career advice Tag Archives - General Assembly Blog

No Tryout Required: Sports Tech Careers From the Evolving World of Sports

By

When you think about jobs in sports, your mind probably jumps to professional athletes, coaches, or high-powered agents (à la Jerry Maguire). If you didn’t win the genetic lottery and those other highly competitive roles weren’t in the stars for you, you might have written off a career in sports. Sports lovers everywhere, rejoice: Sports tech is creating pathways for more professionals to join the game.

Industry analyst Research and Markets predicts that the sports technology market will reach $41.9 billion by 2026, a rise of 21.4% since 2020. Innovations using AI and machine learning that seem straight out of a Sci-Fi novel are here—but they’re not limited to just elite athletes. Sports tech has consumer health applications that can help all of us avoid injuries, build strength, and eat and sleep better.

If you love sports, there are many career tracks for programmers, data analysts and scientists, designers, and digital content producers. We’ve compiled the top areas that tech is transforming and the top tech careers in sports—no tryout required.

Continue reading

How Data Is Revolutionizing Basketball: Q&A with Ballstar Co-Founder Vaughn Caldon

By

Basketball has always had an incredibly passionate fanbase, fueled by the exciting and fast pace of gameplay and high-scoring matches. Some of the most famous athletes globally are professional basketball players, like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Today, the NBA is broadcast in over 200 countries. 

As basketball has grown into a global phenomenon, technology has played a key role in taking the sport to new levels. Data analytics has transformed everything from how the sport is played and coached, to how fans engage with games and athletes. From tracking players’ performance to predicting game outcomes, data has become an indispensable tool for athletes and fans at every level. 

This surge of data in the industry has created unique opportunities for data scientists and data analysts who have a passion for both numbers and sports, as well as for UX designers and software engineers who bring this data to life via fan engagement apps and websites. 

To learn more about what’s behind this data-driven revolution in sports and the career opportunities it’s unlocked, we sat down with Vaughn Caldon, GA instructor and co-founder of Ballstar, a company at the forefront of data analytics in basketball. 

Continue reading

Fast Break Your Career Change: Players You Need on Your Team

By

March marks the beginning of the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament, also known as the Month of Madness. The tournament is known for its unpredictable upsets and exciting games, with fans filling out brackets and following the action closely. March Madness is a major sporting event in the United States, with millions of fans tuning in to watch the games on television or streaming online. 

But what if we told you that the concept of March Madness could also be applied to the world of a career change? Basketball teams are usually composed of 12-15 athletes, all of whom share a common goal and work together to achieve it, supporting and trusting one another. 

Just like in basketball, you need a team of people on your side to help you navigate the twists and turns of a career change. Making a career change often means entering a new industry or field, which can be daunting and uncertain. A good support system can provide the emotional and practical support you need, helping you stay motivated, focused, and positive as you pursue your goals.

This article explores the different types of people you need on your team when considering a career change and handy tips and tricks to fast-break your career transition. 

Continue reading

ChatGPT: A Tool, Not an Enemy for Tech Jobs

By

Have you tried ChatGPT yet?

Open AI’s latest chatbot is gaining people’s attention globally for its human-like responses and sophisticated capabilities. From writing stories and workout plans to essays, code, and more — at first use, it seems like there’s nothing ChatGPT can’t do. 

But what exactly is ChatGPT? And, more importantly, why should you care? 

ChatGPT is a natural language processing software that launched in December 2022. It’s a chatbot that answers your questions in real-time based on a huge pool of internet data and other sources. 

As natural language processing software becomes increasingly prevalent in life and at work, it will impact the way we operate. While you don’t need to worry about AI robots taking over any time soon, you do need to stay on top of these tech advancements and adapt as needed. 

With a proper understanding of their capabilities, AI tools won’t be a threat to you. They’ll be an aid. In this article, we’ll explore why ChatGPT is a helpful tool for people working in tech, how it can enhance productivity, and the soft skills that are more important than ever. 

Continue reading

Meet Your Match: Breaking Into the Healthcare Industry in a Tech Role

By

Across industries, the ability to work faster, cheaper, and without flaw is greatly enhanced by technology—yet, in the healthcare industry, these improvements mean the difference between life and death for billions of patients worldwide. So if you’re keen to make an impact in the lives of individuals—and willing to pick up a few tech skills to make it happen—the healthcare industry is happy to have you.

Just as quickly as big tech companies let workers go, places like Highmark Health scooped them up, adding 4,962 tech workers last March alone. More recently, health insurance company Humana posted 4,951 jobs, while Elevance Health sought to fill 1,751 open positions. UnitedHealth has added 10,000 new roles to their fleet of 36,000 tech workers over the last three years. And these are just a few examples of the many healthcare employers ready to take a big, bold leap with tech.

Continue reading

So You’ve Been Laid Off, Now What?

By

As an economic recession looms, it seems like layoffs are everywhere. In recent months, tech layoffs, in particular, have monopolized the news, with over 100,000 tech layoffs in 2023 so far. In reality, it’s actually the arts, entertainment and recreation industry saw the highest layoff rate last year in the U.S., followed by construction. 

Despite all this, things aren’t as grim as they may seem. In contrast to layoff news, January reached the lowest unemployment rate in the U.S. since 1969. And while tech layoffs have been loud in the headlines, demand for tech talent continues to increase. 

If you’re trying to figure out what to do after a job layoff,  you’re not alone, and there is hope. This article helps break down the steps you can take to make your next move less overwhelming. 

Continue reading

5 Tips for Preparing for a Coding Bootcamp

By

If you’re thinking about switching careers and becoming a software engineer, there’s no time like the present. Career transitions take a lot of courage, especially if you are going through it alone or have no clear path or guidance. You might be asking questions like, how and where do I even get started to prepare for a career transition into software engineering? 

Well, you’ve made it to the right place to learn how a coding bootcamp is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a seamless transition to software engineering. However, before enrolling in a coding bootcamp, it’s important to understand what joining a coding bootcamp entails, how to prepare for the admissions, and the course itself. 

Preparation is key to being successful at anything, especially a career change, so if you find yourself reading this blog post, you’ve come to the right place. General Assembly w has a track record of training 100,000 grads globally and preparing students for the before and after. 

Ready to dive in? Let’s start with the admissions process. 

Continue reading

The Top 5 Industries Hiring Software Engineers

By

With news of layoffs and uncertainty in the tech industry, you may be wondering if you are making the wrong career choice by becoming a programmer. Are there any companies hiring software engineers still out there? 

Good news: Beyond the doom-and-gloom headlines, there are plenty of job opportunities for software engineers across all kinds of companies. 

Software developer was named the #1 best job in 2023 by U.S. News and World Report. It scored this honor due to its high demand, job growth, low unemployment and stress levels, and work-life balance. Demand for software engineers is expected to grow by 25% by 2031. 

In more good news, tech companies are far from the only industry hiring software engineers. Every type of company from banks to hospitals to defense contractors needs software engineers to build infrastructure and apps for their business.  

Continue reading

The 5 Most In-Demand Tech Skills to Learn in 2023

By

As companies increasingly hire for skills, not degrees, there is more opportunity than ever to break into tech or grow your career off the traditional beaten path. Major companies like Google, Delta, Mastercard and Bank of America have shifted to skills-based hiring. However, you might be asking: what exactly are those skills companies are hiring for? 

We spoke to General Assembly instructors and tech professionals at Uber and Doordash to uncover the top skills they see hiring managers looking for in 2023, whether you want to switch careers or land that promotion. Here are the 5 skills you should learn to take your career to the next level this year.

Continue reading

How to Make a Career Change From Accounting to Tech: The Ultimate Guide

By

Calling all bored accountants. 

If you’re feeling unengaged at work and ready for a change, you’re not alone. 

According to The CPA Journal, turnover rates at large firms saw a significant increase in 2019, reaching almost 19%  — which is an 18% increase from the previous year. In fact, in some cases, the journal found turnover rates as high as 30%.  

Given the changes taking place in the industry, this doesn’t come as a huge surprise. 

Like so many other industries, accounting is significantly impacted by new technology — from an increase in automation to new software entering the field — technology has changed the shape of the industry and the roles within it.

This article walks through why accountants are leaving their field, tech roles to consider, and three steps to get started on your career transition journey. 

Continue reading