Aspiring candidates for tech positions at Dropbox should heed the guidance offered by their Vice President for their application process.
Want to land your dream job in tech? Here's some solid advice from Morgan Brown, VP of Product and Growth at Dropbox: Showcase your work!
In today's world, with a plethora of free tools and online courses out there, anyone can create products. And with slim chances of having fancy degrees or a sterling resume, it's crucial to display your skills—not just your learning journey.
So, why should you show off your skills instead of just proving your knowledge? According to Brown, it's all about presenting your capabilities, not how you got there. Publish your work, share your thinking, and create apps, websites, or whatever floats your boat.
You don't even need a fancy education or extensive experience to get started. If you've got a phone and internet access, you're good to go! Show what you've got, and there's no stopping you.
Some folks might say they don't have enough knowledge or good ideas. Brown says don't sweat it! People don't pay attention to everything at first. Build a portfolio by learning on the job, and eventually, someone will notice.
Morgan Brown doesn't fit the traditional product manager mold. Although he's spent time at Facebook, Instagram, and Shopify, his journey was far from typical. In fact, he only recently graduated from college after a 20-year struggle. He started his career in data processing during the dot-com boom, typing information from newspapers and figuring out SEO strategies to generate web traffic.
He taught himself digital marketing and even transitioned into product development. While his path wasn't easy and was filled with failures, he eventually co-authored a book, "Hacking Growth," and that helped him get noticed.
"There's nothing stopping anyone from publishing and showcasing their work," Brown says. "If more people do that, good things will happen."
In a rapidly changing tech world, it's crucial to embrace new technologies like AI and experiment with fresh ideas. So, don't wait—get out there and show them what you've got!
- To stand out in the competitive tech industry, consider displaying your practical skills in finance, business, technology, education-and-self-development, or career-development through published work, demonstrating your capability rather than just your learning journey.
- With an abundance of free tools, online courses, and access to technology, even without a traditional education or extensive experience, you can create your own products and showcase your talents to potential employers.
- As Morgan Brown, a self-taught product manager, demonstrates, it's never too late to start building your career in tech. By sharing your ideas, learning on the job, and publishing your work, you can eventually gain recognition and success in the ever-evolving world of technology.
