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Why did you decide to enter the computer tech industry?

When did you decide to begin learning about computers and technology? What was the job that began this career path for you? What do you know about music production software?

technology computer music programming tech information-technology music-industry music-production
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Haipeng’s Answer

My first touch with learning computers and technology is when I was attending a web design and development class in college (a pass/no pass class that doesn't count towards GPA), where we were taught to build websites, which I always want to learn to do. We started with picking a site that you like and the end goal of the course is to mimic it (just static sites, no images) which was really cool. The class has only 10 hours in total but it has greatly intrigued my interest in CS and so I decided to pursue a graduate degree for it, during which time I have interned at VMware and Dropbox and returned back as a full-time software engineer when I graduated.

I would suggest starting with something that really interest you but without committing too much at the beginning such as attending a hackathon on a topic you are interested, taking some coding class or software design class before choosing it as your major. If it really intrigues you, then you can try applying for internships to get a taste of what the job is like in the real world. There's actually plenty of intern opportunities out there and most companies have really great training and mentoring programs to get you started for your career.

Haipeng recommends the following next steps:

Explore low commitment opportunities to learn about Computer tech around you e.g, hackathon, classes at school, classes online
Looking for internships in tech if you wanna get a taste of the job in the real world
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Louise’s Answer

My first touch with the tech industry was during my studies: I have a master in International Management, and spent 6 months of that master in Dublin, Ireland. Dublin is very well known as a tech-hub in Europe. Therefore, I got to visit a few companies with my college: Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and HubSpot.
I also wrote my master thesis on Women in Tech, and how this industry is a game-changer for women (more maternity leave, benefits like egg-freezing, and a big focus on equal chances).
I started in tech like most people in Dublin: in Sales, as a Business Development Representative. I quickly moved to Customer Success, where I felt more at home and could help our customers grow!

As Elliot said above: computer tech is everywhere, in every industry and company. I would definitely recommend researching what kind of tech you're looking to work in, and what kind of job as well. The experience of Sales in Tech is very different from Product in Tech :)
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Elliot’s Answer

"Computer Tech" is not 1 industry - it is in almost EVERY industry! FInd the area of computer technology you want to focus and specialize in. There are then jobs for that area in MANY industries.
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Henry’s Answer

Hi AJ,

When did you decide to begin learning about computers and technology? As a freshman in high school in the 1970's I had my first exposure to computers and my first programming class was in my senior year. However, my first job in IT was in the mid 1990's.

What was the job that began this career path for you? In the mid 1990's I moved into the IT field creating IDs for different systems. It was a very manual process for a large organization and I started documenting, streamlining and automating the processes.

What do you know about music production software? I am not much help here. I am a musician too (trombone for 40 years and now electric bass for the past 5 years) and am just getting started with this software also.

Thanks.
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William’s Answer

My career path is a bit different than most. I did factory work for about 15 years after getting out of high school, then I went back to school. The factory work, while good, showed me that physical wear and tear dictate that I do something different. Computer networking and web programming were really heating up at the time, so it seemed like the way to go.

My first paid job in computers was a help desk admin position in the global headquarters for a large multi-national company. I was able learn how to interact with many people from all over the world while simultaneously being exposed to a very wide variety of technologies. That overall exposure really helped to open my eyes to how to effectively communicate with both a broad user and technical audience, and to be able to pivot in technologies as the need arises. Both are skills that I still use to this day.

I'm not one to be able to speak to specifics about music production software. But I'd approach it the same way I do learning anything new... learn the concepts, not so much the specific software, and the rest just seems to take care of itself. Good luck!
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david’s Answer

Hello, AJ,
Your question takes me back many years. I was a personnel supervisor and continually sending forms to and from our data management group in another state. The continual issues that surfaced caused me to begin investigating how computers could manage our data. As I delved deeper into the topic, I discovered the career area called 'computer programming.' It was instant love. I signed up for a course in a business school, as colleges were clueless on the career in the mid 1960s. What I enjoyed in programming was that I could deal with a specific issue and develop a solution for it myself: no need to assemble a committee, no need to pursue upward management approval. Once the assignment was given, I was then free to investigate and pursue a solution. Although this entailed working with others, I still had authority to develop computer solutions. At the end of the day, I could go home, knowing that I had achieved a desirable result, a black-and-white, easily visible solution. Doing such work can give the same sense of achievement as a carpenter who has just finished building a cabinet or other woodwork. This sense of personal achievement, I discovered, follows people even into management, as most managers in the computing industry still like to get involved in details for the sense of achievement that it gives. Even when working in a team, each individual is responsible for specific components to develop as they see best. That can be a heady experience. Thanks for asking.
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Victor’s Answer

I decided I wanted to be in the Computer Tech world when I was in high school (this was in the late 80s). I enjoyed our programming classes using Apple II systems. I always enjoyed tearing apart my toys when I was younger to see how they worked and were put together, so felt this was the closest way to tap into that Love. My first job was working for a small start up computer system company. I worked in the manufacturing group building out new desktops (8088/8086 systems). I slowly worked my way up to technical support assisting customers now I assist my inside teams with building out/designing Storage arrays. It is a great industry to move into as it is always changing/evolving and keeps you on your toes. Been doing it now for 30+ years and it is still exciting and enjoyable. I wish I had an answer for the music industry. I did see someone post about Full Sail. That is a great school to learn about the music industry in regards to software and working your way to that type of job.
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Stephen’s Answer

Greetings!

I learned about computer and technology at a younger age and was fascinated by what they could do. I went back to school for a technology degree in my 30s because job prospects weren't that good for what I wanted to earn. While going to school, I was at a job that allowed me to explore computers and technology so that was a blessing. My first job after getting my degree was with a benefits administration company where I worked on company proprietary software and then I moved to a telecommunications company where . I actually play guitar so I used Cool Edit Pro and Fruity Loops music productions software as a hobby. I never got a chance to mess with Pro Tools but I've heard it's very easy to use since almost every musician seems to have a copy of it. There is a school called Full Sail that has majors that you can study things like music production but it's very expensive.
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Barak’s Answer

I started to work at SUN Microsystem ISR ( today company name ORACLE ) as computer technician for SUN hardware , as part of this job there is a link between the Hardware and the software which sometimes related to the cause of failure of hardware componence .
I decided to dive into this filed and learn Solaris OS ( Sun ORACLE operation system ) . It was very challenging to study and work at the same time but the field interested me so much that it didn't bother me . Regarding music production software, I know that it refers to a category of digital tools that allow musicians and producers to create and manipulate sound recordings. There are various types of music production software available in the market, each with its own set of features and capabilities. Some examples of popular music production software include Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Pro Tools, and GarageBand. These programs provide a range of tools for recording and editing audio, as well as creating digital instruments and virtual effects. They can also be used for mixing and mastering tracks, and for exporting finished recordings in a variety of formats. Many of these software programs also support third-party plugins and integrations, allowing users to customize their workflow and access additional features.
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Gillian’s Answer

hi AJ, my first introduction to all things tech began when I had to choose a college path and didn't really have a career in mind yet so I decided my best option was to study something that would keep my options open and enable me to make choices later. This was in the 1990's so getting a job was the primary focus. In terms of employability, I thought studying business and computers was a powerful combination so that's what I did. Three years into my degeree, I found I loved the computers/technology side of things. I loved databases, circuit logic and the creativity of programming languages. So I went on to do a post-grad in Management Information systems. I joined a company called EMC Computer Systems in 1994 and never looked back. I had a wonderful career in IT and branched into other areas as a result. I now work for Dell Technologies and still love everything about tech. I have no experience with music production technology but I can say that technology underpins everything today so technology as a career path will be a great choice for many years to come.
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Robert’s Answer

When I was younger my mother bought me an AtariXE, which not only played games, but also allowed you to code in BASIC. BAISC is a super easy to learn coding tech that used to be common in the wild. It allowed me to make very basic and simple games equivalent to some of the early Atari games. I also grew up on a farm and wanted to live in the city. I knew I had to find a career path that would allow that financially. My uncle got into computers and I knew he did very well for himself and was able to support his family downtown. I followed this path and through learning more about tech began to truly love the work I do. I've managed the product helping engineers understand what to build. I've handled coding as an engineer, and now lead a team of engineers. I would recommend this path to anyone who loves problem solving, and building systems of the future.
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Paulo’s Answer

I started a technical school in electronics in the 90s that gave me my first job, an internship in a company that sold and supported microcomputers, where I developed the technical part and learned how to talk to customers and survive in the corporate game. Since then, I have been through many companies and positions related to technology. What helped me most was to always keep a growth mindset, identify my strengths and put my knowledge into practice.

Paulo recommends the following next steps:

read a lot
learn a foreign language
keep calm
don't panic
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Bruno’s Answer

In simple words, it was like was like when you fall in love for someone that you saw for the first time. I love the challange and the feeling of always learning something new.
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Tony’s Answer

When I was 15 years old, my father got a summer contract job in Austin Texas, on the UT campus to design structures to hold large telescopes. He decided to take me along, and took me to the office each day. He had to program in FORTRAN, so he suggested I learn FORTRAN to help him. A week later, someone asked if I would be willing to learn PASCAL for a project. Each day, I would write a random PASCAL program. By noon, if I was having problems with the PASCAL compiler, I would go to the help desk, they would review my program while I ate lunch, and then when I got back, they would suggest the changes to fix the problem.

One day, they gave me the changes, but I ran the program un-changed, and it worked! I went back to the help desk, and asked how could a program fail in the morning, and work in the afternoon? Their answer: you are helping us debug our PASCAL compiler, so when you come in with a problem, we often fix the compiler so that your program is interpreted correctly. In other words, my PASCAL program was just data input ot the compiler program. Mind blown! This is what got me hooked to computers.
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John’s Answer

This is a good one, I have to jump in.

My first exposure to computers was learning the computer reservations system computer at a major airline back in the 1980s. There was a monochrome screen and no mouse, everything was done using typed entries that we had to memorize. Before long I found that I had a knack for it. I bought my own Windows computer in about 1990 and learned to use it. This was a very fortunate event because it was in the early to mid 1990s that many companies were starting to put computers to widespread use. When the PC came to the office where I was working, I had a head start.

Once again, I found that I had a knack for it and I got noticed and became a technical writer and curriculum developer. One might think that this is really not an information technology pursuit, but it really is. You can leverage technology for just about anything and I was creating manuals and other documentation that was consistent, nice looking, and easy to edit.

I have been doing basically that same thing ever since.

Even when I am not working I am on my computer doing something.
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Luke’s Answer

I think this is a great question and it's really interesting to read the answers of others - I notice how they are all different but share key themes!

For me, this was really because of an interest in the applications they have, and whilst growing up, the use of Technology became ever more important in Education. We are now at a point where every company applies Technology so they can keep up-to-speed!

For me this desire to learn grew with seeing Technology applications in the Water Industry and how all of the heavy assets were starting to be assessed not from physical examinations, but from analysis of data streams. I thought this was really cool and eventually pursued a role in Technology Software because of the real world problems we can solve - specifically with Automation.
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Remy’s Answer

I would say the first domino in the long chain of events which eventually led to landing my first job in Microsoft was getting a Casio FX-702P programmable calculator with some proprietary version of BASIC in 10th grade. That's when I discovered programming, mostly self-taught, as the education system was picking it up. Fast forward to college and an Engineering degree in Computer Science because that was what I was most naturally good at academically, and enjoyed doing to a large extent. That in turn put me on the market for a job in the computer tech industry.
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