We caught up with four women in non-technical roles at a leading cybersecurity company, ControlPlane. They lifted the lid on their no-code careers and shared tips on how you can follow in their footsteps.
In this blog
- Meet the Panellists
- Signs you’d thrive in non-technical tech jobs
- Finding jobs in tech without coding
Meet the Panellists
- Chloe Gaites - Executive Assistant
- Jasmine Andine - Technical Solutions Executive
- Marion Peters - Agile Delivery Lead
- Liv Keats - Graphic Designer
Signs You’d Thrive in Non-Technical Tech Jobs
You’re a 10/10 communicator
“All of us have to have good communication”, says Chloe, Executive Assistant to ControlPlane’s Chief Operating Officer. “We have to have a broad skillset to work with a variety of people.”
Communication is the glue that holds teams together and Executive Assistants, or EAs like Chloe, whose job is to support top level executives, funnelling hundreds of messages into snappy updates, need to know how to cut through the noise.
“It’s kind of like translating” says Marion, an Agile Delivery Lead. People in Agile roles like Marion’s ensure the tech team works together effectively with different stakeholders from across the business, by helping them collaborate, prioritise and solve problems. “It can be very technical” she continues. Different non-tech jobs require different levels of technical understanding, so delivery management could be a great path if you want to stay close to the development team.
Jasmine, a Technical Solutions Executive, speaks with customers every day. “It’s a very customer-facing role," she says. Tech Go-To-Market (GTM) team roles like hers require strong communication skills - whether it’s over email, video conferencing or in-person. This is because GTM roles represent the company - they’re often the first point of contact and help shape how customers see the business.
You’re curious and love to learn
“I’m still learning,” says Liv, a Graphic Designer. Whilst not a coding role, to thrive in jobs like Liv’s, curiosity about what the development team are doing supports collaboration. “I think in a non-technical role, you need to know what the developers are doing and why, you don't need to know how.”
Jasmine agrees, “My colleague is highly technical, so I ask a lot of questions. When we’re in meetings, I learn about tech through immersion.”
While you might choose a non-technical role, these positions broaden knowledge of different career pathways, opening the door to potentially changing careers in future.
You’re a natural creative
Creativity is about finding imaginative ways to communicate ideas, whether they’re designs, processes or products. “As long as it's within the style guide, it's pretty much OK!” says Liv. “One day I could be helping out with the website, one day it could be creating paper assets.”
For Marion, it’s about finding innovative solutions to get the best from her team. “We have reflections every month, and based on what the team would like, we adapt our ways of working.”
Jasmine agrees: “There’s a lot of creativity involved in a GTM team at a tech company because technology is always evolving. Besides the products and services we already have, when new tech like AI comes along, we can create new services - like AI security - that help other businesses deal with new challenges. The GTM team brings to life all the exciting ideas the tech experts in the business come up with.”
Finding jobs in tech without coding
Looking to take steps towards your future technical or non-technical career?
At Next Tech Girls, we partner with leading companies to offer work experience, Insight Days and job opportunities across a wide range of roles in the tech industry. Whether you’re looking to get into UX, software development, tech sales or operations, these experiences offer a sneak peek into the industry to help guide your future career journey.
Watch the full video of our panel Q&A with ControlPlane to find out more about non-technical tech careers, head to our job board to check out open roles, and join our community to stay up to date with all things Next Tech Girls!
