Adapting in Tech: transitioning roles in the Tech Industry

Career migration seems to have been one of the most searched-for topics over the last 2 to 3 years, especially with the rise of home office due to the pandemic. But how do you prepare to make a career transition into the tech industry?

I’ll share my story of how I made the transition from a support technician to a product designer at AmBevTech, one of AmBev’s tech companies here in Brazil.

Reasons and Motivations

Let’s begin by explaining the motivation that drove me to make this transition. While I was already working at a senior level in support, sustaining a large operation at AmBev, I felt stagnant after more than eight years in the same area.

Many people might think that support has no future or prospects for growth, but it depends. I’ve had bad experiences, especially at the start of my career, but in this specific operation, the technical level was quite high. We were well-recognized, well-paid, and it’s definitely a great entry point for anyone who wants to start in the technology field.

One of the products I supported had several apps, and around 2016—when it was launched—there wasn’t a dedicated design area or chapter to maintain this product as well as other web/mobile products. Often, this service was outsourced or even done by developers themselves, without much research, discovery, or established criteria—things we know are extremely necessary nowadays.

By coincidence, I’ve always had an appreciation for design in general. Back then, we didn’t have Figma, only the newly launched Adobe XD (RIP). Since I accessed those apps daily, I wasn’t satisfied with how they were designed. So I started trying to change them in Photoshop, attempting to redesign those apps. A quick disclaimer: all these apps are internal, so don’t expect any download links or screenshots here.

I would create these designs and email them to the product people—those responsible for development, etc. At the time, I had no idea how a development pipeline worked, nor about agile methodologies, Jira, Azure—none of that. But there was a problem: I was working the third shift—overnight—for almost nine years in tech support, so you can imagine how difficult it was to communicate and have visibility with those who worked during normal business hours.

Can I actually do this?

Although all the emails I sent were ignored, it prompted me to take a closer look at the design field and truly understand how it worked.

I researched and learned what a UX/UI Designer does. Over time, some teams started hiring designers to work on their products, but it was still very decentralized—hiring was done out of immediate need for each product. I spoke with some of these designers to understand their day-to-day work and learn more about the field.

I got excited about the possibility of working in Product Design; however, there was a big issue: there wasn’t a well-defined design chapter or department, and that worried me because I already had a solid career in support and felt secure in that role. So can I actually do this?

The Plan

The plan seemed simple but would take months. It started with several rounds of 1:1 meetings with people in the field. If you already work in IT, you have a big advantage; if you’re not in the field yet, LinkedIn is your best friend. Reach out to people, take advantage of free mentoring opportunities on platforms like ADPList, and understand what they did to achieve their professional goals. Adapt these insights to your own context and have patience and confidence in the process.

Build a strong IDP (Individual Development Plan) aligned with your management. This IDP can include various initiatives and strategies so that your main goal—career migration—can be achieved. These might involve courses, projects, and strategic objectives. In my case, I took a few design courses and worked on some fictitious case studies to sharpen my design and user experience skills. Generally, companies look for generalists who can move smoothly through different areas of UX/UI design.

My process took almost a full year, with multiple rounds of conversations with my manager and product teams to determine the right time for this transition. Because it took so long, I got used to the idea of changing careers, and my initial fears gradually subsided. I ended up working half the day in the morning alongside a squad as a Designer to see how everything operated. At night, I fulfilled the other half of my role in support for the team.

Transition Successfully Completed?

It’s not enough just to want to make the transition. If you want to transition within your current company, more people need to be interested in your move, and a budget must be available—it’s almost like a standard hiring process. The difference is that you have more time to prepare for interviews or technical tests, and it’s something ongoing.

I had to train someone and hand off my support knowledge to my colleagues. This is extremely important because you don’t want to leave any loose ends in your former role. You want to be remembered for your excellent work in your previous position, so the new team will be even more welcoming to your transition.

In summary, that’s what I did to successfully change careers. There’s no magic formula, but there are tips and suggestions that might help you along the way:

  1. Alignment with direct management
  2. Knowledge of the target field
  3. Building the IDP
  4. Ongoing mentoring

I consider these four points essential for a successful career transition. Don’t rush—let things unfold naturally.