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geremiiah | 1 month ago

Here's some actionable ideas: 1. try tech positions at non-tech companies, 2. be more flexible with location, maybe consider also overseas/across the border, 3. consider tech-adjacent positions that play to your strengths, 4. leverage your MIT prestige by applying to lower-ranked postgrad programs (assuming your profile isn't good enough for a top-tier program), 5. irrespective of what you did at MIT, maybe strengthen your tech fundamentals, especially if you feel insecure about your abilities

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Eric_WVGG|1 month ago

#1 is really good advice.

I personally got started as the IT guy at a newspaper. Went from managing the network to digitizing their ad tracking (they literally used a clipboard) to going head-to-head with Craigslist.

Being the only person in the room who can “do computer” is an easy way to make yourself indispensable fast.

(It feels like tech is one of the few industries where graduates just slot into a job in their chosen vertical. Everyone who studies literature, art, fashion, etc. takes it for granted that they will have to work in some other industry for _years_ before they can pivot into the field they’re actually trained for.)