tech industry. These positions involve troubleshooting hardware and software issues, assisting users with their computer systems, maintaining IT security, networking, and cloud computing.
Under the IT support umbrella, you’ll find roles like help desk technician, desktop support specialist, network support tech, and IT support technician. Many of these roles are hybrid or remote, offering great work-life balance.
The average starting salary is around $55k (source: Glassdoor), with plenty of opportunities for advancement in the tech field.
Since IT support roles are entry-level, you don’t need years of experience to be hired. However, you’ll need a solid foundation in IT support knowledge and the ability to demonstrate this expertise to potential employers.
Where can you acquire these skills and credentials? We recommend an IT support training program, and at Climb Hire, we offer exactly that.
Climb Hire’s IT Support Training Leads Directly Into an Entry-Level Role
Climb Hire is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income working adults begin lucrative and lasting careers in tech. Our IT Support training program is completely free for all students and offers:
- Comprehensive training to earn CompTIA A+ certification, covering all the IT fundamentals. We also cover the $500 cost of this certification.
- Hands-on experience with the exact work you’ll be doing in the field.
- Remote classes with live instructors to ensure full understanding of the material.
- In-class soft skills training, focusing on professional communication, problem-solving, teamwork, resume building, crafting effective cover letters, and mastering interview techniques.
- A strong community of peers to provide encouragement, foster collaboration, and enhance motivation, making the learning experience more engaging and supportive.
- One-on-one job placement support from a dedicated Career Development Advisor who will assist with job searches, resume refinement, and targeted interview prep.
- Access to a wide professional network that connects you with potential employers, making it easier and faster to find a job.
As a result of these elements, 80% of Climb Hire alumni find jobs within six months of graduating, typically earning a salary of $50k or more.
Our IT Support program takes just six months to complete, so within a year of enrolling, you could already be working in a tech role.
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Learn more about Climb Hire’s IT Support program and get notified when the next enrollment period begins.
2. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing offers another accessible entry point into tech for those with no experience. This field has become increasingly popular due to competitive starting salaries (typically ranging from $50k to $60k) and the abundance of hybrid or remote work opportunities.
The flexibility, coupled with the variety of roles within digital marketing, makes it an appealing option for newcomers. Some of the most in-demand areas of specialization in digital marketing are:
- Content Marketing: Writing blogs, articles, and other content—often working for a company or agency—to attract and engage a specific audience.
- Paid Search Marketing: Setting up and optimizing online ad campaigns to drive traffic and sales.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Enhancing a website’s search ranking through content and technical improvements to increase organic traffic.
- Social Media Marketing (SMM): Managing social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook to promote products and connect with customers.
- Data Analytics: Reviewing and analyzing marketing data to better understand customer behavior and improve marketing strategies.
Starting a new career in digital marketing doesn’t require years of experience, but you will need to demonstrate the right skills and hands-on experience. We recommend pursuing a targeted training program in your chosen niche.
Join Climb Hire to Receive Dedicated Training in Digital Marketing
Climb Hire’s Google and Meta Ads Certification program prepares you to step into the paid search marketing field in just four months. And, like our IT support learning track, it’s 100% free for all students.
Throughout the program, you will:
- Master setting up and managing paid search campaigns on platforms like Google and Meta, focusing on effective keyword strategies and in-depth analytics.
- Get hands-on experience with industry tools such as Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, Shopify, and Google Sheets, ensuring you develop practical skills that job recruiters are actively seeking.
- Earn two prestigious certifications—Google Ads Certification and Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate—both of which will make your resume stand out to hiring managers.
Classes are live, virtual, and interactive, allowing you to engage with instructors and collaborate with your peers in real-time. Although you study from the comfort of your home, the program fosters a strong sense of community.
You’ll be part of a supportive network of fellow students, all working toward the same goal, which makes the learning process more engaging and rewarding.
You’ll also receive personalized career support, including one-on-one guidance from Career Development Advisors who will help you find a job, refine your resume, write cover letters, and prepare for interviews. Plus, you’ll gain access to an extensive professional network that connects you with industry employers.
With this comprehensive training, 80% of Climb Hire graduates secure jobs within six months, often starting with salaries over $50k.
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Learn more about Climb Hire’s Google and Meta Ads Certification program.
3. Software/Web Development
Software and web development are two highly in-demand fields in tech, and they’re also accessible for beginners who are eager to learn. Both focus on coding, which is the art of writing precise instructions (using programming languages) that tell computers what to do.
- As a software developer, you’d be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining applications. These could be anything from mobile apps to tools that help businesses run smoothly.
- As a web developer, you’d focus specifically on creating websites and web applications, ensuring that they work well, look good, and are easy to use.
The great thing about software and web development is that many entry-level roles are remote, offering flexibility to work from anywhere. Starting salaries for programmers are strong as well, typically ranging from $60k to $83k (according to Glassdoor).
To land a job in these coding fields, a degree in computer science isn’t necessary. However, you will need expertise in programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or Python. Relevant certifications (which are plentiful for various coding languages and platforms) can help validate your skills to potential employers.
To acquire these essential skills and experience, consider enrolling in a coding bootcamp or software engineering course. Reputable programs, such as Flatiron School or App Academy, offer bootcamps in software and web development that can help you gain the hands-on experience needed. Some programs even include extras like one-on-one career coaching to assist with job placement after graduation.
4. UX/UI Design
UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) design are related, fast-growing fields in tech, offering creative opportunities for beginners who want to combine design and problem-solving skills.
- UX design focuses on how users interact with products, ensuring that the experience is smooth, intuitive, and enjoyable.
- UI design is about the visual and interactive elements, making sure that digital products are not only functional but also visually appealing.
As a UX/UI designer, you’ll work on designing everything from mobile apps to websites, ensuring that users can easily navigate and interact with them. The demand for these roles is high, with entry-level positions often offering remote work options and starting salaries averaging about $65k (source: Glassdoor).
To land a job in UX/UI design, you’ll need to be proficient in design tools and software, like Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch to create wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs. Earning certificates in these tools (such as the Google UX Design certificate) can help you stand out to employers and demonstrate your commitment to mastering the craft.
A structured UX/UI design program, such as through CareerFoundry or Flatiron School, can equip you with the foundational skills for a strong start in the industry. A great program will include things like hands-on projects for portfolio-building and job placement assistance to make the transition into a UX/UI career much smoother.
5. Cybersecurity
With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated every day, cybersecurity has emerged as an increasingly high-demand field in tech. Industries like finance, healthcare, and government rely heavily on cybersecurity to keep their data safe, making this a field with room for newcomers and job security.
Entry-level roles often come with competitive salaries, averaging roughly $84k (source: Glassdoor), and plenty offer remote work options.
As a cybersecurity professional, your responsibilities can range from securing networks and preventing hacking attempts to responding to incidents and safeguarding an organization’s digital assets.
To land a job in cybersecurity, you’ll need proof of technical expertise in areas like network security, cryptography, data science, and risk management, along with hands-on experience using relevant industry tools. Hiring managers often give preference to candidates with industry-recognized certifications like CompTIA Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), or Certified Information Systems (CISSP), as they illustrate your knowledge of security principles and practices.
To build these skills and fast-track your entry into cybersecurity, it can be extremely helpful to enroll in a cybersecurity training program. Year Up and Springboard are two reputable organizations that offer cybersecurity training programs and include things like career support and paid internships.
Want to Break Into Tech with No Experience? Join Climb Hire
Breaking into tech doesn’t have to mean years of experience or advanced degrees. Climb Hire is designed to help you bypass those hurdles with comprehensive training programs in two in-demand tech fields: IT support and digital marketing. Our online courses are specifically designed to equip you with the skills, industry-standard certification, and support you need to land a job.
Aside from the technical training, here’s how Climb Hire helps you actually land a tech job:
- Free training: Gain in-demand tech skills with certification in IT support or digital marketing at no cost. Plus we cover the costs of your certifications. This means you can focus on learning and skill-building without any financial burden looming over you.
- Soft skills development: Each program dedicates part of its curriculum to building essential transferable skills that enhance workplace effectiveness and improve job prospects.
- Job placement support: Every student is assigned a one-on-one career advisor who gives you tailored guidance on resume and cover letter writing, job interview preparation—and helps with your job search.
Over 80% of Climb Hire alumni secure jobs within six months of program completion. This means enrolling in one of our programs could easily have you starting your new tech role in less than a year, even without prior experience.
Learn more about our IT Support and Google and Meta Ads Certification programs today.